Jim Ross

Jim Ross is an American professional wrestling broadcaster and author. Raised in Oklahoma, he entered the wrestling business through its regional promotion system and worked in roles that included officiating, administration, and announcing. His career later included broadcasting for major organizations such as WCW, WWE, and All Elite Wrestling.

Ross became widely identified with WWE broadcasts during the company’s expansion in the 1990s and 2000s. He also worked behind the scenes in talent relations and other management duties. Those responsibilities connected him with the recruitment and development of performers as well as the presentation of their matches on television.

His autobiographical books were written with Paul O’Brien. They describe his progress from childhood and regional wrestling into national television, alongside personal events including Bell’s palsy and the death of his wife Jan. Business Is About to Pick Up! organizes his career around fifty wrestling calls. Ross also contributed a foreword to Brody, a biography written by Larry Matysik and Barbara Goodish.

Ross made his WWE broadcasting debut in 1993 and was inducted into the company’s Hall of Fame in 2007. He has also been recognized by the NWA and National Wrestling Halls of Fame. His work outside match commentary includes the podcast Grilling JR and publications about cooking. J.R.’s Cookbook and Can You Take the Heat? combine his association with wrestling with recipes and his interest in barbecue.

Wrestling Books

Slobberknocker: My Life in Wrestling: Ross recounts his upbringing on an Oklahoma farm, his early interest in televised wrestling, and his entry into a closely guarded business. Written with Paul O’Brien, the memoir follows the work he performed in regional promotions and his progress toward major television broadcasts. It also describes professional relationships, talent management, travel, and episodes of Bell’s palsy, connecting the development of his announcing career with events away from the microphone.

Under the Black Hat: My Life in the WWE and Beyond: Continuing the story begun in Slobberknocker, Ross describes his years in WWE and the organizational duties that accompanied his broadcasting. The account includes relationships with Vince McMahon and leading performers, conflicts over his role, and the effects of Bell’s palsy. Personal sections address the sudden death of his wife Jan. The memoir follows these experiences toward his move into a new stage of work with All Elite Wrestling.

Business Is About to Pick Up!: 50 Years of Wrestling in 50 Unforgettable Calls: Ross revisits fifty calls from fifty years of professional wrestling, using individual moments to trace changes in the industry. The selections range from regional wrestling through WCW and WWE to the establishment of AEW. His commentary supplies context about performers, decisions, and events surrounding the broadcasts, including major debuts and prominent matches. The book combines the history of those moments with the perspective of the announcer who described them.