Following the success of his two memoirs, SLOBBERKNOCKER and UNDER THE BLACK HAT, Jim Ross returns with BUSINESS IS ABOUT TO PICK UP! 50 YEARS OF WRESTLING IN 50 UNFORGETTABLE CALLS.
Beginning in 1974, Ross highlights several of his biggest moments behind the announce table throughout the years. The book spotlights several professional highs like his call of the trilogy of excellent matches between Ricky Steamboat and Ric Flair or the brutal clash between Bret Hart and Steve Austin at WrestleMania 13. He praises Undertaker versus Shawn Michaels at WrestleMania 25 as “the perfect wrestling match” and also mentions how much it meant to him to be one of the few who knew Steve Austin’s match with The Rock at WrestleMania 19 was Austin’s last match. The book is filled with moments that had me taking a stroll down memory lane in my thirty-plus years of being a fan.
JR is not one to sugarcoat things and if anything, this book is brutally honest. Ross understands that with his age, coupled with his numerous health scares, the time left on his clock is much shorter than the time that’s already passed. It’s a sobering thought to have and one that is often no doubt difficult for many to accept. Ross will be the first person to criticize himself and with his writing here, he pulls no punches. The way in which he details his struggles to stay active and relevant in a business that requires so much of its participants is tough to read at times. The sheer drive he has to stay on the road and contribute to a business he loves when his body is far from cooperative is admirable, to say the least, even if any mistake he makes is amplified by social media making his job that much more difficult.
I think that’s what makes him such an endearing figure. Ross is an unselfish and giving person in an industry that is populated by ruthless and exploitative people in positions of power. In his memories of his late wife Jan, particularly the chapter about his 2007 induction into the Hall of Fame where he can still picture her sitting in the front row, I couldn’t help but feel for the battle he waged against his own self-confidence and his place in the world following her tragic death in 2017. Ross writes with a certain level of emotion and poise about how deeply she is missed not just by himself, but the many performers who stayed at the Ross’ home and how Jan was such a force of positivity in their lives.
In light of recent revelations surrounding the abhorrent conduct of Vince McMahon, it was interesting to read JR’s thoughts on the women’s division in 2004, when Trish Stratus and Lita became the first women to mainevent an episode of RAW. Before today’s modern-day wrestler where work rate is paramount, the look and presentation of a wrestler was the most important. Ross writes about Vince’s turn from “lady wrestlers” in the 80s and early 90s to what Vince dubbed “athletic tens”, where beauty was most important and wrestling acumen became “negotiable”. Ross doesn’t get too into the weeds here, and I’m not looking to put words into his mouth, but it seems to add more fuel to the fire of Vince’s belief that women were more so objects to be lusted over and not true entertainers.
Ross has been a constant in an industry where turnover is exceptionally high. The volume of criticism he receives for on-air flubs can at times be unfair, but does reflect his own admission that he seems to push himself beyond his limits when the strength required isn’t there some days. Despite the fact that this is his third memoir, there is still a hunger for the stories he tells and the insight he continues to provide for an industry that is always evolving.
Business Is About to Pick Up! 50 Years of Wrestling in 50 Unforgettable Calls is available now through BenBella Books
