PWTorch.com - CALDWELL'S EVENT REVIEW: Jim Ross's One-Man Show delivers laughs, stories, insight & surprises before Night of Champions

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CALDWELL'S EVENT REVIEW: Jim Ross's One-Man Show delivers laughs, stories, insight & surprises before Night of Champions

Sep 21, 2015 - 1:52:05 PM

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"I was either going to retire or re-invent. From Stamford (Conn.) to La Guardia (airport), I made the decision - 'my ass is re-inventing. I am not out of the game.' I have not turned my jersey in; I think there's so much I can offer to the business."

- Jim Ross, closing his one-man show Sunday in Houston.

Jim Ross is not the type of person to sit idly at home in Norman, Okla. counting days on a calendar. Ross is still a fan of the wrestling business, very much wants to be involved wrestling, and has put enough money away from his corporate WWE career to last the rest of his life.

And, as evidenced by the passion in Ross's voice during his one-man show Sunday afternoon before Night of Champions, what drives him to stay connected to pro wrestling and wrestling fans is a love for the business that started his wild journey 40 years ago.

Ross has taken snippets of those experiences and turned them into a successful podcast and the occasional one-man show. And, it's not just a one-man show on-stage. Everything about the show is from Ross's mind - from the set-up to the live experience to the special guests - without a marketing or Creative Team standing over his shoulder trying to add to the soup.

Combine Ross's mastery of storytelling with the show being his vision and you get a very enjoyable, engaging product. It's "inside" enough for passionate, hardcore fans to feel like their knowledge is respected, but also touches on so much human nature that it's easily digestible for someone who has no knowledge base of pro wrestling.

Ross opened the show sharing numerous stories, including hilarious re-enactments of driving Leroy McGuirk down the highway, Jim Cornette waking up too early on a cross-country flight, and Ric Flair bypassing first, second, and third base in his mating rituals.

Throughout the opening monologue, Ross weaved in his commentary on the current state of the wrestling business, especially the lack of fundamentals in-play across the board. "But, that's just my opinion," Ross often remarked to laughter.

Ross then brought out his super-surprise Q&A guest, Scott Hall, who wowed the crowd when he was introduced on-stage.

Ross and Hall fielded about 20-25 questions from attendees. Both men were very interactive with fans who had a wide variety of questions to offer. Again, with this being Ross's show and his vision for wrestling fans to get their money's worth, Ross opened the door for any type of question and he did not shy away from providing an answer. There was some diplomacy involved, especially on questions about Vince McMahon, who fired Ross two years ago. But, Ross was very honest about his feelings without being disrespectful toward anyone past or present throughout the Q&A.

Most notably, Ross said he would like to get back into the wrestling business, but definitely not full-time. And, if the money is right to make it worth his time and energy when he's doing just fine on his own. It limits the possibilities, especially with one major player in the U.S. game. For now, though, Ross's passion for wrestling is being put to good use writing his book, recording his podcast, and talking to wrestling fans in-person after talking to them through their TVs for three decades.

The venue, Warehouse Live, also added to the show. Rows of chairs were lined up on the floor facing the stage, the room was darkly lit to create the sense of an event taking place, and the environment put the focus on Ross, then Ross and Hall. It was a very nice set-up. And, every seat was taken, making the event feel like it truly was an event.

Overall, Ross's presentation is highly-recommended if Ross brings his show to town. The bonus of a surprise guest during the Q&A adds value to the already-affordable ticket price, making this one of the best values in pro wrestling.