WWE.com has posted a long kayfabed interview with Jim Ross on his “Firing” from RAW last night.
“It was heartbreaking. I thought it was a sad end to 30 years of dedication to business. The way it ended was very abrupt.” Ross said of his “Firing”. I would say it’s egotistically driven. Vince is hell-bent on having a fresh, new face that hasn’t had Bell’s Palsy or have a Southern accent sitting in the chair on RAW. This company is like any other entertainment company. You put looks and youth over skill and experience almost every time. I think this was a cop out. I think he just wanted a new voice for RAW, and I think he quite frankly didn’t think J.R. would have become as popular as he did. It certainly wasn’t Vince’s plan. He’s out of touch. He hasn’t been to the grocery store since George Bush, Sr. was president. Here’s a guy that takes a limo to get his haircut every week, and he’s trying to tell me about reality.
WWE.com also noted that because of JR’s “Firing”, The Ross report would no longer be posted on the site. This is a smart move as if he’s “Fired”, it wouldn’t make sense to have him write for the company’s website. “Much to the delight of Internet fans everywhere, The Ross Report returned to WWE.com in late August. The informational and sometimes controversial column instantly become one of the most-popular destinations on WWE.com. After the firing of Jim Ross Monday night on RAW, however, The Ross Report will no longer be posted on WWE.com.” was the official statement.
WWE.com also noted “At the end of RAW this past Monday night, Jim Ross was publicly fired by CEO Linda McMahon in the middle of the ring. This week on Byte This!, Jerry “The King” Lawler will be calling in and Jonathan Coachman will join Todd Grisham in the studio to discuss JR’s dismissal and the status of the RAW announce team. Be sure to tune in to Byte This! tomorrow night to hear what they have to say.”
Of course, this is all part of a storyline. We’ve been noting for months now that Ross wanted to lessen his duties with WWE. Vince McMahon also wanted a younger, more hip announce team to call RAW.
