Why Jim Ross Calls Decision To Join AEW A 'Layup'

Jim Ross joined the AEW broadcast team since 2019, being on hand to call the first Double or Nothing pay-per-view, as well as hundreds of episodes of "AEW Dynamite" over the past five years. The decision to join the promotion was apparently an easy one, as he stated on his "Grilling JR" podcast.

Ross could sense that McMahon didn't want him sitting at the desk. "It was obvious that he wanted to have another announcer out there," Ross said. "One that wasn't old, one that wasn't Southern, one that wasn't chubby. I'm not as chubby today as I was then, so I didn't bother him with that."

Ross explained that he never had a conversation with McMahon about potentially coming back to WWE on a full-time basis, despite some sporadic appearances in the 2010s. Knowing that McMahon had virtually made up his mind, Ross went on to say that joining AEW was one of the easiest decisions he has ever made. 

"Vince wanted to make a change. He had already proven that, he had done it several times, and I had an offer to do something where I was going to make more money than I was even making for WWE. So for me, it was just a layup."

Ross confirmed that he signed a new AEW contract in March, and he expects that it'll be his last one for the promotion. The deal will keep him the company until 2025. 

Please credit "Grilling JR" when using quotes from this article, and give a H/T to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.