by Darren L. Husted 
Exclusive to OnlineOnslaught.com

When Ric Flair returned to the WWF in November 2001, Jim Ross claimed, "I've been around Ric Flair all my life," but this claim was untrue. During Flair's first WWF tenure, Ross was still commentating for NWA/WCW, and made his WWF pay-per-view commentating debut after Flair lost a "loser leaves WWF" match to Mr Perfect. In the nine years that Flair was gone, JR went from being a man in a toga to the ringside fixture we are familiar with.

At this month's WrestleMania, Jim Ross celebrates ten years at the WWE and the longest consecutive commentating streak. Jim hasn't missed a pay-per-view since Backlash 1999, the night Austin got the Smoking Skull belt back.

But ten years ago things were simpler for JR. Taking over from Gorilla Monsoon on play-by-play, JR's first pay-per-view match was Shawn Michaels v. Tatanka for the Intercontinental Title. Although it wasn't until the following match that he could work in the phrases "slobberknocker" and "smash-mouth." That match featured Scott Steiner.

JR wasn't meant to be a commentator in the WWF in 1993, but at that time Vince McMahon had other concerns. 1992's business was down (with the exception of SummerSlam 1992), and Dr. George T. Zahorian was starting to make waves. Jim had the dubious honour of commentating on Hogan's 5th WWF title win, and a few months later, on the loss of that title.

After those two pay-per-views, it would be three years before JR made another pay-per-view appearance. The WWF went from SummerSlam 1993 to SummerSlam 1995 without JR sitting at ringside. Previously, Jim had commentated with Bobby Heenan and Randy Savage, and for the next two years the WWF tried various combinations: Vince and Bobby, Vince and DiBiase, Gorilla and Savage, Vince and Jerry, and even Vince and Dok.

During the two-year hiatus, Vince fired JR (for refusing to become a cowboy heel commentator), then rehired him while the steroid trial was on-going, then fired him again (for giving away "inside" information) and finally hired him again. But when Vince hired JR for the third time, it was as his right-hand man. On screen, Vince and Jerry Lawler were the regular commentating team in 1995, and it wasn't until Nitro started in September that JR made his return to pay-per-view.

From In Your House 3 to Survivor Series 1995, Jim Ross sat next to Jerry Lawler on pay-per-view for the first few times in the WWF. At the end of the WWF's worst financial year, featuring one of its worst runs of pay-per-views ever, JR had broken his pay-per-view streak of two — in the process playing up his Okie accent and watching some really bad wrestling. The highlights of this streak included HBK vacating the IC title, Rikishi v. HHH (as Fatu v. Hunter Hearst Helmsley), Mabel v. Yokozuna (both as heels) and Diesel v. Bret Hart (which was actually a classic).

Jim was then dropped from pay-per-views for the next seven months as the WWF lost Bam-Bam Bigelow, Scott Hall, Kevin Nash and me. Yeah, I was a Hitman mark, and my friend hated HBK (and I mean hated); after Bret lost the belt (Shawn was about submit, damn you Gorilla Monsoon), we both refused to watch as long as HBK was WWF champion.

While my friend and I were refusing to watch, JR returned to commentating. After a busy time as head of talent relations (which included the signing of Steve Austin and Mick Foley), and in the first of 31 consecutive pay-per-views (which would break Vince's record of 25), JR added his memorable cowboy commentary to Steve Austin's King of the Ring victory. Taking on the cowboy persona he'd earlier been fired for refusing to be, Good Ol' JR teamed with Vince and Jerry for first time the following month and then spent until the following November honing his character on screen. He was "Evil JR" near the end of 1996 and then spent the first half of 1997 acting as Austin's cheerleader, until that Survivor Series when Vince finally stopped commentating.

Now this first streak is probably more interesting than the second (current) one, because 1997 was when the WWF was making its comeback. From King of the Ring 1996 to Rock Bottom, JR had to sell a product that had few redeeming qualities. The were occasional good matches, but for the most part JR had to sugar-coat shit. He didn't really come alive until his real-life friends (Steve and Mick) started to be regulars in the upper-card.

During 1998, JR had good reason to cheer. Austin Austin Austin won the title at WrestleMania; Mick tore it up with Undertaker on top of the Hell in a Cell, and Rocky Maivia became a star and champion by the end of the year. A bout of Bell's Palsy brought an end to JR's first streak of 31 straight pay-per-views. Michael Cole replaced him from December 1998 until WrestleMania XV, the only time Jim Ross hasn't cheered on an Austin title victory.

JR returned at Backlash 1999 to watch Owen Hart's last U.S. pay-per-view match (and of course one month later JR had to commentate through Owen's tragic death). This was the start of JR's current streak. Of course, when last month's pay-per-view didn't start with JR and The King telling me who they are, I feared the streak may be over, 46 in a row. But then JR took his seat next to The Coach, and I knew the streak was still alive.

Johnathan Coachman is the ninth person who has sat next to JR at the commentator's table. He took that place in WWE history alongside Randy Savage, Bobby Heenan, Jerry Lawler, Vince McMahon, Mr. Perfect, Owen Hart, Tazz and Paul Heyman.

At this WrestleMania, JR will have been at the table for ten years, longer than anyone else. And as long as he wants to tell me what's going on, I'm willing to listen. Keep that streak going, JR. Here's to the next 47.

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Darren Husted is a wrestling fan with waa-aay too much free time on his hands. He still marks out for The Ultimate Warrior's Music, The Hitman's Music and Kurt Angle. He thanks you for reading.

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