Todd Grisham Recalls Being Lined Up To Replace Jim Ross in WWE

During a recent interview with Insight With Chris Van Vliet, former WWE broadcaster and announcer Todd Grisham discussed a period Todd Grisham was being lined up as the replacement for longtime WWE broadcaster and play-by-play analyst Jim Ross. Grisham revealed he was instructed to go down to the ring and speak to JR after a WWE show in Oklahoma ended.

Grisham explained he was instructed by former WWE Chairman Vince McMahon to say a lot of antagonizing things to JR. However, Grisham broke a cardinal rule by handing over the microphone when JR asked him for it. Below are some highlights from Insight:

Todd Grisham on Being Lined Up as Jim Ross’ Replacement in WWE

“So eventually they said, ‘All right, here’s what we’re going to do. We’re going to give you the keys to Raw. You’re going to be the face. You’re going to call Raw. JR, we’re retiring him.’ He had a retirement tour, or something similar to that, where he was going to retire after WrestleMania. He’s going to call the WrestleMania match, and that was it. But the receptions he was getting in all these buildings, and eventually they’re like, we can’t take him off the air. He’s too big. Even though Vince tried to squash it. Vince hated Jim Ross for whatever reason. He fired him 10 times. One show, I don’t remember where it was. It was in Oklahoma, in front of his home crowd. So the show ended, and they were gonna have Jim Ross speak to the crowd. Thank you very much. Blah, blah, blah. So Jim Ross is in the ring, and Vince tells me grab a mic and go down there, and he gave me some questions. I go down there. ‘Sorry to interrupt you, JR, in front of the crowd, but how does it feel to be getting released by WWE and fired by Vince because he just doesn’t think you’re that good…’ and all these antagonizing things.”

On Handing the Mic to Jim Ross

“The number one rule, you probably know this when you’re an interviewer, is to never give up the mic. Boxing, UFC, they take the mic. You’re out of control. So you sit there no matter what. But at that point, Jim Ross looked at me and goes, ‘Could I please have the microphone?’ And I’m thinking, Vince is gonna kill me if I give him the mic. But I was like, I just handed him the mic. I was like, I’m not gonna do it, and I’ll take the abuse. And JR went and said, ‘I know those weren’t your questions. Those were his.’ And so anyway, long story short, they don’t fire JR. Maybe that’s when they put me on ECW. I don’t remember, but we’re gonna give you this show. Well, you’re the guy in waiting until Jim Ross is done.”