Jim Ross has provided a concerning update on his health, revealing that doctors are conducting tests on a spot found on his kidney while he continues to experience severe headaches related to the shunt placed in his brain.
The 74-year-old WWE Hall of Famer discussed his condition at the beginning of the latest episode of Grilling JR, recorded live following Wednesday night’s AEW Dynamite tribute to PAC.
“I’ve been up to my a** in doctor’s appointments this week. Saw a little spot of something on my kidney, and so we’re running a lot of tests,” Ross said. “My shunt’s bothering me in my brain, so I’m going to get a scan tomorrow, and get that back to my neurosurgeon, so he can tell me what the hell’s wrong. It may just need to be adjusted. That’s my take on it.”
Ross said he is scheduled to undergo a CT scan on Thursday before following up with his neurosurgeon. The shunt, which drains excess fluid from his brain, has previously required multiple adjustments.
“I’ve had mine adjusted three times, so it’s not a recent situation. But you know, at some point, I’ve got to be able to sleep, and I feel fatigued a lot,” Ross said. “My oncologist is going to send me to a specialist in Oklahoma City for a little place on my kidney, but they’re not sure if it’s cancerous or not. So it’s been a stressful week.”
Ross stressed that doctors have not determined whether the spot on his kidney is cancerous.
When Conrad Thompson asked how the shunt has been affecting him, Ross revealed that he has been experiencing severe headaches that regularly interrupt his sleep.
“They hurt so bad that I wake up in the middle of the night more often than not. You know, two or three, four o’clock in the morning because I got a headache,” Ross said.
He noted that the surgical wound on his skull is healing well.
Ross also reflected on the balance problems he experienced before undergoing surgery, saying he believes the excess fluid on his brain contributed to a series of falls and injuries.
“I think that’s why I was falling so damn much. I didn’t have my equilibrium,” he said. “Broke my wrist this last year. I messed up my groin. I messed up my knees. I broke two toes the morning of my surgery. I’m breaking sh*t right and left, man.”
Despite his ongoing health issues, Ross said seeing other patients during his numerous medical appointments has helped him maintain perspective.
“I’ve been to so many doctor’s appointments, and what you realize there is that you see people that are worse off than you are. And so then it’s a matter of being grateful,” he said.
Ross also expressed his appreciation for AEW President Tony Khan’s support during his health struggles and made clear that he still considers himself part of the company.
“I still got my playbook. I still got my jersey. I just got to get healthy, and we’re working on that right now,” he said.
Ross was diagnosed with colon cancer in 2024 and later announced that he was cancer-free following surgery.
Much of the episode was also devoted to remembering PAC, real name Benjamin Satterley, who passed away on Sunday at the age of 40.
Ross recalled learning the news through a text message from Thompson.
“I had to sit down. This can’t be accurate, because he hadn’t had any health issues that I was aware of,” Ross said. “He just was a superb guy.”
Ross described PAC as “one of my favorites of all time” and recalled greeting him as “Lad” whenever they crossed paths at AEW events.
“What I got in return was a hearty handshake and a big old smile,” Ross said. “He sets a great example for how pro wrestlers should conduct themselves. He just was an amazing locker room guy, teammate, and that’s why we saw that emotion a few minutes ago here tonight.”
When asked about the most underrated wrestlers of the past decade, Ross said PAC belonged in that discussion and highlighted what he accomplished despite being under six feet tall.
“He didn’t get the flowers that he deserved at a variety of times in the profession. PAC was great in every territory. He was great with every company,” Ross said. “Everybody wanted to work with him, because he wasn’t going to hurt you. He was smart, he was careful, he was a pro, and I just loved the guy.”
Ross believes PAC’s career will remain particularly meaningful for smaller wrestlers hoping to succeed at the highest levels of the industry.
“He’s going to be missed by the generations of guys that are under six feet tall who want to become a pro wrestler, because he is your role model,” Ross said. “If you’re under six feet tall, by God, if you want it badly enough, you can make it, and that was his whole philosophy.”
Ross also praised PAC’s final match against Andrade El Idolo at AEW All Out as “excellent” and commended AEW for its tribute episode of Dynamite in Pittsburgh.
Reflecting on a difficult week both personally and professionally, Ross remains focused on getting healthy as doctors continue evaluating his kidney and the issues surrounding his brain shunt.
