WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross recently joined Doug Mortman and Dave Lagreca on Busted Open. You can hear Busted Open on SiriusXM 92 and on the SiriusXM app. Here are some highlights:
Whether or not he regrets missing out on signing AJ Styles when he was in WWE:
“I missed on him. He just started getting rolling and he was just starting on the WCW roster when the WWE bought out WCW. Our team missed on him. We could have hired him, but he did not have the skill set he has now. In hindsight, the right thing occurred. He got more experience and ended up in TNA. I would suggest that his long run in TNA is what kept him from getting hired. From talking to him, he would be a huge asset to anyones roster.”
His contract with WWE ending:
“I look it at it a little differently. I’ll never be able to pay back the debt I owe to the wrestling fans since 1974. I’ve been on this amazing journey and the genre of wrestling/sports entertainment whatever you call it. The fans have invested in my work and they have invested in my BBQ sauce, followed me on Twitter, downloaded the podcast. I’m just very grateful. This hasn’t been a sad week. I had to go through a certain period of time from a legal standpoint to fulfill all of my obligations for WWE. I’m now completely out there. I’m not looking for work. There’s plenty to do. I’ve said it a bunch of times, coming to WWE in 1993 was the best career move I ever made. I don’t owe them money and they don’t owe me any. We’re done. I have no regrets. The only thing I would have liked differently was the 3 bells palsy attacks and have to constantly explain to people why I don’t smile. I’d like to be more HD friendly. I wouldn’t change a thing and a lot of things are on the horizon.”
His new interview with Sting & Sting in WWE:
“We go all the way back to the mid 80s so we really started way back. I don’t go for the dirt immediately. I let it come out naturally. I can tell you, the funny thing is people don’t understand business. Just because he showed up at Comic Con doesn’t mean he has a contract with WWE. He’s got a contract with Mattel from what I understand. He has a contract with 2K. He has some sort of agreement with WWE to basically sell T-shirts, like a licensing/marketing deal. It’s not a traditional legends deal. Him being in San Diego means zero about him wrestling there. People are getting pissed at me because I’m telling the truth. Wrestling people are not supposed to always be honest, so I say to the best of my knowledge he doesn’t have a wrestler contract, so the lock on Sting being in the ring in some point in time with WWE is there is no lock. If you’re going to have Sting wrestle, book it right. If I was there I can book it in 30 minutes easy. He wrestles once. And if he wrestles once and he says “win lose or draw I’m done”. That match is at Wrestlemania because it takes everything full circle. He’s said he wants to wrestle one Wrestlemania before calling it quits. He doesn’t need to win the Royal Runble. He doesn’t need to come on Raw every Monday. That’s stupid. He could make them a lot of money. I believe that the guy has paid his dues and deserves his Wrestlemania moment.”
Why WWE hasn’t signed Sting yet and should they:
“There’s no logical reason why they shouldn’t. He has no drug or alcohol issues. He is in good health. A lot of those younger kids grew up watching him. That’s how I got Shawn Michaels to come back from his hiatus. I said if you don’t want to wrestle, that’s fine. Come back and be a positive influence in the locker room with your born again Christian faith and your outlook on life and how you screwed up your life and fixed it. You would be a positive influence. That’s how Shawn Michaels came back to WWE. He came back to help the young guys, got the itch, and he was better than he ever was. Have Sting around people. Have him at PR functions. There’s a lot of big time players that were one time big wrestling fans. I find it amazing that they say to me ‘man I remember when you said this.’ and sometimes that gets them a gig or interview. Sting has been on national television for how many years without missing a beat. He’s been on TBS, he’s been on Impact, he has a name and has been on ongoing TV forever. Why wouldn’t you have that story and have that great story. I hear WWE supposedly has 30 writers. If you tell me that 30 writers can’t come up with a storyline that would appeal to Vince McMahon, I’m sorry that they’re in that condition, a company that I have been and forever loyal to and a company I feel like I contributed a little bit back in the day when we were almost out of business in the mid 90s. Sing is in great shape. He goes to the gym. He doesn’t drink or smoke. Would you bring him back long term? No. But for one big match as part of an ensemble cast.”
