AEW's Jim Ross Assesses Whether Going PG Hurt WWE

AEW commentator Jim Ross has provided his thoughts about WWE going PG in 2008 and if it negatively impacted the viewership for both "WWE Raw" and "WWE Smackdown" overtime. 

It's no secret that WWE's ratings haven't been the same since the Attitude Era or even the Ruthless Aggression Era, however, Ross doesn't believe that WWE's change from a less edgier product was the reason for the decline in viewership. On "Grilling JR," Ross explained that what generates fan interest and eyes on the WWE product is good booking and reliable performances inside the ring. 

"I think that it's all a matter of smart booking and execution by the talent, that's the key thing every time. So the rating, the PG Era, the Ruthless Aggression Era, the Attitude Era, it's all about talents getting over and executing, and for the most part, we were successful in that regard. But I don't think it had anything to do with it ... might not have been somebody's cup of tea, somebody that wants a lot of blood and guts might have felt a little empty at times, I don't know, but if you're solely depending on blood and violence for your ratings, you might be traveling the wrong road, it's a short term fix."

Ross experienced WWE's PG Era for just over 10 years before leaving the company in 2019 and later joining AEW's commentary desk which has seen him work alongside personalities such as Excalibur, Tony Schiavone and Taz. However, Ross has recently opened up about the possibility of reuniting with the man he called matches with for well over 20 years, Jerry Lawler.  

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit "Grilling JR" with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.