Jim Ross ‘feeling pretty good’ after recent colon cancer surgery
Jim Ross is on the mend and still planning to attend AEW All In: Texas at Globe Life Field next month.
During the latest episode of Grillin JR, the legendary broadcaster shared an update after undergoing colon cancer surgery late last month. Ross says he’s getting better one day at a time.
“Just trying to heal and get better, and that’s kind of my goal right now. Taking it a day at a time,” he said.
Ross says doctors are confident they got all the cancer during surgery.
“I had a meeting with my surgeon earlier this week. He’s very happy, which makes me very happy. I’m sore from the surgery, my abdomen is real sore, but I’ve endured worse. I’m feeling pretty good, actually.”
Ross said he has a follow-up appointment scheduled for next month, but believes the worst is behind him.
“I believe they got all the cancer, which is great. I’m very blessed in that regard. I was scared to death for a while, I have to be honest with you. Because it’s one of those mysterious things — did they get everything they needed to get? Are we okay? But I have a really good surgeon who’s taken great care of me, so I feel very blessed.”
Following his diagnosis but before surgery, Ross stated he still plans to attend AEW All In: Texas on July 12. When asked if that goal might be too ambitious, he responded:
“No, I don’t think it’s too ambitious — I think it’s realistic. I’m hopeful that’s what happens. I’d love to be a part of that event, and see the fans, and see the talents. I miss the talents a lot. I’ve been kind of isolated here at home.”
“I’m feeling pretty good. I hope to make it to Texas. My plan is to be there, so we’ll have to wait and see. I’d love to show up and do a match or two. That’d be cool. I don’t want to get too ambitious, but my plan is to be there and to participate. I want to play. I want to get back in the game somehow, some way, and contribute to the success of AEW.”
Following the news of Ross’s diagnosis, Dave Meltzer announced that the Announcer of the Year award in the annual Wrestling Observer Newsletter Awards will be renamed the “Jim Ross Award” going forward. Ross responded to the honor:
“That’s very cool. I’m very blessed and very honored to have that happen. I’ve been following Meltzer’s work forever, seems like. Since my days working for Cowboy (Bill Watts). Cowboy Bill was the one who introduced me to Meltzer and Bill took a lot of pride and had a lot of faith in Dave’s opinion, and let’s not forget it is an opinion, but it’s a valued opinion, in my view. So, that’s pretty cool.”
Ross has been voted Announcer of the Year 13 times in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter Awards. He won the award six years in a row from 1988 to 1993, then four years straight from 1998 to 2001, and again in 2006, 2007, and 2012. He was inducted into the Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame in 1999.
The full episode of Grillin JR is available here:
