Jim Ross Recently Broke Down Crying Backstage At AEW

On AEW's most recent Pay-Per-View, Double or Nothing, the company honored Owen Hart, his legacy, and his family.

AEW brought Martha Hart, widow of former WWE Superstar and two-time Intercontinental Champion Owen Hart, out to give a speech and award the Owen Hart Cup winners, Adam Cole for the men and Britt Baker for the women. AEW commentator and WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross explained on Grilling JR how his backstage interaction with Martha went.

"I had a chance in the little green room environment in there, to sit and chat with Martha," Ross stated. "I did exactly what I told myself I was not going to do and that was cry. I couldn't help it and so it was very emotional. She was a gracious and glorious host, shall we say, of this event."

Owen Hart passed away on May 23, 1999, after a tragic accident where he fell from many feet up as he was supposed to be lowered down into the ring as The Blue Blazer while wearing a harness. The tragedy and all of the events surrounding the terrible occurrence were covered in Owen's episode of "Dark Side of the Ring." Ross, who worked for WWE at the time, was told while he was on commentary during the Pay-Per-View that Owen had passed away. Tragically, he broke the news to the fans as he was trying to process what had happened himself. WWE decided to continue on with the Pay-Per-View, Over The Edge.

"He's one of the top four or five workers I ever was around," Ross said. "He could be a great babyface, he could be a great heel."

Possibly the biggest win of Owen's career came when he defeated his brother, Bret Hart, in the opening match of WrestleMania 10. That classic has since been considered a technical masterpiece by fans and insiders alike. Bret did not make an appearance for AEW while the Owen Hart Tournament took place but previously appeared for the promotion when he debuted their AEW World Championship.

The winners of the Owen Hart Cup were presented with a trophy and titles that paid homage to Owen and the defunct Canadian promotion established by his father, Stu Hart, Stampede Wrestling.

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit "Grilling JR" with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.