Former WWE personality reveals Vince McMahon gave him a 10-year contract
Former WWE executive Jim Ross has revealed that Vince McMahon once gave him a 10-year contract in WWE.
Ross had three spells with WWE between 1993 and 2019. While he is best known for his on-screen work as a commentator, the 69-year-old also held important behind-the-scenes roles in WWE management.
Speaking on his Grilling JR podcast, Ross discussed the 10-year deal that Mark Henry received after joining WWE in 1996. JR also disclosed that Vince McMahon rewarded him with his own lengthy contract at one stage of his career.
“He [Mark Henry] didn’t get huge money, he got good money,” Ross said. “But we didn’t know how long it was gonna take to get him ready, and so he got a 10-year deal. And I don’t think we’ve ever had… at one time I had a 10-year deal. A lot of people don’t even know that. Vince, one of his good days. He liked JR, so I got a little extra cheese on my whopper, so it’s all good. Greatest thing that ever happened to me is being able to work there [WWE] at that point in my career.”
Jim Ross and Mark Henry are not the only WWE stars to receive 10-year contracts from Vince McMahon. The Big Show and Randy Orton were also handed 10-year deals early on in their WWE careers.
Jim Ross left Vince McMahon's WWE in 2019
In 2019, Jim Ross joined AEW as a commentator and senior advisor. He currently has one year left to run on his three-year deal with the company.
The veteran announcer told DAZN’s Steven Muehlhausen last month that he only plans to sign one-year contracts in the future.
“I'd like to, in a perfect world, Steven, I would say I'll do this year, and then let's evaluate and see where we are health-wise, motivational-wise,” Ross said. “Then if I come back, I'd like to come back for a year at a time. That way, it doesn't put Tony [AEW President Tony Khan] in any unnecessary stress.”
Jim Ross recently spoke to Sportskeeda Wrestling’s Kevin Kellam about his WWE dealings with Vince McMahon, John Cena, and many more. Watch the full interview in the video above.
Please credit Grilling JR and give a H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling for the transcription if you use quotes from this article.