On the Grilling JR podcast, Jim Ross spoke about when the McMahon family fired him in 2005.

“I think I closed the show a few other times because the fans gave a shit. They cared about me, and I loved them for it – I still love them for it. They watch every Wednesday night, and that’s why I’m happy to be a part of this team with AEW because Tony Khan doesn’t have that same mindset. He respects my work. I think at some point, Vince just didn’t respect my work and he wanted to make a change, and he could certainly make a change argumentatively by saying ‘We’re gonna get younger, we’re gonna enter a new phase, we’re gonna get it a new start back on USA.’ I never did understand that. That’s where my angst was about that deal. Was it really business or was there some personal seasoning factored into that deal? I am of the belief there was some personal animosity involved in it, and never knowing why. I didn’t do anything but work my ass off for the guy. We talked about the talents on this show – who signed those guys? Vince didn’t, I did because I had a great team surrounding talent relations.

“So, it was always a head-scratcher, and it got frustrating. I still don’t understand it to this day why that was there because he had to go back and restart things. I think Hunter even fired me one time. So, it got to be old…..how many are you gonna see before it stops being special? I just thought it was kind of a personal thing. He enjoyed it, the writers I think enjoyed presenting him with those types of opportunities because they knew he loved the misery that he could inflict because I gave a damn. To me, it just wasn’t a job – just like it is today working for AEW, it’s not just a job……I don’t need to work, I love to work. It’s not a job to me, it’s my life……did it have to be done in such a personal way?”

He then spoke about Linda McMahon kicking him between the legs on RAW that night.

“It was more than just a piece of creative to close the show. It was to signify ‘You’re done.’ That really broke my heart – to be done. I’m not ready to be done today, I wasn’t ready to be done in 2005 – 15 years ago, that was the funeral for JR and it didn’t take. At the end of the day, my career has been a blessing, and more than I ever thought it could be…..I paid my dues. That was just a bad day at the office. I still believe it was personally oriented, but be that as it may, he’s the boss. I took his money and I cashed his checks. I think on this show, I earned my money. The facials were OK, I sold the slap. I took a bump on the slap. I took another bump on the nut shot. That’s just part of the presentation. I wanted to deliver the goods as a professional. I wanted to be professional.”