10 Things WWE Wants You To Forget About Jim Ross

7. Sacked While Sick

Dr Hiney Vince McMahon Jr
WWE.com

Bell's palsy is the most common form of facial paralysis, and an affliction Jim Ross has been plagued with since joining WWE.

The condition attacked him for the first time in February 1994. This coincided with a reported disagreement with Vince McMahon, who wanted to turn JR from a straight-laced play-by-play announcer to comedic heel act. Ross rejected the idea, and with his WWE contract set to expire the following month, McMahon decided to cut him loose.

This came just two weeks after JR had first fallen ill, and he was still sick when Vince ordered he drive to Connecticut to attend a meeting just to be told he was getting fired. The timing was atrocious. It was the argument, not the affliction, that prompted WWE's decision, but there's no escaping how cold, callous, and insensitive it looks, even today.

The incident's aftermath saw Ross crawl back to WCW, from whom he'd resigned in inauspicious circumstances 12 months prior. Him and Eric Bischoff were unable to agree terms, and JR then underwent a shoot interview with Pro Wrestling Torch, making the circumstances surrounding his departure public for the first time. Surprisingly, he'd return to WWE that July.

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Andy has been with WhatCulture for eight years and is currently WhatCulture's Wrestling Channel Manager. A writer, presenter, and editor with 10+ years of experience in online media, he has been a sponge for all wrestling knowledge since playing an old Royal Rumble 1992 VHS to ruin in his childhood. Having previously worked for Bleacher Report, Andy specialises in short and long-form writing, video presenting, voiceover acting, and editing, all characterised by expert wrestling knowledge and commentary. Andy is as much a fan of 1985 Jim Crockett Promotions as he is present-day AEW and WWE - just don't make him choose between the two.