WWE Hall of Famer opens up on joining AEW: "Vince wanted to make a change"

A WWE Hall of Famer recently opened up on his decision to join AEW. The legend in question is Jim Ross.

Good Ol' JR played a key role in popularizing WWE during the Attitude Era and afterward with his unforgettable commentary. He left the promotion in 2013 but returned in 2017 for a brief two-year stint. Ross signed with AEW in 2019, initially calling the action on the promotion's flagship show Dynamite, although currently, he lends his voice mainly on pay-per-views.

On a recent episode of the Grilling JR podcast, the WWE Hall of Famer spoke about his decision to sign with the Jacksonville-based promotion.

Ross recalled feeling that former WWE CEO Vince McMahon wanted to replace him on the announcer's desk, which pushed him to ink a lucrative deal with AEW and Tony Khan.

"Vince wanted to make a change. He had already proven that, he had done it several times, and I had an offer to do something where I was going to make more money than I was even making for WWE. So for me, it was just a layup." [H/T Wrestling Inc]

Jim Ross spoke about his initial conversations with AEW CEO Tony Khan

Fans and industry veterans have frequently targeted Tony Khan for his creative choices with AEW's on-screen product, comments regarding competing brands, and social media activities. However, several major personalities in his company have also come to his defense.

On an episode of the Grilling JR podcast, Jim Ross discussed his initial meetings with Khan and spoke about the impression the latter made on him. He revealed that his early conversations with the All Elite Wrestling President led him to believe he could work with him.

"Tony Khan was real. He had answers, he had education, [and] it was great. So, I'm thinking, 'Well, I don't know where this is gonna go, but I can see myself working with this dude,'" he said.

Ross signed a new deal with AEW earlier this year. He was last heard on commentary at Dynasty 2024, where he called the opening match, which saw Kazuchika Okada retain the Continental Championship against PAC, and the main event, in which Swerve Strickland dethroned Samoa Joe to become the new All Elite Wrestling World Champion.

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