On tonight’s All Elite Wrestling Dynamite episode, WWE Hall of Famer and AEW Commentator Jim Ross will return. The news of his comeback was announced by AEW Commentator Tony Schiavone on the AEW Control Center, previewing tonight’s episode. Ross has been away dealing with health issues, notably healing a wound following radiation treatment for skin cancer.
The December 20 episode of AEW Dynamite will occur at the Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. This is notable as fans will know that Ross is a proud Oklahoma native and could be part of why he is returning to the show. It’s unclear if he will be a part of the commentary team for the entire show, but it seems likely to be possible.
Regarding health issues, Ross shared on the December 7 episode of his podcast Grilling JR that he made positive changes during his break. He noted that he has stopped drinking, and he has seen weight loss due to the adjustment.
When speaking about the decision to quit drinking, he admitted that it was a needed change to get healthier.
SEScoops’ Dominic DeAngelo transcribed the following quotes.
“My goal is to get healthy, and drinking was not working well with my meds, my diabetes medication … it was a conflict of interest, so to speak, because I want to get healthier and these meds gotta work and I was diluting their strength by drinking so I hung it up.”
The news of Ross’s life changes and return on tonight’s AEW Dynamite is excellent news for fans who have wanted to see his presence on TV. The hope is that the positive lifestyle changes will help him stay healthy and more involved with AEW.
Although it is unclear where his future lies with the company.
Is Jim Ross Staying with AEW?
Ross shared in November that his contract with AEW is set to expire. As of now, it is unclear exactly when his deal will be done. However, he wants to re-sign with the company and AEW President Tony Khan wants to keep him.
Ross is represented by wrestling agent Barry Bloom, who has helped current AEW superstars reach lucrative deals with the company. While Khan and Ross are both interested in “JR” staying in AEW, it’s unknown what the negotiation process and terms of the deal could look like.
For now, Ross and the AEW fanbase will welcome his comeback and hope to see more of him heading into 2024.
