Jim Ross On What WWE Looks For When They Recruit Amateur Wrestlers

WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross was asked during a short Q&A with The Oklahoman about what Gerald Brisco looks for when he recruits amateur wrestlers.

“Jerry scouts all the amateur programs,” JR said. “He goes to all the major duals. He has a network of coaches who work with him who know what WWE is looking for. He goes to the NAIA nationals, the Division II nationals. He’s looking for guys who have that nice look, a marketable look — he doesn’t have to be 6-3; he could be 5-10 — and some of these guys have a little showmanship in them. They’ve got a little swag about them. You need extroverted athletes. If you’re an extroverted athlete who is motivated to be an entertainer, you could go from amateur wrestling and the wrestling room, the sweat and the stench, to really making a lot of money. There’s been a lot of them in the amateurs that did exactly that.”

Ross was also asked if he has always loved wrestling.

“When I grew up, the news outlets were limited,” JR said. “Back in the day when I was a kid, my grandfather subscribed to the Tulsa World and the Tulsa Tribune, and the Muskogee paper. He was a vociferous reader. He taught me how to read when I was 5, and one of the box scores that was easy to read through was wrestling. The Bedlam matches felt like minor bowl games, grappling bowl games. If you were a sports fan, that was just one of the sports you loved because it got viable, regular media coverage.”