9. JR Is Drafted From Raw To Smackdown Without Being Told
Despite being one of the most beloved figures in WWE history, Jim Ross has been the recipient of awful treatment at the hands of his employers over the years. For whatever reason, Vince reportedly loves to see JR as the butt of a joke, often subjecting him to surprising pranks both backstage and on-air. One of the most unprofessional incidents occurred during the 2008 WWE Draft, in which Ross was switched from Raw to SmackDown without any prior notice, exchanging play-by-play roles with the younger Michael Cole. It was one of the most unceremonious ways imaginable to bring an end to his twelve year tenure as the main announcer of Raw. JR commendably held it together for the benefit of live television, but was unable to fully hide his annoyance as he walked stiffly to the adjacent SmackDown announce table. If the stunned reactions of JR and Jerry Lawler weren't enough to convince the watching audience that the whole thing was a mean-spirited shoot, a blog post on Ross' website the following day confirmed it. The legendary announcer stated that he was unhappy with the decision and considered quitting, but would instead strive to help SmackDown become the best television show in wrestling.
