Quotes by Jim Ross

I'm still a wrestling fan: That's how I started out, that's how I will end the day.

Wrestlemania is big, and I'm glad that I got to go on a real interesting 21-year ride on the road to and out of Wrestlemania.

I'm a fan of Lucha Underground and hope they are successful.

Walking away from a problem is never a solution. Never. Solve the problem.

When I need quick info, Twitter tells me.

For anyone to say that The Rock made a bad decision in pursuing a film career, with the success that film career has garnered, is ill-advised.

There are many ways to do something right within the world of pro wrestling.

I'm a wrestling fan with a phenomenal journey.

I grew up in Oklahoma.

There have always been extraordinarily tough men in the business of sports-entertainment. My view is that one can't be in the sports-entertainment business successfully and long term without being tough.

We live in a very defiant society, especially among young men in the WWE's target demographic. So sometimes when you're really trying to promote somebody and build them, the audience can easily take it as you're trying to force somebody upon them.

My mother and father both died at 64.

When you grow up on a farm, you grow up fast.

I don't like losing at anything, but it's not the end of the world if you beat me.

I like Twitter because I'm a creature of the short-attention span theater. I can get a lot of sports opinions and other things and Twitter tells me what time it is, but not how to make the watch.

Whether I stay on the air on a weekly basis or I don't, that's not my call. But I've had such a blessed career that if it ended tomorrow, I've got nothing to complain about.

Jericho is generally considered a main event guy, as he should be. He's a future Hall of Famer, I believe. So any rub, for lack of a better term, that AJ Styles can get from Chris Jericho is positive.

I had a very humble upbringing, earned everything I got, and learned how challenging it is in the pro wrestling business.

When one chooses a life as a public personality they give up certain levels of privacy but in one's home and intimate moments everyone should be protected.

I can make a valid argument that Bobby Heenan is pro wrestling's great performer.

There's a lot of brands around the world that want to get exposed in the U.S.A.

For my money, Dan Hodge is the greatest amateur wrestler ever produced in the U.S.A.

I've been selling things all my life. I sold wrestling for a long time. I sold the talent and sold the matches.

Many talents hurt themselves by over thinking the business and doing too much which waters every thing down and makes major moves mean less.

There's always another adventure if you keep your head above water and I don't have any desire to slow down because it keeps you young.

You can't go to Amazon and order a book on how you handle grief. There's books on it, sure. But there's no tried and true manual. You just have to live that out. There's no formula to heal.

Over the years, I've had many talented broadcast partners that have helped me grow as an announcer.

Just like Brad Pitt and what's her name!

Everyone has a different bump card and when it's up, it's up.

There's no way in hell I'm supposed to be on television or be a broadcaster of any regard. But I have defied those odds because I believe in this: I am damn sure not going to let somebody else define who I am.

I would never tie in creative with a talent's contract. To me, that is insanity. Creative needs change, talents evolve or not, and to be locked in to a talent having the ability to not run the plays that the team dictates is not smart business.

You can take this job and shove it because I quit.

I've always believed that if you are in the WWE system, that in two years or less, the staff should be able to tell who's a keeper and who's not.

I've heard Jerry do mini concerts while driving, especially when the music of The Beatles or a handful of other 'British Invasion' bands aired. Hearing Jerry Lawler sing with a British accent is quite an experience.

Sometimes our passion will motivate us to say things that can easily be misunderstood.

Working with one's boss is a totally different dynamic than working with a peer, especially when doing live or live-to-tape commentary of a genre as unique as sports-entertainment.

Jericho uses tried and true, fundamental pro wrestling villain techniques to make him effective. He's a master in ring psychologist.

The adrenaline of performing live in front of an audience is a feeling that's hard to replicate.

The first thing that you need to be a draw, to be a star, is the intangible 'It' factor. You cannot manufacture 'It,' you cannot replicate 'It.'

Men should know that no job is more important than their family. I had that all screwed up for a long time. I regret it.

That may be the ultimate definition of toughness inside the squared circle -- having the will to overcome a serious injury to return to elite status as a main eventer.

The Heisman Trophy equivalent in collegiate wrestling is named the Dan Hodge Award, which illustrates just how Dan is perceived within that culture.

Nice to see Christian return as he's been on the injured list for months. 'Captain Charisma' is due to have a big 2011. Very skilled, underrated talent.

I used to roll my eyes when I heard the term 'workaholic,' but I guess if the shoe fits, you got to wear it.

In the early 1900s, wrestlers who attained main event success were largely all tough men who could handle themselves in any environment whether it be in a wrestling ring or a tavern.

I always say the wrestlers provide the music and the announcers write the lyrics. You have to feel what you're seeing and experiencing to write the best lyrics.

Freebird Michael Hayes was my first broadcast partner who was a pure, 100% antagonist. Hayes and I joined forces during Cowboy Bill Watts' attempt at expanding the Mid-South brand by renaming Mid-South Wrestling the Universal Wrestling Federation.

Two beautiful women crashing and burning for the sake of the Women's Championship!

The Rock had the amazing athletic abilities that few people are gifted with, but he also had the burning desire to be the best, and none of that can be denied.

Bobby Heenan did what every announcer should strive to do and that is to make talent bigger stars than they are and to embellish every talent's TV persona.

I can always get better at what I'm doing because I'm not nearly as good as I think I can be. I'm going to try to improve every chance I get.

It has been my experience that the greatest performers in the genre of sports-entertainment are usually natural extensions of their own, true personality.

I don't hate anyone, especially any college football team.

Unlike the on-air talents in the NFL where they have producers figuratively joined at their hip, providing them with info and tidbits of data, we WWE announcers are responsible for getting ourselves ready for every broadcast.

Ricky Morton and Robert Gibson were not giants, they were giants in the ring, they drew money, people loved them and that's what you find in the Young Bucks.

Slobberknocker: My Life in Wrestling' is really not a wrestling book. It's a book about life, and there's a great love story in this book. There are great life lessons in this book about not allowing others to define you.

It is a human demolition derby!

Matt Hardy's quicker than a hiccup.

As long as any pro wrestling we see on the TV screen doesn't insult my intelligence and can continually use common sense, basic logic and the presentation, I am pretty cool with it.

If there was a Mount Rushmore for pro wrestling cities, Chicago and New York would be on there. After that, it's debatable.

This crowd is letting Kurt know that he sucks. Just in case he had forgotten.

Is there a better wrestling villain on TV these days than CM Punk? Arguable question but for my sauce, Punk is right there at the top of the heap with a handful of his peers.

Since I was a young wrestling fan, I've been fascinated by super heavyweights and was always amazed at Yokozuna's amazing grace and agility. How could a man who was so large still remain so athletic and retain perfect in-ring timing and spot-on psychology?

One last toast, to our friend, Owen Hart. We'll never forget you, buddy.

All that I can say about Owen Hart, is that I hope that I can be, as good a man as him, so that I can see him again, someday.

I did enjoy the broadcasting work of King, Punk and Josh Mathews last Monday on Raw. Josh is a hard working young man who does his homework and he did well with his opportunity to sit at the grown up table on Raw.

My folks, I don't think my mom or my dad ever missed a little league game or a football game.

Vince was so great at the 'Mr. McMahon' character that some people think he wouldn't want to help people in real life, and that's just not true.

I'm a big fan of Lance Archer, Jeff Cobb, Luke Harper.

Most fans don't realize how challenging it is to broadcast live TV, especially in a hybrid genre such as WWE.

I do have high expectations for Alex Riley. He seems athletic, articulate and intelligent. Only time will tell how far he goes, but Riley has bonafide potential. FCW did a nice job of preparing Alex for WWE. Alex's future success is largely up to Alex.

If there was a Mount Rushmore for pro wrestling cities, Chicago and New York would be on there.

John Cena's work ethic is beyond reproach. It's been phenomenal to see what he does and he's made himself a brand.

All of the pivotal moments in my adult life are connected to the wrestling business.

Working alongside Tony Schiavone was pivotal in my growth as a broadcaster.

One of my biggest fears, in both my personal and business life, is residing too long in my comfort zone.

Tough wrestlers have never been uncommon. Competing and performing through injuries, enduring crazy travel schedules and wrestling with no offseason just lends itself for one to have to be tough to make it long term and with success in sports-entertainment.

Sept. 11, 2001, still feels like a blur to me. I wish it were simply a bad, re-occurring dream, but unfortunately it isn't.

We've only got so much energy in our bodies, and if you want to use some of it for hate, if you choose to exert it negatively, I feel for you. I choose to not hate any team. I use whatever is in my tank for good.

I'm not fixated on death but I know tomorrows are not guaranteed.

The fans of the U.K. are tremendously supportive of the efforts of the WWE Superstars, which is why every wrestler I know loves to be a part of the tours to the U.K.

WrestleMania is a major event and that's an understatement obviously, but it's a major event from the standpoint that many other companies use WrestleMania as a source of creating new revenue.

The black man's journey within the genre of grappling wasn't unlike the challenges their brethren faced in professional sports, entertainment and, most importantly, everyday life. To say it was challenging would be a massive understatement.

I've done everything. I've been ring crew, I've been driver for a blind promoter, I've been a valet, I've been a referee, I've been a ring announcer, I've been a corporate officer, play-by-play man, blah, blah, blah. No one has been on my journey.

I was lucky to have been able to work so closely with Vince McMahon as he was able to see up-close what I could contribute to WWE, which lead to some amazing years not only at ringside, but also in the boardroom.

I don't have a bad thing to say about Vince McMahon.

Vince McMahon has overachieved his entire life in a big way. I got to know him really well and still have great respect for him.

I've always thought Wrestlemania is a special event that brings the best out of everybody, whether it's the wrestlers or the broadcasters or whomever, and I still believe that.

As God is my witness, he is broken in half!

Business is about to pick up here!

It's gonna be a slobberknocker!

Two men that did treat me well from day one were Bobby Heenan and Gorilla Monsoon. Thanks to them being old pros and having the class of a pair of WWE Hall of Famers and true gentlemen, I was given a chance to prove myself to them as a human being.

The best incarnation of The Four Horsemen was undoubtedly the unit comprised of Ric Flair, Barry Windham, Arn Anderson and Tully Blanchard, along with talented manager JJ Dillon, which will be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2012.