Jim Ross Reveals How He Convinced The Undertaker to Join WWE

Jim Ross is a name that professional wrestling fans can never forget. Good Ol’ JR has called some of the greatest matches in the history of this business. And not just commentary, but JR also has a keen eye for scouting top talent. From Stone Cold to The Undertaker and Brock Lesnar – JR brought them all to WWE!

Jim Ross reveals why he suggested The Undertaker to join WWE

Good Ol’ JR recently sat down for an interview with TalkSport’s Alex McCarthy where he talked about a ton of things, including his current time in AEW. During the interview, JR also talked about several recruits he brought to the WWE. And one of them became the biggest ‘Icon’ of the business, The Undertaker.

JR summed up Undertaker’s WWE signing pretty nicely. He revealed Mark Callaway was wrestling as The Punisher in WCW, and he had liked him during his time there. Ross added Ole Anderson was the booker of WCW at the time, and he didn’t want to re-sign Taker, for reasons he obviously never understood.

Jim Ross then revealed he was the one who encouraged the young Mark Callaway to jump ship to Vince McMahon‘s WWE (then WWF). He said, “So I’m the that encouraged Mark (Taker) to take [Vince] McMahon’s offer and get the hell out of here. Good for him.”

The ‘Deadman’ in WWE

Mark Callaway adopted The Undertaker gimmick, a brainchild of Vince McMahon, and made his debut at the 1990 Survivor Series. He made a mark on debut and continued building momentum with his eerie character and impeccable wrestling.

How ironic that a man who was once seen as just an average wrestler proved to be one of the biggest megastars of pro wrestling. He is one of the widely recognized WWE Superstars of all time, and his popularity knows no bounds even today.

The ‘Deadman’ called it a career after three long decades at Survivor Series last year, which is the same PPV where he made his debut exactly thirty years ago. It still feels unreal to know Taker has retired. But as they say, all good things must come to an end. At least, we’re glad he made the wise decision and jumped ship to WWE. Because the rest, as they say, is history!

Also Read: Kurt Angle Opens Up on a Potential Match With AEW Superstar Sting.