WWE Hall Of Famer Jim Ross recently spoke with AV Club while promoting his new book SlobberKnocker: My Life in Wrestling’, which is available now; you can read a few highlights below:
I really wanted the book to be honest. I’ve read too many books from my peers that weren’t totally honest. The historical data had been compromised. I tried to avoid that. I think we have a historically accurate book. I also want to fully reveal where I was in my life, and to share these issues that I had, which unfortunately is very prevalent in our society. So that’s the negative aspect. The positive aspect is that if you roll your sleeves up and stand, you can eventually separate from those issues and never go back. And that’s where I’ve been. Maybe help somebody. But it’s not a drug rehabilitation book. There’s a love story in this book with my wife.
I don’t think I have a favorite. That a call of mine was memorable enough for somebody to use it on something current, I’m flattered that somebody has time in their life to do things like that. Some of us are a bit busy. I can’t tell you how many times people have repurposed my call of Mick Foley being tossed off the Hell In The Cell in 1998. Next year it’ll be 20 years. Man, I’m just thinking it’s been a really fun run in my journey. And being the last of the old territory of wrestling announcers. There’s not plenty of us left.
Oh my god. I can try. First of all, make no mistake: He was really important to the success of that entire territory. Jerry Lawler said to me many times that without Lance Russell, there’d be no Jerry Lawler. Lance was challenged with being the host of a no-net, live studio wrestling show every Saturday morning in Memphis. It was wild, wooly, crazy, edgy, and unpredictable, and Lance was the guy who kept the rudder in the water every single week. The ratings that they got for that show were frightening. He was so good at enhancing talent, and he did this for decades and decades. He was just a wonderful and honest guy, and he came across that way on television. He was so believable, so when he thought he feared for Jerry Lawler’s life, you really believe that’s how he felt. He could express angst, fear, trepidation, and the jeopardy on the heroes really well.
Maybe my patience. I’m not working like I’m getting paid by the word. Maybe better idea of the layout. I’ve realized that sometimes you get talent over more in what you don’t say than what you do say. There are certain things you never stop doing: You never stop trying to get the talent over. You never stop trying to explain strategies on display via holds and maneuvers. Those are always in place no matter the music, pyro, or presentation. For me, it’s just continue trying to improve.
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