Jim Ross had a rough road to AEW Double or Nothing, and now he’s opening up about just how bad the weekend got.
While speaking on Grilling JR, Ross revealed that his travel experience before Double or Nothing was a disaster. He was originally scheduled for an early Saturday morning flight, but things went wrong before he even made it out the door.
“It was not a good travel weekend for me. I was supposed to get picked up Saturday morning, and at like 6 o’clock I had a chat with my travel guy—why would you fly me at 6 in the morning for a Sunday night show?”
Jim Ross said he had his alarm set and was waiting for his driver when he suddenly fell. He had not fallen in weeks, but this time he went down hard and did not have his phone close enough to call for help.
“So I had the alarm set, the driver’s going to pick me up, and all of a sudden I fell. I hadn’t had a fall in weeks, so I fell and busted my ass. If I had my phone with me, I could’ve gotten help. So as a result of that, I missed my flight.”
Jim Ross eventually got rebooked and made it to New York City, but he said flying has become one of the worst parts of his life because of how difficult the experience has been.
“Flights, as you’re aware, are horrible—flying is the worst time of my life. Flying experiences have been horrible. So I got rebooked and got to New York City, LaGuardia, that night. I talked to Barry Bloom and saw people in the lobby at the hotel.”
Once Ross finally got to his hotel room, things got worse. He tried to relax on the bed, but his back went out, leaving him in pain and unable to function properly during the weekend. Ross said the back issue made the whole trip a miserable experience, even though he still managed to make it through the weekend and fly home Monday night.
“Then I got to my room on Saturday night, and as you can see, I’m still leery. So I laid on the bed and put my ass on the edge of the bed and just relaxed. But little did I know my back was going to go out on me. So now I’m in the hotel with my back out, and I can’t function. So it was just a horrible experience. And I flew back home on Monday night—but boy, I suffered for a while.”
The scary fall also taught Ross one major lesson going forward. He made it clear he will not let himself be caught without his phone nearby again: “I won’t do that again. I’ll make sure my phone is within arm’s reach.”
Ross only called one match at Double or Nothing, and his comments now explain why the weekend may have been so difficult for him behind the scenes. The travel problems, fall, missed flight, and back issue all happened as Ross continues dealing with serious health concerns.
This comes after Ross recently revealed on Grilling JR that doctors are monitoring him for possible dementia or Alzheimer’s. He said he had a positive neurologist appointment but admitted more tests are being done.
“Gives me a chance to get my ailments addressed. I had a positive doctor’s appointment with my neurologist—everyone’s getting in on it, man. They took a bunch of blood, ran some tests.”
Ross said doctors are concerned about possible neurological issues, though he questioned what can really be done if those fears become reality. Still, Ross said he is willing to take any preventative steps doctors recommend and made it clear that, despite everything, he currently feels good overall.
“They’re worried about dementia or Alzheimer’s, and I’m like, ‘What the hell are you gonna do about it? There’s not a cure.’ If there’s any medicine I should be taking preventatively, tell me what they are and I’ll do it. But you know, we’ll see how it works out. I’m going through a lot of tests. I don’t feel bad at all—I feel great, actually. But you know, getting old is a b***.”
Jim Ross has pushed through a lot over the years, but his Double or Nothing travel story shows just how difficult these trips can be for him now. Even so, he still made it to the show and got through the weekend, despite suffering far more than most fans realized.
Do you think AEW should reduce Jim Ross’ travel schedule even more after this latest health scare? Please share your thoughts and feedback in the comments.
Please credit Ringside News if you use the above transcript in your publication.
