Jim Ross has opened up about a WWE Hall of Famer wanting him to go without underwear for his WrestleMania debut in WWE.
Jim Ross had been the voice of WCW before a changing of the guard in that company led to him looking for a new venture in the world of WWE.
Ross made his WWE debut at the announce desk in the grandest style possible at WrestleMania 9 back in 1993. As he explained on his Grilling JR podcast, Jim Ross discussed his debut and how it came with a costume twist – he’d be debuting for WWE while wearing a toga:
“It drove me nuts and we had to have a dress rehearsal, and that was an adventure. I never wore a toga. Do you wear underwear, do you not wear underwear? Heenan, Monsoon, and I dressed in the same dressing room at Caesar’s Palace, a little locker room type thing, the three of us.”
“McMahon asked me before the show, that week, he said, ‘Here’s what I’d like to do. I’d like for you to work WrestleMania. It’s a Caesar’s Palace type theme cause that’s where it’s going to be held. [Howard Finkel] will be in a costume, [Randy] Savage, Heenan, and Heenan’s going to ride an elephant or something out to the ring, and we want you to wear a toga. If you are not willing to do it, no problem (which I knew was bullsh*t). Then we’ll get somebody else.”
According to Jim Ross, his fellow announcer Bobby Heenan might have had devilish plans as he encouraged JR to go commando live on pay-per-view:
“Heenan was so adamant that I go commando and not wear anything under the toga, and [Gorilla] was standing behind him shaking his head like, ‘Don’t do it, don’t do it ’cause he’s got a plan. He’s gonna expose your fat ass or something.’ Luckily, I took Monsoon’s advice. I wore underwear. Heenan knew I had underwear on and so we didn’t go through the exposure.”
“It’s WrestleMania. My debut at WrestleMania, couldn’t start any better than that, so I’m thinking, ‘What the hell?’ I’m a long way from f*ckin’ Oklahoma, so why not? Let’s go for it.”