Bring Back Jim Ross? Or Let Him Go?

[jarredclements]

The question is, should WWE bring back J.R. to weekly TV? Bring him back just for special events and pay-per-views? Let his current contract expire and give him a Legends contract where he appears very rarely, and does the "ambassador" role for the company.

Obviously, Good Ol' J.R. would have to have to be comfortable with the decision.

What would be the best for Jim Ross and WWE?

As much as I would like to see J.R. reclaim his throne at the WWE Raw Commentator's Table, its now time for the younger guys to take over. (Which we've seen the last couple of years.) I think its only a matter of time before Ross's good friend Jerry Lawler decides to put down the headphones himself. So, what I would think would be best is they hire him for PPV's and special events. Giving him lots of free time for other endeavors.

 

[CrAzY mIkE]

if wwe was smart jim ross would be back on tv. j.r. is, i would say the most respected play by play announcer in the biz (although my personal fav. is jerry lawler). good ol' j.r. SHOULD be on the air, it should be a crime to waste a guy talented as j.r.

 

[EliteDiva]

As much as I hate to see probably the greatest announcer go I have 2 agree. I mean JR has been recruiting talent these past years and I think during his current position thats a greatest fit for him. Otherwhise, it'd be nice 2 hear from JR once and a while.

 

[RendarSelin]

There's only one person who can ultimately decide this: Good Ol' JR himself.

While I love hearing JR's telling of the multiple stories that occur in the squared circle as only he can tell them, one must respect and appreciate JR's position. JR is still recovering from his 3rd attack of Bell's Palsy. JR may just be worn out and needing to hang up the hat. Maybe JR has some a few more years behind the announcer's table. JR needs to do what's right for him. Whether he decides to further market his BBQ chain, go back to the announcer's table, or pursue other sports options, I wish him nothing but the best. Boomer Sooner!

 

[peep4life]

i heard JR say in one of his blogs say that he wouldn't be on WWE TV regurally anymore so i got a feeling he'll stay with WWE and do his behind the scenes job because hes got a GREAT eye for talent and VINNIE MAC knows this but i do think he might be brought back for special events and PPV'S which he should of been at WM like HBK and UT wanted him but i dont see him goin to HOGAN AND FRIENDS oh my bad TNA

 

[KoC417]

I personally don't know how to answer this question.

JR loves the business. There is no doubt about that what so ever. JR is as passionate about Pro Wrestling as anyone the world has ever seen. But as said before, he has suffered from unfortunate setbacks over the years. He's battled back several times before but at this stage in the game the 3rd attack might be all she wrote for the man that I'm sure most of us grew up listening to.

IF WWE were to keep JR around I do believe he should be the man to work the PPVs and special events as said. I was VERY angry (and I read on here that many of the WWE stars were a bit surprised and maybe even slightly upset) about the way Vince snubbed JR from calling WM. That to me is a total slap in the face for Good Ole JR. I mean hell they brought Joey Styles in to call the Edge vs Mick Foley "hardcore" match. Why couldn't JR come out and they do a 3 man announce team for Raw!? Also JR should keep his backstage role as well. JR is so well respected that WWE could use him in MANY ways. I personally think perhaps putting JR in the capacity of the Wellness team as well. I know this sounds ridiculous but think about it like this. If a man you respect and admire calls you on the phone and offers to help you, would you honestly turn him down? JR could help not only FIND talent but make sure that the talent maintains a healthy lifestyle. I'm not saying he should be a nanny by any stretch. I'm simply saying I think JR would be a great fit for the Wellness team. And if WWE doesn't have a Wellness team, they should create one and put JR in there.

So the only way JR should come back IMO is as follows below:
1. He is fully able to do the job because we know he won't come back if he can't give us the BEST JR.
2. He can work side by side with the King again because JR without King is like eating peanut butter and jelly without the bread. It just falls apart.
3. He is able to take some time off if he feels like he can't keep going.

IMO under no circumstances should the WWE let JR go. He's the kind of man you pay EXTRA just to keep around. Letting JR go would be like cutting the heart out of your organization. Plain and simple. JR = WWE

 

[UFOcalling]

Obviously, the WWE doesn't want to put J.R. back behind the announce table. It's a shame, because the guy is freaking LEGENDARY as an announcer. It became pretty obvious when he was drafted to Smackdown that the WWE was trying to make him unhappy enough to leave on his own, but he didn't...he stuck around, because of his love for the business, and because the guy is just a class-act professional. To quote Jericho, he is the best in the world at what he does.

Nothing will EVER beat the announce-team of J.R. & Lawler during the Attitude-Era. Hell, there's a strong-argument that their commentary ALONE played a big part in helping the WWF kick WCW's ass again in the late nineties.

They played off of each other so well back then...Lawler's "dirty-old-man" character, to J.R.'s "straight-man". Makes me so nostalgic to think about when Raw wasn't PG, and J.R. would call people "sons of bitches", and Lawler would make all of those hilarious sexual innuendos (he was PRICELESS calling Val Venus's matches back then).

I might be seeing more than what was really there, but it seems to me that J.R.'s move to Smackdown was not only a ploy to get J.R. to step down, but also Lawler. It seemed like J.R. didn't miss a beat in his move to Smackdown, but I think most of us can agree that Lawler has been phoning it in ever since. I agree with most of the other posters here that it won't be long until Lawler steps down...it's the end of an era, but that's the way things go.

Had to edit, and put this in: KoC417, you are right on the money! J.R. would be PERFECT as an HR rep for the WWE, especially for the wellness program. You can really tell that the wrestlers look up to him, and he would know the right buttons to push to help some of these guys going down the wrong track. In general, the guy would be INVALUABLE to keep as a WWE employee in some regard. Great insight on that one, KoC417.

 

[Mr Snigglez]

JR should only be at wrestlemania and special events. The guy is old, he needs a break, he can do the recruting thing, heard his the one who found john cena, the face of wwe so that job would be just fine for him i think.

 

[FunKay the Inevitable]

JR was going to have to retire sooner or later and I think this may well be his unofficial retirement. He hasn't been on TV since October, initially because of bells palsy and they didn't bring him back even though he's medically cleared. I think WWE has to move on, it can't keep relying on the same breed, time and time again, it's obvious from HBK's retirement, Swagger's elevation and JR's no return that WWE is trying to move forward with a new generation. He'll still work for them, after all Vince knows how great an asset Jim Ross is otherwise he wouldn't have been head of talent relations for as long as he was.

 

[pgerasucks]

why is everybody so quick to decide that he is going back to wwe if he returns,tna is still an option for him they are willing to pay big money for a name like his and he knows it they have a much lighter schedule,and on top of all that how many times can a man get disrespected by the wwe before he decide he is finished with it.i myself hope he goes to tna because i love it when things dont go the way vkm wants,there is a little thing called karma and vince needs a taste of it.He has also said that he has many other options outside of wrestling BUT wrestling is his bread and butter so thats where i think he needs to stay,from all the blogs of his ive read it just seems that he is fed up with the wwe. Anyone agree? or am i gonna get hated on for listing tna as an option by the entire cenation

 

[yabiggame]

im a huge cena fan. Thank you for mentioniing CenaNation. Personally, if TNA is where Mr. Ross decides to go then so be it. We all keep saying "What does WWE plan to do with J.R... what if its J.R.s choice? I would personally love to see him back on TV regardless if its PPVS or reg. T.V. I think WWE is the best option for him long term. He provided great expose that will benefit his BBQ business. I highly doubt that TNA will pay him more than a company that hes almost been at for 20 years.

 

[slimymeteor]

TNA is of course always an option, but JR himself has called that endeavor "highly unlikely." Even if JR finishes up with WWE, he's no spring chicken, and he's already got his hands full with his restaurant business. Plus, I think WWE would keep him under a Legends deal at the very least. I think he feels TNA is good for the business but I don't think he has much interest in going there.

It's just that WWE has put Ross through a LOT, and the fact that he's still around shows his loyalty to the company. If he hasn't left before, he's not going to now, and I think it's most likely that he'll end his career in WWE.

 

[VintageWWE]

People have to stop looking at the past. O think we can all agree here that JR is one of the greatest wrestling announcers of all time, but does that mean he should never retire? Of course not. Time will not tick backwards and it will not stop, we should look to the future. JR was one of the greatest but his time has past. People complain about seeing 50 year old wrestlers and guys like Triple H bogging all the spotlight from the new young guys, well that's true for JR too. WWE have been pushing new announcers and that's the right thing to do.

I would still like to see JR stay with WWE maybe as a talent scout or something of that nature. I wouldn't mind seeing JR as the new gm of Raw either. Whatever happens I'm sure JR will be happy about it.

 

[RatedRSuperstar84]

WWE and Vince McMahon have crapped on JR time and time again which is unfortunate. It is very obvious that he is loyal to the company and will not "jump ship" as it were to TNA; even if his deal runs out.

Having said that, JR has had his time in the spotlight and it is probably time for him to step away from commentary for good (even though he is still better than what we are being offered now). I am sure he will hang around as a talent scout or something though and honestly if I was Vinnie Mac I would pay him just to sit at home if it would keep him out of TNA. Not that he is going to pull ratings but he's better than Tenay!

 

[ccotreau1]

Personally, I would love to see JR back commentating, whether it is on Raw or doing the bigger PPVs like Wrestlemania, Summerslam, etc. But it is up to him/WWE ultimately, as much as we would either love to see him back or let him watch.

 

[Infamous_Enigma]

They should just let Good Ol JR go, He left in a such a sudden state and to bring him back wouldnt really do anything for wwe, except have another person to worry about who cant handle the schedule, Instead, let him go to TNA...Hear me out before you judge, Let him go there, its a perfect fit for him, A VERY lax Traveling schedule, Not like wwe, where they are in a new city ever 15 hours, but i digress, Have him work with the announcers on tna, because i know im not the only one who HATED Mike Tenays commentary On Angle vs Anderson...(anderson), He showed no real passion for the match, and Honestly almost killed the match for me. Plus everytime JR and Taz got near each other we learned something and it was entertaining. So have him come in and Not replace tenay yet....BUT soon, For TNA and its matches sake.

 

[thewrestleranurag900]

Bring jim ross back.For me he was one of the best or i can go beyond and say the greatest commentetor wwe ever had.

 

[theHeadliner]

I feel like the WWE is really shafting him here. The guy has been fired from the WWF numerous times and returned, stayed loyal, and always did what was called upon him. He was drafted to Smackdown! for the show to garner more attention, though he didn't like the decision and the fact that he got no warning at all. He's one of the top 2 best announcers of all time, and the WWE wants to cut ties with him at the announce table. Its a shame. Are they going to drive Lawler out next? He's been there just as long. The announce teams just don't intrigue me anymore, but JR added interest and kept the matches exciting. I know its Vince's intention to keep the announcers as plain old people and he doesn't want them to be stars. That could be a reason for this decision to keep him off air. I think its a slap in the face. Hell, Gorilla Monsoon stayed on until he became President or whatever his on air character was. Michaels is gone, Undertaker is taking time off, will be working lighter, and will ultimately follow Shawn's path. HHH's injuries are lagging and causing time off. The ties to the older generation of fans are being cut, and I bet the ratings will drop, especially since a lot of people have been anticipating the return of JR. They have already been dropping. I stopped caring once Michaels retired, now that JR is done, I really don't care if I miss the show or not.

 

[closet_fan]

it would be nice if he came back, but i think he feels he doesn't have to at this point. he is likely set for life financially, has the BBQ joint and i am sure has other future interests.

he would be one of the old-time guys i would not want to see at tna only because i think it would tarnish his legacy.

 

[Star-ratz]

he would be one of the old-time guys i would not want to see at tna only because i think it would tarnish his legacy.

How would it tarnish his legacy??

The WWE is shitting all over his legacy by not having him on TV...TNA offering him another chance to commentate would NOT tarnish his legacy it would just be a new chapter in a long, varied and very successful career.
Although the chances of JR going to TNA are practically nil!!

 

[Travaje]

I think J.R. is great. He still has a great mind for the business, his blog is very insightful, and his takes are spot on. However, as long as Vince and the producers are spoon-feeding the announcers what to say, it doesn't really matter who's doing it. It might as well just be a guy like Michael Cole who couldn't call a match on his own, then there's no conflict when the producers tell him what to say.

Don't want to see J.R. in TNA, because it's pretty much the same thing there. A few years ago, Tenay and West were doing a pretty good job, when they talked, they didn't sound as if they were being spoon-fed, even if they were. Now, Tenay is terrible, and Taz might just be one of the very worst color guys ever. In an ideal world, if Tenay and J.R. were together in a thriving TNA environment, and both could call matches old school, it might work.

As far as J.R. calling MMA, if Joe Rogan can do it, so can J.R. If that's what he wants to do, someone should hire him. If J.R. wants to stay in wrestling, he could definitely put a company on the right track. I wish him the best.

 

[Sully]

Mighta been said already, and it's not the best idea, but bring JR back for GM of Raw. Get rid of the guest hosts, reason for this being older fans would love this, and people who decided to stop watching Raw, will probably start tuning in. At least before his contract is up, maybe the last night, let him be guest host, that would actually be pretty awesome, as they don't have to worry about it being long term, and it will be a good send off JR.

Spoiler

Maybe we can even see like...a JRs BBQ match, with Santino and Chavo?

 

[Mitch Henessey]

I would like to see JR back in WWE, but his future with WWE seems very uncertain right now. Also, where would JR be able to fit in on any WWE show? Cole and Lawler have become the A team on Raw, Grisham and Striker are the B team on Smackdown, and Cole and Mathews work well together on NXT.

I really don't see how JR would be able to fit into any WWE announcing team. He could re untie with Lawler, but the glory days of Lawler and Ross occurred during the attitude era, and even before Ross was traded to Smackdown, the dynamic duo just wasn't what it used to be.

Again, I would like to see good old JR return to WWE, but I just don't see where he would be able to fit in. Maybe WWE could bring him back, and give him another job besides announcing?