AEW announcer and Senior Advisor “Good Ole’ J.R.” Jim Ross took to an episode of his “Grilling Jr” podcast to talk about a number of topics including the company launching at the right time.
Ross said, “I thought it was good timing. I had a good feel about it. And I think those 11,000 tickets sold [at All In 2018] would be all the proof I needed that there’s a market out there for it. And he [Tony Khan] was really good about forecasting and planning and things of that nature. My only concern was talent. What kind of talents is he going to be able to solicit and sign to have this launch? And he came through big time, because of a lot of the talents that he was working with were guys that were gonna draw money. So [Young] Bucks. Kenny Omega.”
On Kenny Omega’s health issues:
“I had a long talk the other day with Kenny Omega. We’ve got a great relationship, a good friendship. He’s a good guy. But he’s got diverticulitis issues going on. And you know, I had 11 inches of my colon removed from diverticulitis. Big surgery to get me healthy. But it’s – I said, ‘Man, just listen to the doctors. Don’t let anybody rush you back. Take your time and make sure you’re healthy. Cause this is not something you screw around with. This is not an ACL injury. This is not a labrum. This is your intestines, and you gotta be smart, and listen to the doctors. And don’t let anybody on any side of your issue talk you into coming back early. It’s just sending good money after bad.’”
On working with Excalibur on commentary:
“I had no issue with it. Look, he’s just a good guy, man. A good guy and smart, he’s fair. He’s willing to share his knowledge. The one thing about being a broadcaster, is that you have to be willing to share. And you have to be a good listener. So everybody, all the dots can be connected when need be, which is most of the time. So Excalibur was a great gift, that was a good hire by Tony Khan.”
You can check out the complete podcast in the video below.
(H/T to 411Mania.com for transcribing the above quotes)
