In “I Was There” 3MBooth provides a first hand account of a things we attend.

WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross is probably most known for his legendary ring announcing but he’s had many roles in professional wrestling: assistant, referee, promoter, booker, talent relations. But the one thing that Jim Ross has always been is a fan. With the start of “An Evening with Jim Ross,”  JR is now sharing some of those tales from his life and some of the lessons he’s learned along the way. He kicked off this venture at the Gramercy Theatre in New York City with two shows! We were lucky enough to attend the later one.

Ross starts the show talking about his humble beginnings in Oklahoma before finding a way into professional wrestling. He shares a few stories about impressing Cowboy Bill Watts as a college student and becoming the chauffeur / gopher for Leroy McGuirk, who ran the Mid-South territory with Watts. Listen to Ross recount the time he almost had to take the life of the Million Dollar Man Ted Dibiase at the request of McGuirk, complete with props!

Ross peppered the night with anecdotes from all over wrestling, the roads traveled in cars stocked to the brim with wrestlers or nights spent in bars with the Legendary Dick Murdoch. He even told us a story about the consequences of spending too much time with the Nature Boy Ric Flair. He even talked about his time in the WWF/WWE, behind the scenes as the head of Talent Relations and behind the broadcast table as the lead announcer. Through all of this, Jim Ross imparted some of his wisdom:

1. Never be Ashamed of Who You Are or What You Like, Wrestling Fan or Otherwise.
2. Tomorrow is Never a Guarantee so Live each Day to its Fullest.
3. Also, go to the Doctor! (He didn’t explicitly say this but it’s important)

Ross then opened the floor to Q&A where the already buzzed New York crowd lived up to its reputation. Ross, to his credit, answered every question as “nothing was off-limits,” even when the rowdy crowd wouldn’t let the questioner finish their request. During this point, Mick Foley, introduced as the ‘thriftiest man in wrestling,” joined Ross on stage and fielded questions as well. Ross discussed Wrestlemania, Superstars like Daniel Bryan and Roman Reigns and the future of not only the WWE but also professional wrestling.

We could listen to Jim Ross for hours (and, technically, we have) but spending these hours with him showed a different side to him. And while you can get a glimpse of his personality in his recent interviews on Busted Open and Opie and Anthony, promoting this event, or on his new podcast, The Ross Report, there is nothing like seeing him live. Much like announcing RAW or Wrestlemania, Ross feeds off the energy of an audience and we reciprocate in kind. If you’re going to Wrestlemania, JR will be hosting two more evenings at the House of Blues in New Orleans. We definitely recommend going.