10 Unfortunately-Timed WWE Releases

Towards the end of January 1994, Jim Ross suffered the first of three Bell’s palsy attacks that would affect him throughout his career. Two weeks later, on Feb 11, he was being told by Vince McMahon that his contract wouldn’t be extended beyond its March expiration date.

Bell’s palsy is a condition that causes temporary paralysis of the facial muscles, and it had been expected that Ross would have been absent for announcing duties for a couple of months before the symptoms subsided. But rather than of spending that time recovering from the attack, he was instead having to deal with the prospect of finding himself a new job.

Of course, the real sucker punch came later in the year and was dealt to McMahon, rather than Ross.

Finding himself embroiled in a high-profile steroid trafficking scandal, McMahon was put on trial in July of ’94. During that time, he was unable to fulfill his role as the lead television announcer, and so he had little choice but to go crawling back to Ross and re-hire him – albeit on an initially temporary basis.