Jim Ross says WWE "lost confidence" in former champion after career-ending injury
Jim Ross was a WWE commentator and part of the company's management team in the late 1990s. In a recent podcast episode, the legendary announcer reflected on the night of the D'Lo Brown and Droz incident.
On October 5, 1999, Droz suffered a career-ending neck injury during a pre-taped SmackDown match after a running powerbomb spot with Brown went wrong. The former ECW wrestler was in a wheelchair for the rest of his life before passing away in 2023 at the age of 54.
Although the injury was a freak accident, Ross said on Grilling JR that some within WWE struggled to trust Brown from that day on:
"The office just kinda, oh hell, I don't know, lost confidence and he couldn't get away from that moment and it's too bad, too, because D'Lo, like Droz, was very well-liked and a smart guy and he could contribute with finishes, things of that nature. He was always very reliable." [36:33 – 37:00]
Brown worked for WWE between 1997 and 2003 before returning for another run with the company between 2008 and 2009. He is best remembered for his Nation of Domination stint and reigns as European and Intercontinental Champion.
Jim Ross on D'Lo Brown's reaction to Droz's injury
After the match with Droz, D'Lo Brown struggled to come to terms with the fact that his move ended an opponent's career.
Jim Ross added that he often spoke to Brown about the incident and tried to reassure him he was not to blame:
"D'Lo kinda got lost in the shuffle and he couldn't regain that confidence that the office had in him because, look, he was a young guy, good hand, good size, intellect, a lot of real positive things were happening for D'Lo, and his card got punched. It was bad timing, unfortunate. It shouldn't have happened the way it did but sometimes we can't do anything about it. I had many talks with D'Lo about that stuff. My issue was that you gotta get past the guilt." [37:14 – 37:57]
Brown wrestled for several other companies after leaving WWE, including Ring of Honor and TNA. In 2023, he spoke to Sportskeeda Wrestling Senior Editor Bill Apter about whether he plans to wrestle again.
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