Veteran announcer Jim Ross has heaped praise on Vince McMahon for his achievements with WWE, hailing him as an “amazing” human being.
Jim Ross worked for Vince McMahon for a number of years, although he was also fired by the former WWE Chairman on more than occasion. McMahon also appeared to take great delight in poking fun at JR on television and backstage.
Despite this, Ross recently praised McMahon, claiming that he will always be at the top of the professional wrestling mountain.
McMahon brought his WWE tenure to a close on July 22nd when he announced his retirement. His exit came against a backdrop of allegations of sexual misconduct while an investigation into his behaviour is still ongoing.
Speaking during the recent “Money for Mongo” fundraiser for Steve “Mongo” McMichael” who is battling ALS, Ross described his former boss as an “amazing human being.”
“He will never be replaced,”
“He will always be at the top of the mountain. Look what he built. And he built it from s**t, those little arenas, smoky… and having to deal with commissions and all that stuff. He’s an amazing human being.”
Referencing his employment record under McMahon, Ross claimed that he appeared to enjoy firing him.
“He’s fired me three or four times, I don’t give a s**t. When he found out I didn’t give a s**t, it made it more fun for him and he just kept firing me. But here’s the good news: He hired me back. He never hired me back for less money than I was making before I exited. So, he’s always been fair to me that respect.”
During the appearance Jim Ross also admitted that he never agreed with Vince McMahon’s outlook on how to present wrestling. The WWE Hall of Fame described himself as a “pro wrestling guy, not a sports entertainment guy.”
H/t to Wrestling Inc for the transcription.