Jim Ross Believes That AEW Should Not Hire Released WWE Stars Just Yet
Last week was a hard week for the pro wrestling industry. On Wednesday, WWE officials laid off over 34 Superstars, and that doesn't even include backstage personnel. With all of these people out of work, the big question now is: where do they go from here?
With AEW being WWE's biggest competitor, many believe that the former WWE Superstars will head there. However, that is uncertain at this time. AEW head commentator and Senior Advisor, Jim Ross, believes AEW shouldn't hire the most recently released wrestlers, right now.
"Sometimes you have to let people go that you don't think deserve to be let go," Ross stated on The Roman Show. "It's the nature. It's not wrestling, man; it's life we're talking about. There are six million people right now in the unemployment line. We're all roaring about 30 or 40 people in the wrestling business that also got laid off. Sometimes, I wonder where our heads are. We are living in the most tumultuous unprecedented times, ever.
"On Twitter, I get, 'What do you think about this? Who should AEW hire?' I'm more worried right now about living to tomorrow. I'm at a high risk for the Coronavirus. You think I am concerned about who's 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 go on a massive pity party. Come on man, you think you're the only person in the wrestling business that's been sat down, cast away or taken away from a job? Give me a break. The bottom line is that it's unfortunate. Some people have to wonder why they were let go. There has to be a reason why they were let go."
One particular wrestler that Ross mentioned during his interview was Rusev, who took his time with the WWE in stride, after having many high and low storylines, as well as long periods of non-televised appearances.
"What about Rusev? He had a great push. It's all about the push man," Ross informed. "We talk about that on Grilling [with] JR every Thursday. It's all about the push. Well, something must've came up that made the company not want to do 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. He hasn't reached his potential [yet], so I just believe they have to reset."
Ross concludes his thoughts on the matter, by saying that he hopes these former Superstars will not take what happened to them to heart. Instead, he hopes that this will motivate them to work towards another prospect of their career that they weren't given a chance to show during their time in the WWE.
"They're independent contractors; they're entrepreneurs. How do you make your brand better?" Ross noted. "If your brand is on a shelf in a store and it stops selling, how do you resurrect it? You just do the same thing over and over, expecting change. Well, let me tell you, that doesn't work. If I were these guys who were let go by the WWE, this situation wouldn'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, and improve the brand."
You can view Jim Ross' full interview above. If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit The Roman Show with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.