GRILLING J.R.
05/14/20
STEVE WILLIAMS

Ross talking about managing Steve Williams in WWF: “I was not comfortable doing it. I didn’t see any reason to do it. That was another way to make J.R. uncomfortable. The issue was for me that I made it not about J.R. enough though I didn’t like the casting. I didn’t want to do that. To me, it was another step in trying to pry me out of the announcing position on Monday Night Raw, hence, the little announce table. Doc was my bodyguard. It just was silly because who was the heel? Who was the object of getting the heat? Me. I’m not going to wrestle…The wrong guy was getting the spotlight. I didn’t need it. I didn’t want it. I thought if I did this, it would help Doc. I also knew the underlying current was this was not to help Doc. This is to make J.R. uncomfortable and embarrassed, and the rib on J.R. is a continuation of previous ribs and subsequent ribs going forward because Vince enjoyed that. When the writers found out what Vince enjoys, that’s what they write.”

Ross on the Steve Williams/Ed Ferrara skit imitating J.R.: “You can’t convince me that the angle with Ed Ferrara imitating me with the Bell’s Palsy and Doctor Death being there in the same role he had in one of his last appearances in WWE as J.Rs’s bodyguard wasn’t personal. I don’t know how smart that booking really is. I know Turner finally curtailed the Bell’s Palsy facet of the impersonation. I look back at that as personal. I think that affected Doc and my relationship because I’m sure there was somebody who said, or could have said, J.R. could have saved you Doc if he wanted to. They want to ingratiate themselves to him. One way to do that is make me the bad guy again and convince him that if J.R. had wanted you to stay, he has a lot of influence with Vince. He is Vince’s right hand guy. He could have made that happen. Well I couldn’t make that happen. I tried to make it happen. But I thought that whole thing was very personal. I’m glad I made peace with Russo. I made peace with Ed Ferrara over the years…People ask If I was mad at Doctor Death…no. He was booked and this is his role. It’s like filming a movie. Here’s the movie. Here’s your script. Here’s your role. Here’s what you’re going to do. So, if you accept the terms of the creative, and except our money, then this is what we are going to ask you to do. Doc needed money. He needed a payday.”

The full episode is available at this link.