The following are highlights of a recent Oklahoman interview with WWE Hall Of Famer Jim Ross:
On what Gerald Brisco looks for when scouting talent for WWE: “Jerry scouts all the amateur programs. He goes to all the major duals. He has a network of coaches who work with him who know what WWE is looking for. He goes to the NAIA nationals, the Division II nationals. He’s looking for guys who have that nice look, a marketable look — he doesn’t have to be 6-3; he could be 5-10 — and some of these guys have a little showmanship in them. They’ve got a little swag about them. You need extroverted athletes. If you’re an extroverted athlete who is motivated to be an entertainer, you could go from amateur wrestling and the wrestling room, the sweat and the stench, to really making a lot of money. There’s been a lot of them in the amateurs that did exactly that.”
On his favorite wrestler growing up: “Oh, of course, (Dan) Hodge. When I grew up in Oklahoma in the early ’60s, Hodge was the guy. He was as famous in a lot of our circles as Mickey Mantle was because he had done so well in wrestling. Three national championships. Never lost a match. Then he became a Golden Gloves boxing champion in the United States. Think about today how marketable that guy would be.”
Check out the complete interview at NewsOK.com.
