AEW announces three-year deal with Jim Ross

By Jason Powell, ProWrestling.net Editor (@prowrestlingnet)

All Elite Wrestling issued the following press release to announce the signing of Jim Ross to a three-year deal.

All Elite Wrestling announced a groundbreaking three-year deal with legendary commentator Jim Ross, generally considered to be the greatest pro wrestling announcer of all time. Effective immediately, Ross will take on the role as Senior Advisor in what is the most lucrative deal in pro wrestling commentary history.

Ross’ first in ring appearance for AEW will be at DOUBLE OR NOTHING, the highly-anticipated event on Saturday, May 25, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. He will also work closely with the senior leaders at AEW on their roadmap to shift and reinvent the wrestling landscape.

“I’ve been part of the wrestling community since I was 7 years old, and there’s no greater thrill than welcoming the voice that I grew up with, Jim Ross, to our AEW family,” said Tony Khan, President of AEW. “We all share a common goal to make this the true golden age, to make this the greatest time ever to be a professional wrestling fan. And, as a business, we also seek to make this a new golden age for the performers and our staff members. Our entire team is thrilled to have Jim onboard and we can’t wait to shake things up together.”

“We’re all excited about having the legendary voice of our childhood come here and help the new generation of talent with his expertise,” said Nick Jackson, EVP at AEW.

“I’m moving on in a very positive way to this timely opportunity to be on the ground floor of one of the most exciting moments in the history of pro wrestling,” said Jim Ross. “I’ve known Tony, Cody, The Young Bucks and Kenny for a long time, and I know they’re going to change the world of pro wrestling. Their roster is already packed with top-level talent and up-and-comers. They’ve got a huge show coming up in May. They’ve brought in game-changing partners like KultureCity. And they’ve got an all-inclusive, welcoming culture like I’ve never seen before. I’m ready to change the world with them.”

Powell’s POV: Ross became a free agent when his WWE deal expired late last month, but there have been rumblings of him joining AEW since word of the company forming first leaked. I like the idea of using Ross as a senior advisor, as his many years in the industry, including the time spent as the head of WWE’s talent relations, make him a valuable asset.

Check below for the new Pro Wrestling Boom Podcast with Jason Powell and guest PCO, who discusses the ROH and NJPW G1 Supercard event that will be held on Saturday at MSG, taking crazy bumps at age 51, what he still wants to accomplish in pro wrestling, and much more.