8. WWE Tried To Sign UFC's Mike Goldberg To Replace Jim Ross
Remember Vince McMahon firing JR on national television and then the next week airing the ridiculously offensive 'Dr. Heiney' skit (where Vince performed mock surgery on a dummy made up to look like Ross)? Vince actually did fire JR, for all intents and purposes, and the Dr. Heiney business was just a way to stick it to the long-suffering announcer. Vince had grown sick of Ross. He felt that he had not given his all for the WWE cause when he stepped down as Vice President of Talent Relations and relocated from Stamford back to his beloved Oklahoma. In October 2005, Vince wanted to hire a newer, younger and more photogenic announcer. His primary target was UFC commentator Mike Goldberg. WWE offered the 39-year-old a multi-year WWE contract to be the lead play-by-play man on Raw. It was reported at the time that Goldberg had accepted WWE's offer but those reports turned out to be false. Of the situation, Goldberg said:
The offer was extremely overwhelming. I had a great affinity for WWE. I'm sure we could have had a lot of fun. WWE is very glamorous. But I'd been in the UFC boat for so long that I really wanted to see where we were going to embark. It also has to do with the friendships and relationships I have there. Turning down the job was one of the most difficult things I had to do. But, in retrospect, it was the greatest decision I've ever made.
Considering how WWE and Vince in particular treats their announcers, it's safe to say that it probably was.
