10 Things WWE Wants You To Forget About Jim Ross
8. The Ins And Outs
The scope of Jim Ross' WWE tenure is often exaggerated by the company. His name has been synonymous with the promotion for a long time, but he has drifted in and out of employment since 1993.
WWE first signed Ross that March, but he was off television after suffering a bout of Bell's palsy ten months later, and relieved of his duties in February 1994. JR came back for a cup of coffee that July, but was released again the following month, then re-signed as a booking and production assistant after a spell commentating for Smoky Mountain Wrestling.
Thus began the longest uninterrupted run of Ross' WWE career, though he drifted in and out of various roles, with the company reluctant to install him as lead announcer.
JR became the voice of the Attitude Era after making the play-by-play role his own in 1997. Though officially under WWE employ until 2013, he was demoted on several occasions, and was eventually fired after failing to control an intoxicated Ric Flair at a WWE 2K14 PR event.
JR spent his time away from WWE calling matches for promotions like NJPW, WCPW, and ITV's failed World of Sport venture, before rejoining McMahon's empire for WrestleMania 33, continuing this never-ending cycle.