Jim Ross On First Meeting Tony Khan, When His Talks With AEW Began And Why He Signed On

Speaking with Jeffrey Harris for the 411 Wrestling Interviews Podcast, AEW announcer and WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross recalled first meeting Tony Khan as well as when his discussions with AEW began. JR signed with AEW just over a year ago, announcing his deal on April 4th, 2019. He told Jeffrey that he came on board because he needed to be active and do something, and talked about how Khan’s vision for what AEW could be matched what Ross himself wanted to see in the industry. Highlights are below:

On when he really started to buy into AEW: “First time I met Tony Khan and we got to talking. That was the weekend that AXS TV was doing the Long Beach New Japan Weekend, Saturday and Sunday shows. Tony was there as a fan and I was introduced to him by our mutual friend Alex Marvez, the esteemed NFL writer and broadcaster on Sirius XM. And so we hung out that weekend. I knew then that I’d met a very special person as far as the history of wrestling, the respect for wrestling, and he loved pro wrestling. He didn’t say he was a big fan, he didn’t say yay or nay but I took — he was not a major fan of scripted promos-type thing or too much entertainment. Not enough steak, too much sizzle. But little did I know that his goal was to create his own company.”

On when he began talks with Khan for AEW: “So nonetheless, when he reached out to my agent Barry Bloom in, I guess it was probably the early part of 2019. That’s when we started. I was excited about rejoining him. I was excited about connecting with Tony. And then I met with him, and we talked about what he wanted, and what his visions were and they matched mine. He wanted a sports-oriented presentation of believable pro wrestling. Not sports entertainment — believable, athletically-based pro wrestling. And so then he worked out a deal very quickly with my agent, and all of a sudden I was on the team. Never regret[ted it], I knew it was a new adventure for me and I needed to get working. I needed to be active. Not because I needed the payday to go to the grocery store; because I was going crazy sitting at home in an empty house as an empty nester and it was a lot more energy that I perceived, more fuel in my tank. So Tony Khan came along at the exact right time in my life.”

In the full interview, JR discusses his new memoir Under the Black Hat: My Life in the WWE and Beyond (you can check out our review of the book here), leaving WWE and going to AEW, why Steve Austin turning heel at WrestleMania X-Seven was a mistake, AEW and WWE holding shows during the COVID-19 pandemic, his thoughts on the cinematic matches at WrestleMania 36, the Revival’s WWE release and how they would fit in AEW, finding the balance between in-ring product and entertainment aspects of wrestling plus much more.

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0:00: Introduction
0:41: On writing his new memoir Under the Black Hat: My Life in the WWE and Beyond and what the book covers
3:06: On when the process of writing the book began
4:06: On his relationship with Vince McMahon, staying friends even with his going to AEW and why he left WWE
6:35: On his memories of WrestleMania X-Seven, Steve Austin turning heel and how Undertaker vs. Triple H was booked
8:53: On if Austin’s heel turn falling short influenced WWE to keep John Cena & Roman Reigns as babyfaces, why Cena stayed babyface
12:46: On when he first met with Tony Khan, why he came joined AEW, misconceptions of why he left WWE and people confusing Vince McMahon with Mr. McMahon
16:59: On AEW and WWE continuing to hold shows amid COVID-19 pandemic, both companies having broadcast commitments, looking forward to calling Jon Moxley vs. Jake Hager
18:56: On AEW changing their setup to deal with the empty arenas, what to expect from the Moxley vs. Hager match
20:34: On what he thought of WrestleMania’s Boneyard Match and adding preproduced elements to matches in the current situation, how AEW is handling it
22:55: On finding the right balance between in-ring product and entertainment content, talent needing to create their own content
25:16: On the positives and negatives of talent using social media, why people should avoid going negative
27:18: On The Revival’s WWE release, being a fan of them and how they would fit into AEW
30:04: On where to find him online, where to get Under the Black Hat
31:59: On his advice for people during the pandemic

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