10 Things You Didn’t Know About Jim Ross
7. The Severity Of His Bell’s Palsy
It’s fairly common knowledge that JR has been suffering from
Bell’s Palsy for more than two decades now, with a relapse of the condition in December
1998 forcing him to miss a few months of television.
He’d later return at the end of March the following year, after the Rock and Stone Cold Steve Austin had rightfully campaigned to have JR call their WrestleMania 15 match. But what many might not have been aware of was the extent of his condition, and how it affected him even during that very WrestleMania match-up.
In a lecture at MIT back in 2007, JR revealed how “he had to hold the paralyzed side of his face up with his hand that night while announcing so the words could come out of his mouth clearly", and that the Palsy had been forcing him to “tape his eye shut” just to be able to get some sleep at night.
With his condition still affecting him that severely, but to nonetheless be able to go and call the match as flawlessly as he
did, is a fitting testament to his talent on the headset.