Jim Ross believes All Elite Wrestling should seriously reconsider its stance on live events and house shows, saying directly that he disagrees with the company’s philosophy of not regularly running them.
Speaking on the latest episode of Grilling JR, Ross was asked by Conrad Thompson how he would approach booking house shows in modern wrestling, specifically within AEW’s current structure.
Ross explained that the key to successful non-televised events is keeping them closely tied to ongoing television storylines so fans already feel invested in the matches and rivalries they’re paying to see. “All you’re going to do, Conrad… you book what’s on television,” Ross said.
“You want people to see on television, see in that live event non-televised, you’re going to give them something they have a familiarity with, a match or a rivalry or whatever.”
Ross also pointed to Darby Allin as an example of someone who should be prominently featured in singles matches at house shows due to his current position near the top of the company. “I probably would put Darby Allin in singles because he is your champion, and that’s just the process of helping him get over.”
“He’s peaking on television, so why wouldn’t you.”
However, Ross made it clear that the larger issue for him is talent development. He argued that AEW’s lack of regular live events removes one of the most important tools for younger wrestlers to improve. “I do believe that the house shows are extremely important to revisit from time to time, so that your green talent have a place to work in front of a paying audience.”
“That’s essential to learn how to do that.”
Later in the discussion, Ross returned to the same subject even more directly. “In AEW’s case, there are no house shows, no live events. And I don’t agree with that philosophy, quite frankly.”
“I think he could revisit live events, where it routes well and you get your talents ring time.”
Ross emphasized that there is no substitute for performing in front of a live audience consistently, regardless of how much practice talent gets in training environments. “You can learn to be good in a warehouse or a gym or what have you. No doubt about that.”
“But… work live, hot, good rounds.”
Ross also admitted he remains somewhat surprised that WWE still runs as many live events as it does in the modern era, but said those shows remain valuable for developing and motivating younger talent. “I believe that’s a great recruiting tool for talent.”
“Most of those young guys want to work, they want to be seen and recognized and remembered.”
At the same time, Ross acknowledged the logistical and financial challenges involved in maintaining a profitable touring operation, noting that successful house shows require strong infrastructure, promotion, insurance, and ticket sales. “You gotta have the infrastructure. You gotta have the personnel. It’s not as easy as it sounds.”
“The house show concept is viable. You just got to be managed correctly.”
AEW has largely avoided running traditional house shows since launching in 2019, outside of a few isolated live event experiments over the years.
