Jim Ross Opens Up On His Thoughts On WWE CEO Vince McMahon

"Good ol' J.R." Jim Ross, a current commentator for AEW and a legend in the pro wrestling industry, recently took to his Grilling J.R. podcast to discuss the bond he's created with WWE CEO, Vince McMahon, over decades working together. J.R. admitted that when his wife unfortunately passed away in 2017, Vince was one person that was there to lift Ross up.

"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," J.R. said. "He knows in his heart that if he needed me for anything that strongly or that serious, as a personal favor or as his friend, that I would be there no doubt. And the same goes for me. I know that in my personal life, if something occurred and I needed to reach out to him, I know that he would respond quickly and positively, so I always believe that he has a very good heart in that respect. I can't tell you all of the good things that he did and said and offered when Jan, [my wife], got killed. That means a lot to me, folks.

Ross admits that Vince might work a bit too much, even claiming that WWE is the most prominent thing in all of Vince's life. He remembers the comparison his wife, Jan, had made about powerful figures like Walt Disney, Michael Jackson, and Vince McMahon. She sees them as three people who created a world all their own where they can be king of the land.

"I think he is a workaholic; I think he is obsessed with the company that he has built," J.R. stated. "He won't say it but I don't think there is anything more prominent than the WWE in his life. I don't know if that is a good thing or a bad thing. I think it is a thing that is there – he is hard-headed. We have had some of the most amazing conversations when we were by ourselves that I haven't had with any human being in all my life. So, it's just the fact that I figured out how to communicate with him, and him with me, and we always did better the two of us.

"Jan said that Vince McMahon is a lot like Michael Jackson and Walt Disney – he didn't do well at times in other people's worlds, so he created his own world where he can be the king of, and function in," Ross continued. "And at the end of the day, that really isn't a bad philosophy: create your own space, be the king of your own space where you create your own decisions. I don't have a bad thing to say about Vince McMahon. He made a lot of money where my kids and grandkids will be spending someday, and again, he has been a great friend when I lost the best thing in my life. My best friend, my wife Jan. He was standing right there, so that means a lot."

J.R. recalls multiple times that Vince told him that sleeping is the "enemy" when it comes to being successful. J.R. believes that this ideology will eventually run Vince down, however, he's still actively chopping wood in his 70's for the time being.

"He told me one time that sleep is our enemy. In fact he told me that more than one time, that sleep is our enemy," J.R. remembered. "He believes that; that is his philosophy. I think he believes that he can get away with 3-6 hours of sleep every day and his body – he's lean, trains a lot, eats well, so I just think that he has convinced himself that he doesn't require the sleep that most people do. And as long as psychologically he believes that, then it's going to work for him. But at some point in time, we all know that that's just not the way it works. Eventually, your body needs recharging. But he's amazing, he is in his 70's and still chopping the wood."

If you use any quotes from this article, please credit Grilling J.R. with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.

Peter Bahi contributed to this article.