Ross Report

[Stephanie McMahon's sidekick!]

25th October

Ross Report: Kurt Angle Injured, Scott Steiner Update, & More

The following are news highlights from this week's Ross Report re-written by Paul Nemer:

Jim Ross starts off by saying that he's happy to announce the signing of Scott Steiner. Steiner signed to a long-term contract. Ross says that the negotiations began on October 17 and Steiner officially signed on October 22nd. It is still unknown if Steiner will be used on RAW or Smackdown.

The WWE house show event in Helsinki Finland drew about 10,000 fans, which was a near sellout.

The main event for tomorrow night's WWE Rebellion PPV will be Brock Lesnar vs Edge.

The WWE injury list is decreasing. By the end of this year they should have the following wrestlers back in the ring: Jazz, Sean O'Haire, Mark Henry, Kanyon, Maven and Rhyno.

Kurt Angle is having back problems, but is still able to work. The WWE plans to give him a few house shows off in early November.

Bubba Ray and Kanyon have both been cleared to wrestle.

Billy Gunn will be going back to see Dr. Andrews in early November. He still hasn't got all feelings back in his arm and fingers.

Maven will be released next Wednesday from doctor's care and will be heading to Ohio Valley Wrestling.

Pat Patterson's shoulder injury should heal in about five weeks.

Ross plugs Bobby Heenan's book.

[Stephanie McMahon's sidekick!]

Ross Report -- Nov. 1, 2002

Former WWE Superstar Brian Blair, formerly of the Killer Bees tag team with Jim Brunzell, is running for county commissioner in the Tampa, Fla., area. Brian has always been a very bright, hard-working guy, and I've known him over 20 years. I hope he does well in the election and that the good folks down in the Bay Area exercise their right to vote this Tuesday. I hope Brian is successful in his bid for political office.

Kurt Angle has some torn cartilage in his left knee that will need to be 'scoped at some point in the future. An MRI this week revealed the tear, but also indicated that he is OK to continue to compete for now. We will obviously watch Kurt closely and will schedule his surgery when it works best for all involved. Healing time for this procedure is approximately two weeks.

Mark Jindrak dislocated his ankle in practice Wednesday in Louisville and will be out of action for six to eight weeks. This is a tough break for this athletic young talent who was showing improvement over the last several weeks. Mark's house-show matches have been a very bright spot for us recently. Mark has overcome injuries before and will again, as we expect great things from him in the future.

Lance Storm got his "bell rung" Monday night on RAW when he was kicked in the face, but has no aftereffects, according to our trainers.

Kanyon has started his rehab project in OVW. It will be good to see him back in a few weeks.

Sean O'Haire returns to the ring this weekend at RAW house shows. Sean is still a little sore but has been cleared to return to work, and he will be closely monitored.

Billy Gunn returns to Dr. Jim Andrews' office next week for more evaluation and testing for his shoulder/neck problems.

Jazz has started working out in practice sessions in OVW and is expected to be back in WWE rings in December from ACL surgery.

Rhyno will spend most of November and December in Louisville rehabbing from his neck surgery. Rhyno is scheduled to be released from doctor's care sometime in December. He was at the TV tapings this week in Michigan and looked excellent. If Rhyno's verbal skills develop like his physical skills have, this young man has the potential to be a real player in this company. I like his chances.

Maven is about a week or two away from returning to the ring from his ankle injury.

[Stephanie McMahon's sidekick!]

Ross Report -- Nov. 1, 2002 (page 2)

Rey Mysterio is going to need to get one of his knees 'scoped, probably sometime in December. Again, recovery time for this particular procedure is approximately two weeks and no more than four weeks.

All other injured talents are progressing on schedule, according to our medical staff.

By the end of the year or early January, it looks as if we will have Jazz, Kanyon, Rhyno, Maven, Mark Jindrak and Mark Henry ready to get back on RAW or SmackDown!

The WWE Anthology CD is an awesome piece of business. It will be on sale Nov. 12.

The Rock is back in Los Angeles continuing production for "Helldorado." This film is scheduled to wrap at the end of January, but those things never seem to end on schedule. I hope he is ready to go for WrestleMania in Seattle on March 30, 2003.

You may have the answer, but I'm not 100 percent sure that Brock Lesnar can actually F5 the Big Show. Time will tell, but it will not be easy nonetheless.

We did some great business on the Rebellion tour, and for that we are thankful. This tour came off without a hitch, which is a credit to the talent and staff, not to mention the overwhelming support of our WWE fans who made it very easy for the talent to work in front of. I hope our SmackDown! guys are getting some rest this week, because they need it after the travel they just did.

I really enjoyed the Matt Hardy-Tajiri match on SmackDown! Both these guys are players in my view. Tajiri never fails to deliver, and Matt is beginning to come in to his own with his new "Mattitude." Tajiri will probably be a part of the RAW South Korea/Japan live-event tour in January, as he will be there for his baby's birth.

John Cena impressed many folks with his verbal skills on Thursday's SmackDown! I personally think Cena has the potential to be one helluva antagonist in the future. Great athlete with a good attitude who simply needs to continue to learn from Fit Finlay, and he will.

Happy birthday to my lovely wife Jan, who is STILL much younger than her very lucky husband!

Take care and count your blessings. And don't believe the 12-point spread with the Sooners and the Buffaloes. This one is going to be a Slobber-Knocker, take it from me. ABC has the game Saturday afternoon, so you know where I will be: in my La-Z-Boy with my stomach tied up in knots. Must be a guy thing. Don't forget to check us out Monday night from Boston for live RAW. We will do our best to entertain you ... guaranteed!

[Stephanie McMahon's sidekick!]

Ross Report: Survivor Series, Rhyno's Return, New WWE Talent
November 09, 2002

The following highlights come from Jim Ross' latest 'Ross Report':

Ross liked RAW and Smackdown for the week, with the exception of the Al Wilson/Dawn Marie bit on Smackdown.

More Survivor Series matches are to be announced this week.

Goldust will miss all house shows this weekend due to having the flu.

He confirmed the following names for the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade float: Triple H, Hurricane, Victoria, Jerry "The King" Lawler, Sgt. Slaughter, Coach, Mr. McMahon and himself.

He put over Nathan Jones, but did not confirm any story that Jones signed with WWE.

Mark Henry had his ankle scoped by Dr. Jim Andrews.

Both Jazz and Rhyno are about a month away from returning.

Jerry Lawler's book comes out in December.

[Stephanie McMahon's sidekick!]

15th November

Ross Report: HBK Injured, Lesnar Taking Time Off, & More

The following are re-written news highlights from this week's Ross Report:

Jim Ross started off by apologizing for his remarks made regarding Veteran's Day on this week's RAW. He claimed he was told in his headset to make the remark, and didn't use good judgement to ignore it knowing it was Rememberance Day in other countries.

Survivor Series this Sunday will mark the 137th event WWE has had in Madison Square Garden since 1985. The WWE World title has changed hands in the Garden 10 times since 1963, with the last title change at the Garden being Sid defeating HBK at Survivor Series in 1996. From 1994 to 1999, the WWE World title has changed hands at Survivor Series six years in a row.

JR puts over the unorthodox Elimination Chamber structure echo'ing the features pointed out in the vignette aired on RAW and SmackDown! this week. He also made sure to mention that in Triple H's entire career in WWE, he has never won at a match at a Survivor Series pay-per view.

Ross comments on Brock Lesnar wrestling this Sunday against Big Show despite cracking his rib last Saturday. He put over the toughness of amateur wrestlers and said that most amateurs are simply stronger than most guys who enter the professional wrestling industry.

"Production kill" seats for Survivor Series were recently released and are available at Ticketmaster.com. You can also get "production kill" seats at the Madison Square Garden Box Office.

JR claims Michael Cole and Tazz took shots at him for Ohio State being ranked #1 in the BCS, not his Oklahoma Sooners who used to be. JR took a stab back at Tazz and Cole by saying they aren't Ohio State fans as it is, and their teams, Nebraska (Tazz) and Syracuse (Michael Cole) aren't doing particularly well this year.

Kurt Angle and his wife, Karen, are expecting their first child, a girl, sometime before Thanksgiving.

WWE has verbally agreed to contractual terms with Australian Nathan Jones. JR mentioned unless something out-of-the-ordinary happens, Jones will start with WWE in December.

Gail Kim, a female wrestler, will be starting with WWE in early December. She is physically ready to go, but is waiting for WWE to bail her out of her visa issues.

JR said he's still waiting to see who RAW will get as part of the trade for Big Show, pretty much pointing out that the storyline is still up in the air and that Ivory wasn't the only party involved in the trade.

[Stephanie McMahon's sidekick!]

(continued)

Scott Steiner's sit-down interview will air this coming Saturday on Confidential. JR put over the mystery still going on as to which brand Steiner will end up on.

The WWE special, Super Tuesday, featuring matches from both RAW and SmackDown! on the same show, will be re-broadcasted at 9:00PM on TNN. With that show airing, followed by Velocity and Confidential, WWE is looking at a three-hour block of television the night before Survivor Series.

Christopher Nowinski will be featured in an ESPN College Gameday segment on Saturday before 12:00PM. Ric Flair, Jerry Lawler, Jim Ross, among others, were interviewed in Cincinnati on Monday.

No decision has been made as to whether or not Ernest "The Cat" Miller will be offered a deal by WWE. JR was impressed with Miller's tryout, and claims a decision will be made after the first of the year. He also mentioned that if Miller gets a spot on the roster, it will be because of his ability, not because of who he knows (Eric Bischoff).

Chris Kanyon will likely be back on the main WWE roster in early 2003.

Several wrestlers from Ohio Valley Wrestling will be getting the opportunity to be part of either RAW or SmackDown! pretty soon. JR said many are ready to go and contribute immediately.

JR put over the craziness of the third season of Tough Enough. He said many male talents from the show have a good chance of making it in the WWE developmental system, but he isn't so sure about the females from this year's show.

Brock Lesnar will be working Sunday's pay-per view with a broken rib. Depending on what happens during the match, he will probably take off time to heal from the injury.

Ivory needed several stitches in her top lip this past Monday, as we reported earlier in the week.

Big Show did not break his arm on SmackDown! as many speculated. He did however, cut his arm when he was thrown into the steel steps by Lesnar. X-rays came back negative for a bone fracture.

Shawn Michaels has been experiencing problems with his right knee lately. Michaels was examined by Dr. Jim Andrews this past Tuesday who determined it was an old injury. HBK was given specific exercises to strengthen the knee. He will be working Sunday's PPV despite the injury.

Big Boss Man tore his rotator cuff in Ohio Valley Wrestling injury. The WWE veteran had surgery this past Thursday to repair the damage.

Rey Mysterio is scheduled for knee surgery on December 5th in Birmingham, Alabama. Mysterio has been working with the injury for a very long time now, and JR hopes the knees don't get injured worse between now and his scheduled surgery.

Mark Henry had his ankle scoped last week and it was a successful precedure. Henry will be out of action for approximately four to six weeks to rehab the injury before returning to the main roster.

Billy Gunn is still suffering from mild numbness in his hand. Gunn is said to have regained some strength in his shoulder. Dr. Jim Andrews will examine Gunn's injury progress again in early December.

Both Tommy Dreamer and Justin Credible are fine after a pretty ugly clash of heads this past Monday.

[Stephanie McMahon's sidekick!]

Ross Report: Lesnar's Status, Angle Surgery, RVD vs. HBK, more
November 22, 2002

The following are re-written news highlights from this week's Ross Report:

JR starts with acknowledging how Survivor Series was a solid pay-per-view event, as well as putting over how the elimination chamber did deliver. Ross also commends Triple H on how he made it through the entire match when he was pretty badly injured.

Puts over Lesnar's face turn, and also says he will be worked less over the next few weeks so his broken rib can have more time to recover.

Ross puts over Edge's main-event talent; RVD's match with Shawn Michaels', Booker T's possible main-event run, the re-united Dudley Boyz and finally, the addition of Valbowski to RAW.

The tag-team champions of both RAW and SmackDown: Jericho/Christian and Los Guerreros are both praised.

Kurt Angle is expected to be having his knee scoped in December.

In a pretty funny comment, JR compares Michael Jackson's recent antics to that of the infamous "pet coon".

Ross mentions that the WWE have nearly finalized terms with Australian Nathan Jones.

[Stephanie McMahon's sidekick!]

Ross Report -- Nov. 27, 2002

Scott Steiner, although still a free agent, will be wrestling on SmackDown! live events on Dec. 7 in Hamilton, Ontario; Dec. 8 at Nassau Coliseum; and Dec. 14 in Jacksonville, Fla. Scott will be competing on RAW live events in early January.

My congrats to the Undertaker and wife, Sara, along with Kurt Angle and his wife, Karen, for the birth of their daughters over the past few days. I know both men will make great fathers for their little girls, and I only hope the young ladies look like their mamas.

"Big" Internet news last week about me inadvertently being in a backstage shot on SmackDown! I asked about it long before it was shot and was told to not worry about it. I don't think anyone, including yours truly, felt like I was gonna be dead center in the shot, however. I did get a kick out of reading the report of the "incident" on the Internet and want to apologize to those WWE staffers who usually defend me to the Internet for putting you on the spot. This "headline" was about as ridiculous as some of my radio comments from Oklahoma City last Friday being taken out of context. Maybe we should all lighten up just a little.

I have finished most of the Hulk Hogan book and would certainly suggest it to any fan of the business. It is selling very well and, as I said last week, is a very easy, quick read. I know longtime fans who have followed Hulk's career will really enjoy the book, as well as younger fans who want to learn more about the business through the eyes of a man who has done more for our business than any wrestler I know. I was not totally sold on this book early after reading some of the first drafts, but I have to admit the finished product is a fun and enjoyable read. Check it out at a bookstore near you.

My congratulations to Joanie Laurer, formerly known as Chyna, and Sean "X-Pac" Waltman for their recent engagement. Both talents certainly contributed to WWE over the years, and I hope they find the happiness they deserve.

I like the addition of Sean Morley to RAW General Manger Eric Bischoff's staff. Eric has done a tremendous job in his role as the controversial head of RAW and Morley, long underutilized in my view, will complement Bischoff very well. These two should be able to combine for some interesting TV in the future without either getting overexposed.

[Stephanie McMahon's sidekick!]

Ross Report -- Dec. 6, 2002

(1st Page)

Both Perry Saturn and the Godfather have been provided early releases from their WWE contracts to explore other options. Both talents are good men, and it would not surprise me one bit to see them back here competing again some day. We learn early on in this business to "never say never."
Hulk Hogan's autobiography hit No. 13 on The New York Times Bestseller List, and as I said here last week, it is an entertaining and quick and easy read. I hope you check it out, and I am sure you will enjoy this much-anticipated look at the Hulkster's career through his eyes. Hogan has been very aggressive with his book signings and has been traveling with his old friend and confidant Jimmy Hart at many of these appearances.

I have also read Jerry "the King" Lawler's book for a second time and thoroughly enjoyed it again. This one will be available in a few weeks from Simon & Schuster, and I am sure will be very successful. You are going to hear about things from Lawler that will really shock some, as virtually nothing in his life has been deemed to be "off limits." Both Hogan and the King's books make great holiday gifts.

Rey Mysterio had successful knee surgery Thursday in Birmingham, Ala., by Dr. Jim Andrews. The 'scope procedure will keep Rey on the sidelines for about a month or so as he is expected back in January and will being doing his therapy in San Diego, his hometown. Rey has been a spark for WWE since signing with the company and joining SmackDown!

Tajiri has a severely sprained ankle and will be out of action for a couple of weeks. Tajiri will be a part of the RAW tour of South Korea and Japan in January, as he will be in Japan for the birth of his child and is not leaving the SmackDown! roster as best I know. Tickets for all three of these events are virtually sold out from what I understand.

Edge is having some challenging times with his injured knee and will not be wrestling this weekend or next at live events as a result of it. His injury will not require surgery at this time, but a little rest and a lot of rehab is what has been prescribed. Edge has really elevated his game and has made the most of the opportunities that have come his way. There is no doubt in my mind that this young Toronto native will continue to improve and will be a consistent main-event-level talent for many years to come.

Tommy Dreamer had to have some stitches in the bridge of his nose Monday night after RAW.

[Stephanie McMahon's sidekick!]

Ross Report -- Dec. 6, 2002

(part 2)

Brock Lesnar is working through a broken rib and a sore knee.

It looks as if Rhyno, Jazz and Mark Henry will all be medically cleared to return to work shortly and will, in all probability, start back soon after the first of the year, barring any setbacks. Mark Henry will be at The World in New York City's Times Square this Monday night to host RAW.

The Undertaker is feeling much better after some much-needed rest but is still bothered by his elbow that would be well served to be 'scoped to remove the loose bone chips that have been causing it to lock up. I am not sure when Taker will return to action, but I assume he will be geared up in time for the Royal Rumble in January.

Billy Gunn has demonstrated some improvement in his shoulder condition and has regained some feeling in his hand. His radial nerve, which affects the movement and feeling in his little finger, is still problematic. No timetable on when Billy will be able to return to work.

Bradshaw is scheduled to travel to Afghanistan later this month to visit our troops there. The big Texan has seemingly traveled more miles for WWE since becoming injured with a torn biceps than when he was healthy!

Randy Orton is due back in the ring around mid-February from shoulder surgery. I would suggest he will be uniquely received by our fans when he returns after hearing his "updates" from time to time on RAW.

Lita had a positive meeting with neck surgeon Dr. Lloyd Youngblood this week and seems to be on target to return to the ring in May 2003. Lita has stepped up her workouts somewhat but still has not been cleared to jog or obviously take any "bumps" as of yet.

All other injured WWE talents seem to be progressing very well, according to our medical staff. I can only imagine if we had everyone under contract healthy, and physically and mentally ready to contribute to both brands. I have to believe lots of problems would be solved if that were the case. It doesn't matter if it is the NFL or Broadway, talent is the key to making everything happen.

Looks like the Tough Enough 3 finals will be at The World on Thursday, Jan. 23, LIVE on MTV. I have my own thoughts on this group of talents, and I don't think it is going to be easy to pick a winner out of the remaining contestants. As I said early on, the male talents seem to be much stronger than their female counterparts this go around.

[Stephanie McMahon's sidekick!]

Ross Report -- Dec. 13, 2002

It is expected that Rhyno will be given a full release from his neck surgery around Jan. 7, and he will continue to spend time in OVW knocking off the ring rust and working on his conditioning until he is called back to TV. I am not sure which roster Rhyno will be a part of, but w h*ever gets him will be better for it.

Tajiri is not quite 100 percent from a severe ankle sprain but will be available for in-ring work if needed.

Edge has been unbooked from live events the last two weekends to allow his injured knee to improve. The rest and therapy have helped, and he will be close to 100 percent come Armageddon.

I saw injured Mark Jindrak this past week at TV, and even though the youngster is on crutches, he remains positive. Mark will be back to 100 percent in a few months from his ankle ligament injury. Before he was injured, Jindrak was making great strides, and we hope he picks up where he left off when he returns.

Eric Angle is experiencing more injury issues. This time it is his shoulder, which probably will need to be 'scoped in the next week or so

Nick Dinsmore, an Ohio Valley Wrestling competitor, should be able to return to the ring in early January, on schedule from his knee surgery.

We have several talents on the injured list, much to everyone's dismay, and we look forward, as they do, to them being healthy and ready to contribute once again to the product. I think the worst feeling a wrestler can have is to be physically unable to perform, but the good news is that we will be getting back some terrific talents over the next couple of months.

Scott Steiner will be wrestling on the SmackDown! event in Jacksonville, Fla., this Saturday night, even though he apparently declared for RAW on Thursday's SmackDown! Scott had already been scheduled for Jacksonville and will keep his obligation to those who purchase tickets to see him compete.

Charlie Haas and Shelton Benjamin have had some impressive outings in recent WWE events, and I look for these two young blue-chip prospects to contribute a great deal to the product sooner than later. These are two quality athletes with college degrees -- Charlie from Seton Hall and Shelton from Minnesota. I hope we can continue to attract this type of athlete in the future.

I am beginning to really enjoy the dynamic between Victoria and Steven Richards. Something tells me this pair has an excellent chance to get more than a cup of coffee's worth of exposure on RAW.

[Stephanie McMahon's sidekick!]

Ross Report: Austin/Rock Back In WWE By 2003, More
December 20, 2002

The following is this week's Ross Report from WWE.com:

Greetings from under the black Resistol hat while taking a break between media appearances in Tulsa (from 6 to 10 a.m. this morning) and in Oklahoma City (from 4 to 7 p.m. tonight), before Saturday's RAW taping at the new Ford Center in Oklahoma City.
Armageddon was a very solid show. I'm big on effort; I have a keen eye on the effort that the talent puts forth. I firmly believe that anybody who's successful is successful because they put out more effort than their competition and peers. Even though some matches had more developed stories -- and others had less TV time to build -- the one thing that everyone would probably agree with is that WWE Superstars put out effort from top to bottom Sunday at Armageddon. As a result, I felt like the show was very solid, and I believe that most people who watched it would have no problem saying they got their money's worth. That's extremely important to us -- that our fans get their investment back and, hopefully, much more.

Jerry "The King" Lawler's book came out this week, and I wholeheartedly encourage anyone who hasn't checked out to do so. It's one of the most entertaining books I've read from the wrestlers. For me personally, it's reminiscent of Mick Foley's first book, which I consider to be the benchmark. Our goal should be for all of our books to approach the entertaining nature of "Have a Nice Day!" I think the King's book is certainly a must-read for any wrestling fan, especially the hardcore fans and the fans who have been around a while. Fans who started watching wrestling in the 1970s and early 80s will really enjoy it. And for younger fans, it's as good of an opportunity to learn how the territories operated and why they were successful or not as anything that has ever been written.

I'm doing an appearance on a sports talk radio station in Oklahoma City today from 4 to 7 p.m., and I'm sure we're going to be talking about WWE and OU football. Then, of course, our show tomorrow night is at the new Ford Center. It's our first event at the facility, which just opened this past summer and is a beautiful building. Knowing the Oklahoma fans, they're looking forward to the show and will be really enthusiastic, which we certainly appreciate. It's absolutely inevitable that the hotter the crowd is, the better the show is. It just motivates the Superstars when there's a fair number of folks there who are making noise and having fun.

The atmosphere in Oklahoma City on Saturday night for RAW, as well as in Tulsa on Sunday night for the SmackDown! taping, will be good. I've had some unique personal experiences in Oklahoma City. That was were I ran afoul of Stone Cold Steve Austin almost two years ago, the day after WrestleMania X-Seven; and that's where I puckered up and kissed Mr. McMahon's behind. I have some memories of UWF, but I think they've been overshadowed by me getting beaten down by Stone Cold, and me joining the "I disagree Club." Based on past experiences, I always hold my breath about what kind of night I'm going to have when we broadcast from Oklahoma City. I'm anxious to go on the air tomorrow. I think our television shows are really going to end the year on a positive note.
And I'm really looking forward to the New Year. As Vince McMahon has said publicly, we expect to see the return of The Rock, and we certainly also hope to see the return of Stone Cold, in the early part of 2003. There certainly are no firm dates etched in stone. But it's our hope and belief that we'll have those two back with us at some point in the early part of next year. One would assume that if that were to occur, they'd be involved in the march to what we hope to be a hugely successful WrestleMania.

[Stephanie McMahon's sidekick!]

December 20, 2002

WrestleMania XIX is set for Sunday, March 30 at SAFECO Field, home of the Seattle Mariners. Tickets will go on sale to the general public on Saturday, Jan. 11, and will be available at the SAFECO Field Box Office and via Ticketmaster.

Also in the New Year, we're looking forward to our international tours, which start with South Korea and Japan in January, and South Africa in February.

In addition to all my other responsibilities this weekend, I'm also trying to squeeze in some time with my daughters for a little bit of an early Christmas, before heading back home to celebrate the holidays, watch a little college football and recharge my batteries.

Aside from that, I'm making plans for my wife and I go to go the Rose Bowl and spend a few days in Southern California that week, beginning Dec. 30. Hopefully my Sooners will come out victorious in the "Granddaddy of 'Em All" against a very, very good Washington State team, which comes into the game in a very unusual emotional state, as their coach, Mike Price, has accepted a job at Alabama. They're either going to be sky-high or not. My sense is they'll play very well. Bob Stoops' Sooners will be healthy, hopefully, on Jan. 1, and they have a great staff. When this staff has this much time to prepare for an opponent, they're pretty awesome.

I may have another abbreviated report next week, due to the fact that it's the holiday season and people are spending time with their families. I hope everyone has a good weekend and great Christmas.

[Stephanie McMahon's sidekick!]

Ross Report: Austin/Rock At WrestleMania, WWE Returns, more

The following are re-written highlights from Jim Ross' latest Ross Report:

- Puts over the entire RAW crew for the show taped last Saturday and mentions how exciting it was to be in the main event. He jokes that the Dudleys strained their backs trying to lift him on their shoulders.

- Ross also enjoyed SmackDown! and is interested in "Team Angle", feeling that Haas and Benjamin have paid their dues and deserve the chance to shine on TV.

- Bradshaw recently returned from visiting US troops in the Middle East.

- Jazz has been released from doctor's care and should be returning to the ring very soon.

- Ross does not think Angle can make an in-ring return before the Rumble, but it's not confirmed.

- Rey Mysterio, Rhyno, Tajiri, and Mark Henry should all be returning within the next several weeks. Randy Orton should return soon after those wrestlers.

- Kevin Nash is recovering well, but he is not expected to return until WrestleMania time.

- There is no word on Undertaker's return, but Jim Ross can't see WWE doing a Royal Rumble without him this year.

- Jerry Lawler's book is a great read in JR's mind, and is selling fairly well.

- Doug Basham and "Red Dog" are expected to be called up soon from OVW.

- Sean O'Haire is in great shape and should be frequently seen on WWE TV in 2003.

- Puts over John Cena, Matt Hardy, B-2, A-Train, and Bill DeMott.

- Puts over D-Lo Brown and Test. Attributes much of Test's recent success to Stacy and remarks, "I think you all agree he's a fortunate son of a gun, in more ways than one".

- Ross is enjoying the Kane/RVD team and hopes to see them get lots of TV time in 2003. He says that "there is no reason that I am aware of that should prevent them from getting TV time"; very obviously defending a specific member of WWE's roster.

- Enjoys Bobby Heenan's book.

- Looks forward to seeing The Rock and Steve Austin (states that neither is confirmed, however) return hopefully before WrestleMania. He feels that the company will see the return of a great deal of talent, and will make it the healthiest and best roster in WWE history.

[Stephanie McMahon's sidekick!]

I don't know if you are already aware but last weekend on wwe.com, Jim Ross announced that he will no longer be doing the weekly Ross report due to other commitments.

However, i will not delete this thread incase you want to look through it and see what really has happened to those wwe stars that we haven't seen for a while