WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross recently discussed various topics on the Sam Roberts Wrestling Podcast. Here are the highlights:

On his deal with AXS TV:

“Yeah, it’s a different deal,” said JR. “I never really thought of it in the scope, but others have posed the same questions and made comments about it. They say, you know, JR is doing some work for New Japan. Somebody said that the reason the New Japan in Long Beach was not the way everybody would have wanted was because, I don’t want to say hospitality, but communication may be a better word, that they were not comfortable, allegedly that I signed with WWE again, but honoring my contract with AXS TV.”

On AXS TV counting on him being the voice for NJPW:

“They were counting on JR to be the voice of their expansion. The irony of that is, nobody mentioned that to me,” Ross revealed. “Not that it would have made any differences. That conversation that others had about my status never included me in on the conversation. I never knew this information, so I’m enjoying the opportunity to fulfill my contract and obligations – to keep my word. I believe that is very valuable in this world to keep your word. Finish my obligations with Mark Cuban’s company [AXS TV]; they are great people. I work with Josh Barnett calling their matches, in which I enjoy. It is a very ‘old-school’ product, very fundamentally sound by and large, especially their singles matches. I wanted to fulfill this deal, but I don’t know how it is going to go going forward.”

“I don’t know if WWE is going to continue to allow me to continue my deal with AXS, we never discussed it quite frankly,” Ross continued. “We will just have to see, but I enjoy staying busy.”

On his WWE deal:

“I have a contract with AXS TV, and WWE wanted to re-sign me. I was more than willing to wait until my contract ended, they were not; they wanted me to sign, and I did,” said Ross. “I am very happy with my deal.”

“I am working 40 dates a year; I did six of them for the Mae Young Classic in Orlando, and I will do more days probably for SummerSlam week in New York when I am there for SummerSlam week,” said Ross. “I have a lot of post-production to do for the Mae Young shows. I love the current schedule. I enjoy working for companies that are good to me; I got the best of both worlds, it’s just funny how things have come full-circle for me sometimes, to try and stay positive and not get the ‘woe is me’ deal. I enjoy it because I am a wrestling fan. I get to be around some good wrestling products, which are different and unique.”