"I was this close to getting JR in TNA" - Former WWE writer recalls attempt to bring Hall of Famer on board (Exclusive)

Despite being in the business since the 1980s, Jim Ross (aka JR) has never lent his voice to TNA. However, the WWE Hall of Famer was once extremely close to signing with the Nashville-based promotion.

During a recent episode of BroDown on Backstage Pass, Vince Russo revealed he was close to bringing JR on board. The former writer said JR's arrival would've turned TNA's fortunes for the better that did happen.

"Man, I was this close (narrows the distance between his fingers) to getting him (JR) in TNA. If JR would've been hired in TNA, I feel that would've been a completely different company. That's why I was doing everything I could to get JR in TNA," said Russo. [17:41 onwards]

Russo worked with JR in WWE before leaving for WCW in 1999. He joined TNA in 2002 on the creative side before leaving altogether in 2014. JR stayed with the company from 1993 until 2013. He became the Head of Talent Relations during the Attitude Era, a role he kept for seven years.

In 2013, WWE and JR parted ways, and the Hall of Fame joined New Japan Pro-Wrestling as its chief English broadcaster before signing with All Elite Wrestling in 2019.

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For the full BroDown podcast, head over to Backstage Pass.

About the author

Manik Aftab writes Exclusive articles for Sportskeeda Wrestling’s WWE division. A BA (Hons) in English Literature helped him improve his writing skills before starting his career as a pro wrestling writer.

Before joining Sportskeeda, Aftab worked for Ringside News and The Sportster, where his wrestling articles and feature pieces consistently ranked on the first page of Google SERPs.

He prioritizes accuracy, relevance, and ethics in his reporting by conducting thorough research, verifying sources, and adhering to professional journalistic standards.

While Aftab’s favorite wrestler in AEW is Hangman Adam Page, he doesn’t have a favorite in WWE yet. However, he considers Stone Cold Steve Austin to be the greatest professional wrestler of all time. His earliest memory of watching pro wrestling was when The Rock faced The New Age Outlaws in a handicap match, but it was the John Cena vs. Edge match from Unforgiven 2006 that got him hooked. If given the chance to manage a star from the Attitude Era, he would choose The British Bulldog, as he believes Davey Boy Smith was a terrific worker and could've benefitted from having a mouthpiece for his lack of mic skills.

When not watching pro wrestling, Aftab enjoys reading science fiction and watching anime.

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Edited by Angana Roy