12 Most INSANE Things Wrestlers Have EVER Said On AEW TV

4. Jim Ross: Boomer Gooner!

Jim Ross
AEW

Was Jim Ross ever really a great fit for AEW?

There’s no house style - Ross enthusiastically called the traditional U.S. fare of Cody Rhodes and the intense brawling of Jon Moxley - but the promotion does present a lot of warp-speed tag team and trios action, and Ross spent virtually all of those matches in a passive aggressive mood. Whenever he wondered aloud how the wrestlers had it in them to kick out time and time again, it was a rather unsubtle euphemism for “they’re doing way too much”. Ross, unhelpfully, would also actively berate the referees.

Ross was as good once as he ever was, but he sadly wasn’t that good that often. It’s always nice to hear him add the old gravitas to the few main events he is capable of calling these days, but no: Ross was never a great fit for AEW. He was either past his prime, or AEW should have listened to his barely-disguised complaints. A combination of the two, perhaps.

Please don’t confuse this with “Vince McMahon was right to treat Ross in the manner he did”. McMahon’s bullying of Ross was despicable and totally unjustified. At the same time, in AEW, Ross could have done with a few stern words in his ear.

On the February 26, 2020 Dynamite, AEW held an official “weigh-in” for the upcoming World title match between Chris Jericho and Jon Moxley at Revolution. Boxing-style “ring girls” were introduced as part of the ceremony; international viewers on the Fite feed heard a presumably horny Ross mutter “Holy sh*t, look at that” when Ross spotted one such talent walking to the ring. This prehistoric gooning was a longstanding problem.

At All Out 2020, Ross asked “Did Anna Jay have a wardrobe malfunction, or is that just wishful thinking in my book?”

He objectified Jay like a total creep. Anna was just 22 years old at the time. While Ross apologised for his comment, he didn’t entirely learn his lesson: he said “I don’t know, I kinda like ‘em” when Tony Schiavone, actually doing his job, was trying to get the Bunny and Penelope Ford over as heels on Rampage back in 2022.

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Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!