Dave Meltzer: "I Felt It Was A Real Slight That [WWE] Didn't Mention [Jim Ross]..." (AEW News)
Legendary Jim Ross, recently diagnosed with colon cancer, was not mentioned by WWE last week.
The Wrestling Observer's Dave Meltzer has stated that he feels WWE not mentioning Jim Ross (currently fighting colon cancer) during last week's shows was a "real slight", adding that "this would not happen in any sport, anybody, anything else."
Ross, 73, is to undergo surgery today, having revealed his colon cancer diagnosis on 15 May.
Meltzer's comments came during the post-AEW Double Or Nothing/NXT Battleground episode of Wrestling Observer Radio. "Jim Ross is as big a name, and maybe every bit as big a name to WWE fans as he is to AEW fans," he said. "He's actually more a part of WWE history than AEW history, even though he works for AEW right now, but he worked for WWE for decades. and I felt it was a real slight that they didn't mention him on Friday."
"I felt it again on Saturday," Meltzer added. "This is the thing about the wrestling business that's one of the really bad parts of the wrestling business is this level of 'If you're on the other team'."
The bulk of the most acclaimed work of Ross' iconic announcing career came in WWE, where he worked from 1993 to 2013, then again between 2017 and 2019. For fans of WWE's New Generation, Attitude, and Ruthless Aggression eras and beyond, he is considered the definitive voice of professional wrestling in North America.
Ross' last WWE departure preceded his signing with AEW in April 2019. He has remained with the Tony Khan-helmed group ever since.
Continuing on the topic, Meltzer said: ""This would not happen in any sport, anybody, anything else, and it's one of the things where it really makes me feel so bad for the wrestling business because I've seen so many great strides and so many great improvements in the wrestling business over the last ten years."
Then something like this happens, and because he's on the other team - this guy who's a frickin' legend, maybe the greatest wrestling announcer of all time - the voice that every knows more than any voice of this era," Meltzer added, hammering home his point. "I know they want to market Michael Cole as the greatest, and that's fine, he's on the team now, I don't mind that. But don't forget about Jim Ross just because he happens to be on the other side when he is undergoing surgery for cancer and it's obviously a very serious situation. They wish the best for him, we all wish the best for him."