Given they're only separated by a few years, most would consider AEW commentators Jim Ross and Tony Schiavone to be peers. But that's not the way Schiavone, who entered wrestling nearly a decade after Ross, sees it. While talking about Good Old JR on a recent episode of "What Happened When," Schiavone told a story about how Ross helped him in a way that makes Schiavone view Ross as more of a mentor.
"He got me my first big contract, ever," Schiavone said. "I was making, just to be very honest, I was making $15,000 a year with [Jim] Crockett Promotions. And he got me six figures. Now if you go from $15,000 to six figures in one day, it is like...lifechanging. And he's responsible for that. And that I'll never forget."
After singing more praises of Ross, Schiavone had a message for those who may question him labeling Ross as a mentor, and also a message for Ross himself, as the legendary announcer continues to battle another cancer scare.
"When I say Jim Ross is my mentor, fans might say 'Oh, he's b**********g,'" Schiavone said. "No, it's true. He was. Now I was announcing wrestling before I started working with Jim Ross. But I don't think I really got it until I started working with JR. So that's what he means to my career. And that's why I was so happy to be standing with him on October 2 in 2019, doing shows again on TNT. And I know his health has been bad, I know he's battled it, but we've had a lot of fun backstage with him at AEW. And hopefully we still can in the years to come. And we are praying for Jim, no doubt about it. We are praying for him."
If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit "What Happened When" and provide a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription
