12 Ups & 5 Downs From AEW Full Gear

4. Jim Ross Takes The Night Off

Excalibur Jim Ross
AEW

This drum has been beaten many times in this column throughout AEW's lifespan so we'll spare you a lengthy word count here, but Jim Ross wasn't good at Full Gear. At all.

This might have been the legendary announcer's worst performance for the promotion. Sat alongside Excalibur in a two-man booth, he was curmudgeonous, unengaged, and largely detrimental to the product. There were only a handful of moments throughout the entire pay-per-view where he sounded genuinely locked in. For most of it, he was doing a poor job of masking his distaste for modern wrestling styles, highlighting errors rather than hiding them, mispronouncing names ("Amy Sakura"), failing to recognise moves he's been calling forever (the Alabama Slam), and arguing with Ex. It was, unfortunately, a mess.

Ross is doing more to harm than help the product at the moment. It's a serious problem, and must be addressed if AEW is to push forward with the current announcing personnel.

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Channel Manager
Channel Manager

Andy has been with WhatCulture for eight years and is currently WhatCulture's Wrestling Channel Manager. A writer, presenter, and editor with 10+ years of experience in online media, he has been a sponge for all wrestling knowledge since playing an old Royal Rumble 1992 VHS to ruin in his childhood. Having previously worked for Bleacher Report, Andy specialises in short and long-form writing, video presenting, voiceover acting, and editing, all characterised by expert wrestling knowledge and commentary. Andy is as much a fan of 1985 Jim Crockett Promotions as he is present-day AEW and WWE - just don't make him choose between the two.