Ex-WWE star says Jim Ross told him to lose weight and work harder

Jim Ross was a WWE announcer and executive for a combined 23 years between 1993 and 2019. Stevie Richards recently recalled how the former Head of Talent Relations once gave him a stern warning about his role in the company.

Richards wrestled for WWE between 1999 and 2008. The 52-year-old is best remembered as the leader of the villainous Right to Censor (RTC) faction in 2000 and 2001. In 2002, he also spent a brief time in WWE's Heartland Wrestling Association (HWA) developmental territory.

Richards said on The Stevie Richards Show that Ross told him to lose weight and improve or risk losing his job:

"No," Richards replied when asked if WWE gave him ideas once RTC separated. "As a matter of fact, Jim Ross called me into his office and, to his credit, very bluntly said that, 'You're heavy, your work's not up to par, you're not doing a very good job,' and this is before I got sent down to developmental, down there, HWA, Les Thatcher, Cincinnati, Ohio, and then working once in a while OVW [Ohio Valley Wrestling] in Louisville, Kentucky." [9:12 – 9:35]

Richards also discussed the part The Undertaker played in Right to Censor splitting up on the April 26, 2001, episode of SmackDown.

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How Stevie Richards reacted to Jim Ross' honest comments

At the time, Stevie Richards had already established himself as a despised character on WWE programming. However, he struggled to receive regular television time after Right to Censor's run ended.

Richards appreciated Jim Ross' honesty and became determined to improve his physique and work ethic:

"He [Jim Ross] did say, 'You need to lose weight and we're gonna send you down there and we still might release you, but you need to work harder.' I'm paraphrasing what he said but, basically, it was the come to Jesus moment. Basically, 'You're gonna leave,' so I said, 'Okay, well, if I'm gonna get released, I'm gonna work as hard as I can to make this happen, or at least stay, and if not my next stop hopefully I'm gonna be able to have a good run.'" [9:36 – 10:04]

Richards remained in WWE for another six years after being sent to HWA. His final televised match for the company ended in defeat against The Brian Kendrick on the August 1, 2008, episode of SmackDown.

Do you have any favorite Stevie Richards moments from his time in WWE? Hit the discuss button and let us know.

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Please credit The Stevie Richards Show and give an H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling for the transcription if you use quotes from this article.