Jim Ross Reflects On WWE Locker Room Mentality In 1997

Brace yourself, but Jim Ross thinks things were better way back when.

This week's episode of "Grilling" focused on Ground Zero 1997, and JR is adamant at the excellence of WWF's hungry locker room that year. "Our locker room was more representative of [an] athletic locker room than any locker room I had been in since the [Bill] Watts days," JR reminisced. "So they all wanted that top spot." 

JR says the best example of this was how many people inquired with the head of talent relations about just how injured star "Stone Cold" Steve Austin was doing in his recovery, questions he met with suspicion. "Are you asking because you're benevolent and you give a s***? Or are you asking because you wanna see if that's spot's gonna be open?" 

"It was a provocative, entertaining time in the business," the WWE Hall of Famer continued. "Some people are gonna say that 1997, the business had never been better in a lot of areas, a lot of arenas. No pun intended."

Despite his feelings about the current state of the business, and grumbling about the length of past PPVs, Ross has recently said he has confidence in AEW's "brain trust." Ross has been working for All Elite Wrestling as a commentator since the company's inception, though his role has been reduced over time as he recovers from his battle with skin cancer last year. While Ross is currently cancer free, his issues make traveling for events difficult, which is why he recently had to decline a commentary position at Ric Flair's Last Match.