Skip to main content
Inside The Ropes
  • News

    WWE News

    AEW logo for their Dynamite TV show

    AEW News

    Japan News

    Wrestling News

  • Features
    Scott Steiner and his 'pet' tiger

    10 Iconic Pro Wrestling “Super Pets”

    Triple H entrance

    5 Changes We Want To See Triple H Make To WWE

    10 Former WWE Superstars We'd Like To See Return Under The Triple H Regime

    10 Former WWE Superstars We’d Like To See Return Under The Triple H Regime

    AEW Battle of the Belts

    How To Improve AEW Battle Of The Belts

  • Interviews
    Rick Boogs

    Interview With Rick Boogs

    JONAH

    Interview With JONAH

    Rosemary Interview

    Interview With Rosemary

    Jay White

    Interview With Jay White

  • Podcasts
    Wrestling Roast #71 – Where Is MJF?

    Listen
    Power Slam Podcast #251 – Post SummerSlam RAW, Pat McAfee & More

    Listen
    What’s Going Down #85 – SummerSlam, Ric Flair & More

    Listen
    Wrestling Roast #70 – Tractors, Returns & Retirements

    Listen
  • Quizzes
    Play Word Rumble

    Play Word Rumble

    WWE logo

    Can You Name Every WWE Pay-per-view?

    WWE Survivor Series sole survivors quiz

    Can You Name All The WWE Survivor Series Sole Survivors?

    WWE Smackdown logo

    Can You Name Every Wrestler That Competed On The First SmackDown?

  • Live Tours
  • Shop
    Magazine
    Clothing
    Accessories
    Collectibles
  • Trending
  • Follow us:
    • Facebook Facebook
    • Twitter Twitter
    • Instagram Instagram
  • Watch us:
    • YouTube YouTube
    • Twitch Twitch
  • Subscribe to the Magazine
  • Play Word Rumble
Wrestling News

Jim Ross On One Of The First Things He Did As Talent Relations Chief

By Lyle Kilbane. Published 21st May 2021.
Jim Ross

Jim Ross has discussed one of his first duties when he became the Head of Talent Relations in WWE was to invest in softer rings to help try and prevent injuries.

Ross was discussing Judgement Day 2001 on his Grilling JR podcast with co-host Conrad Thompson. At the time, WWE had a growing injury list that would get longer the night after Judgement Day on Raw. Triple H tore his quadriceps muscle in a tag team match against Chris Benoit and Chris Jericho for the WWE Tag Team Titles.

Ross discussed the steps he took to make things safer for the wrestlers in the ring:

“Well, first of all, one of the first things I did as head of Talent Relations is was to change the rings out. The old ‘Hogan ring’ – I always equate it to Hogan and Bundy. It was hard as a rock and not very wrestler friendly. You’ve gotta take care of wrestler’s backs. It’s funny how so many things Conrad end with a back bump. A flat back as the boys call them. So I think that the issue – the hard ring thing can’t be used as an excuse because it wasn’t that long after I got that job that we swapped those babies out to more bump-friendly rings. But we wanted the bumps to happen in the ring Conrad.”

New rings were one thing but Jim Ross continued saying he wants to see more bumps in the ring rather than on the outside:

“The guys opened the envelope on that so much, they’re taking bumps on the ring apron, taking big bumps on the concrete, taking big bumps on the rampway. Nowhere in wrestling are you trained to do that. It’s illogical and you’re flirting with disaster when you do. As our product evolved it became very diverse as far as that stuff is concerned, everybody was trying to top the other guy. When you’re doing things from the top rope to the outside and you’re landing on concrete and a human body, it’s inevitable something bad’s gonna happen if you do it on a cumulative basis.”

“So I think we just try to do too much and the talent got a little bold. I see it today a lot. When it was really special – people think that I’m such an old f*cker that I don’t like the group gathering on the outside and somebody goes over the top rope and they land on them in a cluster. When I first saw it, I thought ‘Wow, that’s pretty cool’ but when you see it on a regular basis, almost on a weekly basis in somebody’s wrestling TV, whomever it may be, all of a sudden it’s not as spectacular as it used to be. You’re vaccinated, it’s not a great spot anymore.”

Jim Ross has also recently detailed Vince McMahon’s reaction when the WWE Chairman first set eyes on ‘The Beast Incarnate’ Brock Lesnar.

Credit: Grilling JR

If you use any quotes from this article please h/t and then link back to Inside The Ropes.

  • Facebook
    Share
  • Twitter
    Tweet
  • WhatsApp
    Send
  • Share

Popular Stories

  1. Former WWE Superstar Details Wanting To Sleep With Paul Heyman
  2. Dexter Lumis Removed From Raw By Police
  3. Tay Conti Seemingly Undergoes AEW Name Change
  4. Mark Henry Reveals Why He Can’t Wrestle In AEW
  5. “Tony’s Struggling” – Dave Meltzer On Growing Gap Between AEW & WWE
  6. “Eddie [Guerrero] Would Be Alive Today If He Had Done That” – Kurt Angle
  7. Chris Jericho Shows Off Injuries Following AEW Dynamite Main Event
  8. Vince McMahon’s Furious Reaction To Hall Of Famer Swearing Live On TV
  9. Former WWE Diva Opens Up About Heat With Batista
  10. Injured Female AEW Star Returns To The Ring (SPOILER)
Inside The Ropes
  • News
  • Features
  • Interviews
  • Podcasts
  • Magazine
  • Write For Us
  • Facebook Facebook
  • Twitter Twitter
  • Instagram Instagram
  • YouTube YouTube
  • Twitch Twitch
© 2022 ITR Digital Media Limited. Read about our privacy policy.