All Elite Wrestling’s commentator Jim Ross said that if Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson would run for president he would get elected, but advises not to take the pay cut. He also said if he had the chance he would have worked for the new XFL and tells the tale of how he almost worked for TNA Impact Wrestling.
The legendary announcer joined The Roman Show to talk about his latest book Under The Black Hat, available for purchase.
The Rock has been toying with the idea of running for office. Ross said he would be a great president but doesn’t suggest he run.
“First off, he probably would get elected. Secondly I would not advise him to take a drastic cut in pay to clean up a mess that professional politicians have made,” he said. “These politicians today are so greedy and selfish that they have made the Coronavirus become a political issue. This side of the aisle, that side of the aisle.
He later added, “It be nice to have a breath of fresh air from what we have had in the White House I don’t think he’ll run for office, but who knows. But if he decides to do so at some point for a brand new challenge and make global history again in a major way never say never. I am a believer in Dwayne Johnson and won’t doubt it.”
The native Oklahoman also voiced his opinion on the WWE layoffs. He said the unprecedented times led to the firings, but there was also a reason why the wrestlers were released.
WWE Layoffs
“Sometimes you have to let people go that you think they don’t deserve to let go off,” he said. “It’s the nature, its not wrastling man; its life we are talking about. There are six million people right now in the unemployment line. We are all roaring about 30 or 40 people in the wrestling business that also got laid off sometimes I wonder were our heads our. We are living in the most tumultuous unprecedented times ever. On Twitter, I get what do you think about this or who should AEW hire. I am more worried right now about living to tomorrow. I am at a high risk from the Coronavirus. You think I am concerned about who is going to get hired tomorrow? If I were AEW, I would hire nobody. There’s no reason to hire anybody tomorrow. These talents that got laid off. I hope none of them get on to a massive pity party. Come on man, you think you are the only person in the wrestling business that’s been sat down, or cast away or taken away from a job. Give me a break. The bottom line is that it is unfortunate. Some people have to wonder why they were let go. There has to be a reason why they were let go. What about Rusev he had a great push. It’s all about the push man. We talk about that on Grilling with JR every Thursday. It’s all about the push. Well, something came up there that made the company not want to make business with Rusev. I don’t know what it is. I have no idea. He’s always been a nice kid to me. I think he has a great upside to him and he has not reached his potential so I just believe they have to reset. They are independent contractors. They are entrepreneurs. How do you make your brand better. If your brand on a shelf in a store stops selling how do you resurrect it? You just do the same thing over and over expecting change. Well, let me tell you that don’t work. If I were these guys let go by WWE, it won’t be the end of the world. Trust me, I’ve been there. It won’t end your life. If you are that weak and shallow and this is the only thing you wanted to do. WWE is my dream I love this. Then you need to reset. Improve the brand.”
XFL
He also said the XFL had a chance and he would have worked with the company if he had the chance.
“It probably would have been fun,” he said. “My concern is I had a lot of friend working in the XFL. Now they don’t have a job. I wonder cause the XFL filed for bankruptcy some of those guys namely my good fried Bob Stuts, who is a coach of the Dallas franchise. If they got paid. I haven’t asked him, but nonetheless, that’s what I worry about not if I missed an opportunity. JR could have done that game. I probably could have and I would have had fun doing it. But now when I think of the XFL I think of my buddies from a whole from a financial side before they shut the doors down. I am a football guy.”
He also said that he met with TNA Impact Wrestling’s Dixie Carter and potentially working with the company.
“I had a meeting with Dixie Carter and her family. I had a great time with her father Bob. They flew me to their ranch in north Texas. It was on Easter weekend by the way several years ago. We went ahead and talked. They weren’t ready to make the change that I felt needed to be. I didn’t want to report to anybody or one person and that was going to be Dixie. But I had to had control the talent roster and the talent and it’s like Bill Parcels said ‘if you expect me to cook the meals you gotta let me buy some of the groceries’. I needed to buy the groceries. Bob Carter understood that and he would have gone for it. It was a logical idea. I need this autonomy to build your brand to make you some money and guess what if I don’t do what I am telling you then you can fire my ass. It’s easy.”