Jim Ross Discusses The Reaction in WWE To TNA Moving to Monday Nights, If They Used Bret Hart’s Return to Counter TNA’s Monday Night Debut

On the latest edition of Grilling JR, Jim Ross talked about the reaction within WWE to TNA moving to Monday nights to go head-to-head against RAW starting on January 4th of 2010. Highlights are below.

On the reaction within WWE to TNA moving to Monday nights: “I’m glad they did it because it would settle the issues once and for all that we’re going to be the dominate brand on Monday night come hell or high water. We earned that right through the 83 week debacles, and ass whippings. We were Oklahoma and they were LSU for 83 weeks, it wasn’t fun. So, nobody at our place was worried. Concerned might be a good word, hell I don’t know, know what I mean? We’re aware, we knew we had competition, we had to produce a better product, all that stuff that competition brings you. Competition, folks, is good for wrestling. The best thing for Monday Night RAW right now, if you wanna make RAW better, put another show against it. Now I’m not talking about AEW now, I’m talking about some other group. But you get better when you got competition. That’s what makes games interesting. That’s why they keep score.”

On why he didn’t believe TNA would succeed despite their stacked roster: “It wasn’t an intimidating thing. Look, individually, the talents you named [on the TNA roster], Conrad, is a tremendous roster. But I didn’t ever believe that for some reason, they had the leadership, and that one person in place, where they had complete autonomy to do as he or she chose. And because of that, not having that person with the great product knowledge, with the one decision maker, I didn’t think they could ever be successful.”

On if they purposefully put the Bret Hart return on the January 4th RAW to counter TNA: “I don’t think it was the only strategy for starting off the year with a bang, for the obvious reasons, first show of the year, make it big. We did that in Jacksonville the other night with AEW and it was an awesome show. But there’s a lot of motivations. The fans are motivated. The TV audience is motivated. And our talents are motivated. Because it was the first show of the year, it was new again. So I think we were more excited about that. But to say, I’d be lying to the audience here, and I don’t do that shit, yeah it was an issue, of course. If we could have a great show on New Year’s night, loaded New Year’s night show, and it happened to be against the debut of TNA, so be it. Hey look, they had a good night too that night.”

If using any of the above quotes, please credit Grilling JR with an h/t to 411mania.com for the transcription.