Wrestling broadcasting legend Jim Ross sounds like he’s on the road to recovery following successful colon cancer surgery.
The 73-year-old who has been calling matches for All Elite Wrestling since 2019 announced in mid-May that he had been diagnosed with colon cancer. He had surgery two weeks later, saying that it was a success and that he would begin rehabilitation.
In his return to the Grilling J.R. Podcast this past week, the longtime announcer offered a strong prognosis on his long-term health.
“I had a meeting with my surgeon earlier this week,” Ross said. “He’s very happy, which makes me very happy. So, I’m sore from the surgery. My abdomen is real sore, but I’ve endured worse, and so I’m feeling pretty good actually.
“Progress is good. I believe they got all the cancer, which is great. So, I’m very blessed in that regard. I was scared to death for a while. I have to be honest with you. It’s that mysterious thing that you don’t know how — did they get everything they needed to get? Are we okay? But I have a real good surgeon. He’s taken care of me… I’m very blessed in that regard.”
It might be too soon to think about when Good Ol’ J.R. might put the headset back on and call some AEW matches, but Ross has a specific event in mind that he’s shooting for: All In Texas on Saturday, July 12, at Globe Life Field in Arlington.
“I hope to make it to Texas. My plan is to be there. So, we’ll have to kind of wait and see,” he said. “I’d love to show up and do a match or two. That’d be cool. So, we’ll see. I don’t wanna get too ambitious but, my plan is to be there and to participate. I wanna play. I want to get back in the game somehow, some way and contribute to the success of AEW.”
If and when he does get back behind the booth, wrestling fans will be thrilled to hear Ross’s familiar baritone voice once more.
About Sean Keeley
Along with writing for Awful Announcing and The Comeback, Sean is the Managing Editor for Comeback Media. Previously, he created the Syracuse blog Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician and wrote 'How To Grow An Orange: The Right Way to Brainwash Your Child Into Rooting for Syracuse.' He has also written non-Syracuse-related things for SB Nation, Curbed, and other outlets. He currently lives in Seattle where he is complaining about bagels. Send tips/comments/complaints to sean@thecomeback.com.