"I'd say get over it" – Jim Ross on wrestlers complaining about WWE legend
Jim Ross was WWE's lead commentator in 1999 when Chris Jericho joined the company from WCW. The current AEW announcer recently addressed how the WWE locker room reacted to Jericho's in-ring style during that time.
In September 1999, Jericho lost to The Big Show on RAW before fighting Road Dogg to a no-contest finish at a SmackDown taping the next day. At the time, PW Torch reported that Big Show punched a locker-room wall due to frustrations with Jericho's aggressive moves. It was also claimed that Road Dogg disliked his opponent's approach and legitimately slapped him during their match.
On his Grilling JR podcast, Ross defended Jericho and said the former WCW star was wrestling that way because higher-ups told him to:
"I'd say get over it. Quite honestly. Chris was caught in between a rock and a hard spot. He had a lot to contribute, as he still does in AEW. He's no spring chicken but he doesn't miss a beat. Jericho was getting a lot of direction from a lot of different people, and then of course he had his own mindset. He had his own way of looking at it." [58:18 – 58:47]
The following week, Jericho was supposed to record a statement-making win over The Rock on the October 4, 1999, episode of RAW. However, after the departure of head writer Vince Russo to WCW, the finish was changed and The Rock won instead.
Jim Ross on Chris Jericho's only downfall
In a previous podcast episode, Jim Ross recalled how former WWE Chairman Vince McMahon was "astonished" by Chris Jericho's height. The legendary wrestler has been billed as six foot during his career but his real height is believed to be around five-foot-10.
Although Jim Ross has always been a big Jericho fan, he thought McMahon might hold him back due to his size:
"I hired Chris. I recruited him, I hired him. I just thought his only downfall was gonna be his height. He's a great talent, especially in the early days of his career in the WWE. I just say get over it, guys, figure this s**t out. It's f***ing fiction. Make it work for you." [58:48 – 59:16]
Jericho went on to win six WWE world titles and the Intercontinental Championship a record nine times. In 2019, he became AEW's inaugural World Champion.
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Please credit Grilling JR and give an H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling for the transcription if you use Jim Ross' quotes from this article.