Jim Ross Addresses Decision To Have Him Call One Hour Of AEW Dynamite

After a career that has been long-associated with football, even in his decades as a wrestling personality, Jim Ross is officially relief pitching for AEW.

"I'm Mariano Rivera," JR said on a recent edition of "Grilling," referring to the Cy Young Award-winning Yankees relief pitcher. "I go in for long relief."

According to JR, it was AEW President Tony Khan who was the one that came up with bringing the WWE Hall Of Famer onto "AEW Dynamite" an hour after his broadcast colleagues as a way to give the program a mid-show jolt.

"I was coming out before the show," JR explained, "and the reception was humbling, fans are glad to see me." Ross said that Khan noticed the reception he was getting and decided it was just the boost that the second hour of "AEW Dynamite" needed. Plus, the move allowed for Jim Ross to be featured on "AEW Rampage", taped after Dynamite.

"So now, I come out in the middle of the show, still gonna call the main event," JR continued, "Then we all take a bathroom break for the crew, and then we go right into taping Rampage."

JR appreciates calling the hour-long Rampage program: "Its kind of like doing old-school hour wrestling shows."

Ross said that the move not only allowed Dynamite to have a second hour enhancement, but also give Rampage "a little boost, commentary-wise, selling-wise," going on to say that AEW "obviously has got to get the ratings up," for the Friday night program on TNT.

Beyond the boosts to the pacing and pageantry of the shows, Ross said that he has a slightly more personal reason why he enjoys that he gets to be on TV two times a week now and on two different networks. "I get more exposure now than I did before because I wasn't on Rampage."