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Former WWE commentator Jim Ross recently mentioned how the concept of the WWE Hall of Fame has changed over the years.
Jim Ross has been a part of the professional wrestling world for a long time. In that time, Jim Ross has worked for multiple wrestling promotions, including WCW, WWE, and now AEW. With so much experience in the wrestling world, he is considered to be a leading authority in all-things wrestling.
During a recent session of his Grilling JR podcast, Ross opened up on the changes WWE had made to their Hall of Fame. He talked about how the original concept of the Hall of Fame had changed, and how it was now more about current wrestlers being a part of the prestigious list of names who had impacted the wrestling business.
Jim Ross also added that currently, the Hall of Fame is more like a television show than anything else.
"It seems like it lost a little luster in the entertainment side of the WWE Hall of Fame. I’m not bi***ing at the WWE Hall of Fame, it’s just a different positioning, it’s a part of a T.V. show. To have posthumous guests or inductees is not the lay of the land as far as Vince is concerned."
Jim Ross on WWE inducting Butch Reed into the Hall of Fame
Jim Ross talked about Butch Reed and how, while he deserves to be a part of the WWE Hall of Fame, he might not be inducted. Ross revealed that the change in how the Hall of Fame ceremony was conducted meant that despite a sterling career, Reed might be overlooked when it came time to induct him.
"Butch was a dandy, Hall of Fame level guy. I don’t think he’ll ever make the Hall of Fame in WWE, I doubt it for whatever reason. He would’ve had a better chance of going in if he was still alive. It all affects the T.V. show. So the Hall of Fame is really a television event?"
Reed recently passed away on February 5, 2021.
In his career, Reed held multiple titles as a part of multiple promotions and was part of a tag team with Ron Simmons in WCW, where he held the WCW Tag Team Championships. Ross went on to worry about the health of other older wrestlers, talking about how they often didn't take good care of their health.
"You wonder how often they check their blood work. That’s just being irresponsible. To your family, your friends, everybody. I wouldn't be surprised if Butch didn’t fall into that category."
The WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2020 was postponed thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic and is expected to take place in 2021 ahead of WrestleMania 37. It remains to be seen if any other names will be added to the already announced list of wrestlers from last year.
