12 Things We Learned From Jim Ross: Under The Black Hat
11. He Was Pivotal To WWE Signing Chris Jericho
Chris Jericho has always been a phenomenal in-ring worker, a phenomenal promo, and a phenomenal wrestling mind. And in recent years, the inaugural AEW World Champion has only further cemented his status as one of the genuine all-time greats.
Back before he signed for the then-World Wrestling Federation though, Vince McMahon and various other company higher-ups were against signing the man who would go on to become a multiple-time World Champion for the company across the next 19 years.
As has so often been the case with management, size was the issue working against Jericho back in 1999. Despite him clearly ticking so many of the right boxes, Jericho wasn't even on McMahon's radar due to his height. But that thankfully changed, due to the intervention of Jim Ross.
It was J.R. who pushed for Vince to take a look at the Winnipeg native, and it was J.R. who had a highlight package put together so that he could further sell McMahon on the WCW star. Catching McMahon at the right time on the right day, Jim's sales pitch worked and he was given the green light to reach out to the Ayatollah of Rock and Rollah.
Ross got Vince on board by discussing how versatile a performer Jericho was both in the ring and from a character standpoint, how the Canadian had travelled the world, and how there was no locker room baggage associated with Jericho.
Going even further, J.R. pitched Chris Jericho as a top level player who could be a main event attraction for the company. And boy, if Jim Ross wasn't proved correct on that front.