Jerry "The King" Lawler with Jim Ross.; Credit: WWE

Jim Ross is the most famous pro wrestling play-by play commentator of all time. He's a native Californian, but grew up in Oklahoma and took his trademark drawl into doing commentary. He's worked in wrestling for more than 40 years, calling matches on shows seen by millions of people around the world.

This weekend, he's in the Bay Area for Wrestlemania weekend (the first Wrestlemania in Northern California, and the first in California in 10 years). Ross no longer commentates for WWE, but he's still a storyteller, online and in person. He hosts regular live storytelling shows with stories from his decades-long career and a bit of comedy, along with a live guest, and he also has a huge online presence including a podcast that went to number one in sports its first week out.

Ross has been watching wrestling since he was a kid.

"My dad wasn't a big fan of it. He missed the point. The point is not whether it's real or if it's staged. The point is, are you entertained by it, or not? And I was," Ross said.

He's been at ringside for numerous historic matches, helping the wrestlers to tell their stories ever since he got his first job in wrestling out of college at 22.

"The greater the star, the easier it is to tell their story," Ross said. "Those participants make music. They make different kinds of music, and the announcers, the broadcasters, have to be able to provide the adequate lyric to the competitors' music."

Ross's voice is so powerful that it's become a meme online to pair his voice with another dramatic footage, from sports and beyond — you can even find it paired with dramatic moments from shows like "Breaking Bad" and "Game of Thrones." Ross says that the first time he saw someone do that was with a hit by Michigan running back Jadaveon Clowney, a video which went viral and sparked others to do likewise.

The JR Treatment

"I get sent these memes all the time. 'Hey JR, check this one out.' Or people will say, somebody will make a great dunk at an NBA game, and somebody will say 'I can't wait to see this get the JR treatment.' And now there are major sports websites that will send out a tweet, 'Here's a great play from Sunday's 49er-Charger game that's got the JR treatment.' So now it's got a name. 'The JR Treatment.'"

Those viral videos have even helped him land new commentating roles since leaving WWE. He did a call of a fight between NASCAR drivers for the Daytona 500 for a special pre-show video, and it's led to him having opportunities in traditional sports.

"It's been done in boxing, and MMA. Believe it or not, I've gotten feelers that we're entertaining now from a variety of combat sports entities that actually heard what my call would sound like doing their product," Ross said. "It had my tone, had my inflection, had my level of enthusiasm."

Ross also played a huge role behind the scenes, working as WWE's executive vice president of talent and signing future stars like the Rock, Mick Foley and more. He says that Mick Foley's match against the Undertaker in 1998's Hell in a Cell match was his most memorable to call.

"I have people walk up to me and start quoting my commentary when Undertaker threw Foley off the Hell in a Cell, this massive cage with a roof on it, that was about 17 feet high from the roof to the floor," Ross said. "It looked like no human being, quite honestly, could survive that fall. You don't practice falls like that in wrestling school."

Ross has managed to stay relevant with the help of a popular podcast and 1.3 million followers on Twitter, where he regularly dispenses his thoughts on wrestling and beyond. He started doing that podcast after being lobbied to do it by "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, and continues to try new things.

"I was very reluctant to engage in social media, and primarily because we sometimes get set in our ways, especially the older we get," Ross said. "But change, for any of us, in any walk of life, whether it's your diet, it's your relationships, the way you approach your job, or any changes that you need to affect, whether it's on doctor's orders, your significant other's suggestions — change is not always a negative thing. So I got on Twitter, and then Twitter connected me to so many people."

While some may feel that pro wrestling, given its predetermined results, doesn't need real athletes, Ross disagrees and says there are plenty of reasons to want real athletes.

"They're competitive. They don't want to be on the second team. They want to be in the game. And they've been in that mindset since some of them were in little league, or Pop Warner football, or elementary school wrestling, or whatever it may be."

He says they also understand how to be coached and how to play well with others, as well as handling the bumps and bruises that come with the territory and the difficult travel schedule.

"I don't know that anybody in any entity, unless you're the most well-traveled comedian or entertainer, has that. Because the thing about pro wrestling is it doesn't have an off-season, so you don't get a chance to really go recharge your batteries. You've got to maintain that competitive edge to survive."

Ross says there's one match he wishes he had another shot at calling: Ric Flair's retirement match against Shawn Michaels at Wrestlemania 24 in Orlando at the Citrus Bowl. While Ross has traditionally been a play-by-play commentator, that night he was assigned to be a color commentator, which gave him some different challenges.

"I thought I had great stories to tell because of my relationship with Ric — I've known him for 25 years — and I didn't think that I contributed as much to that match from an emotional standpoint as I could. I was obligated to get in soundbites and get in, get out," Ross said. "That's the biggest match at the biggest stage, and I love both those guys, and I really wanted to be extra special that night, and I just don't know in my heart that we got there."

He says California has its own wrestling legacy to be proud of. The California Wrestlemania match that Ross says he'll always remember: Bret Hart versus Shawn Michaels at Wrestlemania 12 in Anaheim, where two now wrestling legends wrestled for more than an hour.

He also thinks the economics of Wrestlemania make a lot of sense for whichever city hosts it, thanks to the travelers it draws in from around the world. Cities now bid to try to bring in Wrestlemania, Ross says. With Los Angeles gearing up to build a new stadium, Ross has a Wrestlemania prediction for that stadium.

"I will bet you money — I will bet you some of my barbecue sauce — if L.A. builds a stadium, that Wrestlemania will be one of the first non-football events in that stadium. And they will sell it out. They'll fill every seat. And it'll be great for the city, and the businesses of Los Angeles.

Ross says that what made him a great broadcaster is the same thing that can make someone a success in wrestling or anywhere else — most importantly, don't talk down to your audience.

"You have to be a fan of the genre, or a fan of the game, and you have to be willing to prepare and be ready for your broadcast," Ross said. "You have to be willing to tell the story that the average fan — not the hardcore fan, but the average, casual fan can understand and relate to. ... You know, we're storytellers, and some people are just natural-born storytellers."

Ross plans to continue telling stories for the foreseeable future, on stage, online, calling matches in the legit sports world and wherever else his life takes him. He's even gotten into acting — you can see him in the new film "What Now."

"I think retirement is overblown. How many days can you go fishing? How many rounds of golf can you play?" Ross said. "I had the idea when I left WWE after 21 years, I'm going to reinvent myself. I'm not going to become a trivia answer. ... I don't think you're going to read anywhere, anytime soon, that Jim Ross has finally retired — until you read my eulogy."

Listen to the audio for the full hour-long interview with Jim Ross, talking his career past, present and future — along with the origins of his signature barbecue sauce.

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

11/17/2024 - 11:30 AM - Venue: Nature and Wildlife Discovery Center

11/16/2024 - 11:30 AM - Venue: Nature and Wildlife Discovery Center

Aprendimos a amarles en 2008, cuando su burbujeante debut se convirtió en la comidilla de enteradillos y falsos profetas (como El Radar) y parecemos abocados a odiarles en 2010, cuando aquella rara perla indie que fue Vampire Weekend se va a revelar como un tremendo fenómeno comercial.

Upsets happen all the time in prep football. But in regards to these matchups, we’ll go with “highly unlikely” the underdog wins.

The Bermuda Powerboat Race Season resumed at Ferry Reach with Powerboats and Junior Powerboats competing. In the Powerboat S Class, Aaron Simms and Steven Bridges claimed the victory, while Craig Nebitt Sr. & Jr. won the D Class. The C Class was won by Chad and Graham Sutherland, with Jody and Tony Carreiro winning the […]

Race fans had double delight as the Bermuda Karting Club and Bermuda Motocross Club were both in action this past weekend. Karting Tag Senior Race 1 Brian Bulhoes Blake Horseman William Dunkley Jayden Brimmer Race 2 Blake Horseman Brian Bulhoes William Dunkley Jayden Brimmer Race 3 Brian Bulhoes William Dunkley Blake Horseman Jayden Brimmer Tag Junior […]

The Bermuda Motocross Association race season came to an end at the Southside Motor Sports Park. Malakai Dill won the pee wee division on the day, with Cassidy Spencer-King Clarke winning the 50cc class. Mazali Tucker won the 65cc class, A’jahni Foggo claimed the 85cc class title, and Nyla Goodchild won the 85cc ladies division. […]

The Lo & Sons Aoyama travel purse is one of its best designs yet. We also compare its totes and weekender bags, which make commuting a lot more comfortable.

The fireball—one of many decommissioned satellites from SpaceX's internet service—was spotted by dozens of people across at least four states, and many mistook it for a meteor

Though the nearly full moon will likely outshine some of these speedy meteors, you may still be able to catch a glimpse of bright fireballs and low Earth-grazers

The TRP ratings of the Bigg Boss 18 Weekend Ka Vaar hosted by Rohit Shetty and Ekta Kapoor have been through the roof, much higher than that of Salman Khan.

With the weather system weakening, IMD has withdrawn heavy rainfall alert for Chennai

These destinations offer a mix of culture, adventure, and relaxation, making them perfect for a short vacation.

Over 50 pastors and family members from Tacloban enjoy a weekend getaway organised by OM Philippines from 7-9 March.

Seventeen participants from nine churches gather for OM Malaysia and OM Singapore's Life Direction Weekend in Port Dickson, Malaysia, from 21-23 March.

Twenty-three people from Czech Republic attend an OM missions weekend held at the team base in České Budějovice in April.

A free virtual performance from The Philadelphia Orchestra will follow an in-person performance from world-renowned violinist Ray Chen and pianist Julio Elizalde.

Sintex 2005 going on and i been on course & work and play...

WTF..

Never been so pack in my life...

I need a hoilday!! yukies

>_^

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Local Hungama presents the a two-day Urban Fest in Visakhapatnam, featuring art, music, sustainable products and live workshops

Over Labor Day weekend, Phoenix, Arizona, will host Orthodox young adults from all over who'll gather for fellowship, a service project, and the chance to stretch themselves to better live and EXCLAIM their Orthodox faith. To discuss this great event, and share their own inspiring stories, Bill will interview Judge Steven Counelis and George Anagnostopoulos. These enthusiastic visionaries represent the amazing Young Adult League committee that organized this unique and extraordinary event.

I’ve been getting a lot of questions about the marketing strategies I use to promote the book. In a previous podcast, I broke down the launch of Million Dollar Weekend (Spotify – iTunes). Today, I want to break down the 3-part system I’m using to continue 24/7 marketing my book after launch. 1- Exposure – […]

The post Million Dollar Weekend crossed 100,000 sales!! appeared first on Noah Kagan.

BBC Sport Wales assesses a successful final weekend of the first block of games in the United Rugby Championship.

The Lord Mayor's Show, firework displays and brand new exhibitions.

A cheese market, new illuminations and a literature festival.

The post 10 things to do in Boston this weekend appeared first on Boston.com.

The post 10 things to do in Boston this weekend appeared first on Boston.com.

Patriots fans might not enjoy the reference.

The post Tom Brady was roasted on ‘SNL’ Weekend Update appeared first on Boston.com.

The alcohol-free beer garden comes from Dray Drinks, Boston's first NA bottle shop.

The post A non-alcoholic beer garden pops up in Brighton this weekend appeared first on Boston.com.

The post 10 things to do in Boston this long weekend appeared first on Boston.com.

The post 10 things to do in Boston this weekend appeared first on Boston.com.

The winner will be selected on October 23.

The post Enter to win a Halloween weekend giveaway appeared first on Boston.com.

The post 10 things to do in Boston this Halloween weekend appeared first on Boston.com.

The post 10 things to do in Boston this weekend appeared first on Boston.com.

Some health groups have said it’s time to do away with time switches and that sticking with standard time aligns better with the sun — and human biology.

The post Daylight saving time ends this weekend. This is how to prepare for the potential health effects. appeared first on Boston.com.

After hearing the “Word of God” to go to Boston, Chris Smither became a full-on folk legend. He turns 80 this weekend, and will be feted with two shows.

The post A nod to Chris: Boston’s folk legend Chris Smither turns 80 this weekend appeared first on Boston.com.

University Park, PA — Using weekends to catch up on the sleep you didn’t get during the workweek isn’t a heart-healthy strategy, a new study claims.

Denver — Deaths and serious injuries resulting from falls in the construction industry in recent years have prompted OSHA to launch an initiative to inspect worksites across Colorado’s Front Range, Montana and South Dakota on weekends, “when many employers typically do not monitor their jobsites well.”

Using the weekend to make up for the sleep you missed during the week could help reduce your risk of developing heart disease, researchers say.

This week sees me heading to Latvia for a flying visit to Riga. Never been to Latvia and have been looking forward to this trip for a while. Unfortunately I’ve been a little poorly this week so my energy levels are low and so ‘speedy’ may quickly...