Bruce Prichard, the longtime WWE executive, recently discussed Jim Ross’ reaction to being moved from Raw to Smackdown in the 2008 Draft on his podcast, Something To Wrestle With. Prichard revealed that they intentionally kept the draft picks a secret to capture genuine reactions from the talent.
According to Prichard, Jim Ross was not pleased with the move and expressed his disappointment backstage. Prichard stated, “We didn’t tell anybody [who was being drafted] and wanted a genuine reaction, which we got. [JR was like] ‘I ain’t happy about this by God. I’m gonna talk to somebody later on.’ So JR was none too happy.”
Prichard emphasized that the purpose of the move was to shake things up and bring a different energy to the shows. Changing the lead play-by-play and commentators was one way to achieve that. Ross, who saw himself as the foundation of Raw, was disappointed to be taken away from the show he had been a part of for so long.
Prichard believes that if Ross had known about the move beforehand, his reaction would not have been as authentic. The element of surprise added to the genuine emotion captured on air.
This backstage insight into Jim Ross’ reaction to the 2008 Draft gives fans a glimpse into the behind-the-scenes dynamics of WWE at that time.
For more details on Bruce Prichard’s discussion about Jim Ross’ reaction, you can listen to the full podcast episode on Something To Wrestle With.
Source: Wrestling Inc
Bruce Prichard Recalls Jim Ross’ Backstage Reaction To Move To WWE SmackDown In 2008
This post originally appeared on Wrestling Headlines.