Jim Ross confesses he felt "uncomfortable" watching controversial AEW moment
AEW is celebrating its fifth anniversary, and the company has had several controversial moments along the way. Tony Khan has pushed the envelope numerous times in trying to put his promotion on the map, but now Jim Ross is speaking out against a certain viral spot.
All Elite Wrestling recently presented its fourth annual Blood & Guts Dynamite special. The brutal 10-man double-cage main event saw Team AEW defeat Team Elite in just under 49 minutes. The biggest controversy coming out of the match was Mark Briscoe's chair shot to the head of Jack Perry.
The unprotected shot led to strong criticism with many wondering how this could happen in 2024 and speculation on if the chair was gimmicked to make things safer. Jim Ross has seen countless chair shots over the years, but the shot to the head of The Scapegoat did not sit well with the WWE Hall of Famer.
Good Ol' JR admits he was uncomfortable with the chair shot. On the latest Grilling JR podcast, co-host Conrad Thompson discussed the backlash surrounding the spot and said he knows AEW gimmicked the chair. All Elite Wrestling's Senior Advisor and commentator seemingly agreed that fans should not watch a show called Blood & Guts if they don't want to see simulated violence. The 50-year industry veteran was asked his thoughts on the chair shot, and if bumps like this can be done safely, and in moderation.
"Still got to be careful with it, you gotta be very judicious about how often it’s used, and where it’s used, so forth. I don’t know that our man Mr. Dudley knows any other way of doing it... that was an ECW chair shot. He came from downtown with it, man, and it resonated off another man’s brain. So, I can understand people’s concern, and by and large, I agree with them. That shot could have been on the back of the head, the upper back, shoulder blade area, but still, man, it resonated right off the man’s head," Jim Ross said. [From 4:19 to 5:04]
Ross continued:
"I was uncomfortable with it, to be honest with you. I understand why it was done, I understand the environment that we were in on that show. When I saw it watching it here at home, I was mildly shocked... that it came from such velocity, and harmful intent, and thank God I think they only used it once, if I remember correctly. So, it was, uh... it's tough, man. How far do you go? What's too much? What's not enough? I would just suggest that there are ways to get the same violence without scrambling a guy's brains," Jim Ross said. [From 5:05 to 5:53]
Tony Khan was recently asked about the chair shot during a media call. His response was also a bit controversial and left many fans with more questions.
Updated lineup for this Wednesday's AEW Dynamite
Tony Khan and the AEW creative team are furthering the storylines in anticipation of two huge AEW Dynamite specials coming up in the near future, which were revealed this week.
Wednesday's Dynamite will air live from LJVM Coliseum in Winston-Salem, NC as the road to All In continues. Below is the current lineup:
- Katsuyori Shibata vs. Bryan Keith
- Title Eliminator: AEW American Champion MJF vs. Kyle Fletcher
- Anything Goes: Jeff Jarrett vs. Bryan Danielson (Special Guest: Ricky Steamboat)
Friday's Rampage episode will also be taped on Wednesday. The only match confirmed for Saturday's Collision is Deonna Purrazzo vs. Thunder Rosa in a Texas Bull Rope Match.