"Sweet human being and a great team player" - Jim Ross on former WWE US Champion who is nothing like his character
Former WWE commentator and executive Jim Ross says Rhyno is a “sweet human being” who was easy to work with behind the scenes.
Rhyno worked for WWE between 2001 and 2005 before returning for another run with the company between 2015 and 2019. During the former ECW star’s first WWE spell, Jim Ross worked in a management position as the Head of Talent Relations.
Speaking on his Grilling JR podcast, Ross said he did not have any issues with Rhyno outside of the ring.
“I always liked Rhyno. To me he epitomized what a lot of wrestlers should look like. He was sturdy, he was thick, he was solid, body was tight. But the thing about Terry [Terry Gerin, Rhyno’s real name], Rhyno, is the fact that he was such a sweet human being and a great team player,” Ross said.
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Known as an intimidating powerhouse, Rhyno is a former United States Champion, SmackDown Tag Team Champion, and three-time Hardcore Champion. The Man Beast initially made his name in ECW, where he became the ECW World Heavyweight Champion and a two-time ECW World Television Champion.
Jim Ross thought Rhyno was underutilized
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In recent weeks, Jim Ross said on his podcast that DDP and Tazz should have received more opportunities in WWE in the early 2000s.
The current AEW announcer believes Rhyno is another former WWE star who could have become a bigger name if he was given the chance.
“I’m looking at these with a lot of different eyes, Conrad [Grilling JR host Conrad Thompson],” Ross said. “I look at the shows that we’re doing here as a fan, as an announcer, and as a Head of Talent Relations, and all of them have their different landing spots. So I look at Terry, a.k.a. Rhyno, as underutilized.”
Jim Ross added that Rhyno should have won a series of matches as a heel en route to becoming a WWE Championship contender. If he was presented that way, Ross thinks the 46-year-old could have feuded with top babyfaces including The Rock and Steve Austin.
Please credit Grilling JR and give a H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling for the transcription if you use quotes from this article.