Express Hall of Fame: Jim Ross

Back during the territory era, various territories had their leaders with announcers Lance Russell, Gordon Solie, and various others setting the bar as the announcers to teach the future. Soon after Bill Watts took control of the Mid South territory he would replace long time announcer Boyd Pierce with a fresh youngster named Jim Ross. Watts wanted a new look for his product when he brought the Oklahoma territory from Leroy McGuirk which prompted Watts to decide to change perception and allow Ross to become the lead announcer. Mind you this was the early 1980's and he is still going strong to this day in the business. I did a lot of talking about JR's career when I awarded him the lifetime achievement award. click here! 

Jim Ross has done it all in this wrestling business and continues to prove that he can still lead the charge being the voice we here every week on television. Ross has been in creative, talent relations, and has done more to help announcers of the future then pretty much anyone else in the wrestling business. In my opinion, the shock of seeing Jim Ross make the move to AEW was surprising, but at the same time added legitimacy to the product from the very start. 

I don't feel like there is a need to a say much about JR, because there isn't much that most wrestling aren't aware of. But from his time with Bill Watts in Mid South, to WCW/NWA, to WWE, and now with AEW JR has been a constant presence in the world of wrestling for over forty years. It is my honor and privilege to induct Jim Ross into the Wrestling Express Hall of Fame Class of 2022.