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Hall of Fame pro wrestling announcer Jim Ross bringing his show to Baltimore

Posted: Apr 11th 2015 By: Ron Snyder

When it comes to sports broadcasting, there are certain voices that will be forever linked to certain sports.

In football, there?s Al Michaels and Pat Summerall.

In baseball, there?s Vin Scully and Jon Miller.

For many fans of professional wrestling, the voice most synonymous with ?sports entertainment? is Jim Ross.

Ross provided the play-by-play for many of the top wrestling patches of the past 30 years. The Oklahoma native is most closely associated as the voice of WWE through arguably the most popular time in its history, ?The Attitude Era,? which spanned the late 1990s into the early 2000s.

?I always had a passion for speaking in public,? said Ross, 63. ?I?ve been blessed to combine that with my love of wrestling for many years.?

Ross? rise to prominence in the wrestling world did not come without struggles. He was forced off the air several times through the years following bouts with Bell's Palsy, which causes partial facial paralysis. Still, Ross overcame that and was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2007.

Along with his accomplishments on the mic, Ross was also in charge of talent relations for WWE for many years, leading to the decision to sign such wrestlers as Stone Cold Steve Austin, Mick Foley, the Rock and John Cena.

Ross officially left the company in September 2013 after 20 years on the job. However, his voice has been far from silent in the months since that time.

Changing with the times

In fact, in many ways Ross has never been more active. First, there is his blog , where he offers his unfiltered thoughts on the wrestling business. In addition, there is his Ross Report podcast in which he interviews the biggest names in wrestling. Ross also has more than 1 million Twitter followers.

?There?s no topic we won?t address, as long as it?s handled respectfully,? Ross said. ?It?s a great way to stay engaged with the fans and I don?t have to be on the road 50 weeks a year to do that.?

It was the success of such endeavors that eventually led Ross to develop his one-man show: Ringside: An Evening with Jim Ross. His next show is slated for May 16 at Rams Head Live in Baltimore.

RELATED: Baltimore area events

Ross joins other wrestling personalities like Foley and Jake ?the Snake? Roberts as among those who have taken their show on the road. However, Ross said Foley and Roberts? shows are more like a standup comedy act, while his is a no holds barred Q&A with fans.

?No two shows are the same,? Ross said. ?Some want to hear about my time in Mid-South, while others want to know about ?The Attitude Era? in WWE while others want the inside scoop on WCW. It gives me a chance to go back and look at matches I called in each city and be ready for anything. These shows help fill a void and are a lot of fun.?

Charm City memories

Ross said he is excited about coming to Baltimore as he knows the wrestling fans are very knowledgeable. He also has fond memories meeting up with fans and wrestlers after events at Sabatino?s in Little Italy.

Ross added that some of the best ? and worst ? wrestling through the years took place in Charm City.

Among the highlights, Ross said, was in 1977 when Superstar Billy Graham ended Bruno Samartino?s long-reign as champion. Then, in 1989, WCW hosted the Great American Bash which featured such legends as Ric Flair, Terry Funk, Sting and the Great Muta.

On the flip side, Ross said the WWE?s 1994 King of the Ring event provided his career a boost. Ross said he had been recently let go and McMahon was serving as play-by-play commentator until taking a temporary leave to deal with federal steroid charges (in which he was eventually acquitted of).

Among those helping fill the void at the King of the Ring event was Baltimore Colts Hall of Famer Art Donovan . Ross said the broadcast went so poorly that McMahon called him not long after that and had him come back to work.

?I?m a huge football fan and loved Artie, especially when he was on David Letterman telling his classic stories,? Ross said. ?But it was apparent from the start he did not know wrestling. I can credit him indirectly with helping me get my job back.?

Ross said not being associated with any one organization has allowed him to gain a greater understanding of what is out there in the wrestling world today. This includes the expansion of independent organizations, like Maryland Championship Wrestling , which are where young wrestlers today are honing their craft hoping to reach the WWE one day.

?The independents won?t replace the old territories, which ran shows on a regular weekly basis,? Ross said. ?But, there are some really good independent promotions out there who teach people the business the right way.

?If you are young and looking for an early break and want to learn the ins and out of wrestling,