James William Ross (born January 3, 1952)[2] is an American professional wrestling commentator and talent relations executive, currently signed with All Elite Wrestling (AEW) as a commentator, analyst and senior advisor. Ross is best known for a long and distinguished career as a play-by-play commentator for the WWF. He is known affectionately as Good ol' JR and has been labeled as the greatest wrestling commentator of all time.
After years of working various jobs in the professional wrestling industry, Ross became the primary play-by-play announcer for Mid-South Wrestling in the early 1980s. He went on to do commentary for the National Wrestling Alliance and World Championship Wrestling, before jumping to the World Wrestling Federation, making his first appearance for the promotion at WrestleMania IX in 1993. During his tenure with WWF, Ross was widely regarded as the voice of the company, particularly during The Attitude Era of the late 1990s and early 2000s. Ross was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame class of 2007. He was also the lead announcer for New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) on AXS TV from 2015 to 2018 and occasionally does play-by-play for boxing and mixed martial arts. Ross also hosts his own weekly podcast, "Grilling JR". Outside of wrestling, Ross is known for his barbecue sauce and beef jerky brand, J.R.'s Family BBQ
I agree that this is justified, as Heyman belongs on a Mt Rushmore of advocates/managers. He understands his role and explains the magnitude of what he is selling, and he gets the audience excited for the anticipation of what's coming.
There are times when he rambles on or takes too long to get to his point (more so when he was GM), but most of the time his timing is perfect. Even his self-introduction builds just the right amount of anticipation. By the time he gets to his point, the poetry he delivers just works. It is very clear he has worked hard on choosing every word he says, and precisely what syllables to emphasize, and most importantly, how long to pause between sentences.
In front of a live audience, his mannerisms should be studied by anyone wanting to learn how to work a crowd. Little things like lifting the mic towards his face, then sligfhtly shaking his head before dropping his arm down, while the crowd anticipating rises. There are times when he'll even have to repeat "Ladies and Gentlemen.." a few times before he starts his shtick. This stuff has been done by heels for ages but Paul has perfected it like nobody else.
I'd argue that Brock Lesnar wouldn't be half the legend he is if he didn't have Paul Heyman by his side.
Vincent Kennedy McMahon ( born August 24, 1945) is an American professional wrestling promoter and executive, American football executive, and media proprietor currently serving as the chairman and CEO of WWE, and the founder and owner of Alpha Entertainment.
McMahon was born in Pinehurst, North Carolina, and graduated from East Carolina University with a degree in business in 1968. He worked for the WWE for his father as a commentator and he assumed control of the company in 1982; McMahon saw the commercial potential of monopolizing the industry, which previously operated as separate fiefdoms across the United States. This led to the development of the annual WrestleMania, which has since become the most successful professional wrestling event in history. He faced stiff industry competition from World Championship Wrestling (WCW) in the 1990s, but eventually purchased the company in 2001 after a long power struggle, and also purchased the assets of the defunct Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) in 2006.
McMahon has embarked on a number of WWE-related ventures; in 2014, he launched the WWE Network, an over-the-top video streaming service. McMahon also owns other WWE subsidiaries related to multimedia such as film, music, and magazines, as well as a professional wrestling school system. Outside of wrestling, McMahon joint-owned and operated the XFL, a football league, twice; both iterations folded after a single season. He also headed the short-lived World Bodybuilding Federation, and co-owns the clothing brand Tapout.
McMahon also worked as a professional wrestler and personality known by the ring name Mr. McMahon, using a gimmick based on his real-life persona. He was the broadcast color commentator and chief broadcaster until 1997, and is a two-time world champion, a Royal Rumble match winner, and has headlined multiple WWE pay-per-view events. He is the eldest living member of the McMahon family, and is a third-generation wrestling promoter, following his grandfather Jess and father Vincent. He married political executive Linda Edwards in 1966, and is the father of businesspeople Stephanie and Shane McMahon, and father-in-law to Triple H.
The no.1 non-wrestler according to rajah.com forums is....
Bobby 'The Brain' Heenan, 265 points, 12 votes, Highest vote 25 points (Romford Pele, Blue Gunn, MMH, KDestiny, 3Puppies
Raymond Louis Heenan (November 1, 1944 – September 17, 2017), better known as Bobby "The Brain" Heenan, was an American professional wrestling manager, color commentator, wrestler, and comedian, best known for his time with the American Wrestling Association (AWA), the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE) and World Championship Wrestling (WCW).
Frequently described as the greatest professional wrestling manager of all time, he was known for his skill in elevating villainous on-screen talent by drawing negative reactions for himself and his wrestlers from the crowd. He was paired with numerous wrestlers, including Nick Bockwinkel, whom he led to win the AWA World Heavyweight Championship, and he became an integral figure in the 1980s professional wrestling boom by managing King Kong Bundy and André the Giant in WWF main event matches with Hulk Hogan at WrestleMania 2 and WrestleMania III respectively.
The wrestlers under his tutelage were collectively known as "The Heenan Family" at various times throughout his career.
Known for his quick wit and comedic ability, Heenan also served as a color commentator and is remembered for his on-screen repartee with Gorilla Monsoon. Outside of wrestling, Heenan authored two books, appeared on numerous television shows, and briefly hosted a parody talk show titled The Bobby Heenan Show on WWF Prime Time Wrestling. Heenan retired in 2001 at WrestleMania X-Seven after a seventeen-year stint as a commentator in professional wrestling but he continued to make sporadic appearances in several promotions. In 2002, he was diagnosed with throat cancer, which limited his appearances in later years, and died from complications of the disease in 2017. Among other honors, he has been inducted into the Professional Wrestling, WWE, and Wrestling Observer halls of fame.
To be the greatest in one field is an amazing achievement. But to be the best in two is unheard of.
Greatest manager ever. Greatest co-commentator ever. A great tv host, could also work in the ring. Fantastic comic timing and a heat magnet.
To me, Brain shouldn't just be on the Mount Rushmore of non-wrestlers but he has a valid claim to join the likes of Hogan and Austin in terms of influence.