It is becoming more common to see veteran wrestlers transition into commentary roles. This could be because of injury, retirement due to age but albeit the reason, the roles are sometimes reversed and the commentator takes on an in-ring role. This necessarily does not include names like Jerry Lawler and Tazz.
RELATED: 9 Things About Jim Ross' Career That Made No Sense
For announcers like "Good ol' JR" Jim Ross who took to career roles outside of the ring, occasions did come up in storylines that called on Ross to be part of some WWE televised Slobberknockers!
9 Jim Ross & John Cena vs. Michael Cole & Alberto Del Rio
JR's "retirement" match was uniquely on international grounds. The final match Ross wrestled (to date) was on the October 17, 2011, Raw from Mexico City, teaming with John Cena in the main event to take on Jim's commentary adversary Michael Cole and Cena's new rival and WWE Champion, Mexico's own Alberto Del Rio.
Earlier in the night, Raw's new General Manager John Laurinaitis booked the match attempting to end the feud between Ross and Cole who started off the match. The two tagged in their partners who wrestled most of the match. Del Rio would tag Cole in leading to a Cena squashing. Cena hit an AA on Michael, tagged in JR leading to an ankle lock on Cole for the submission victory.
8 Jim Ross & Jerry "The King" Lawler vs. Michael Cole & Jack Swagger
Coming a month after Michael Cole's controversial win over Jerry "The King" Lawler at WrestleMania 27, Lawler would team with JR for what would be the third and final time; this would also be Ross' last tag match. The two faced off against Michael Cole and Cole's enforcer Jack Swagger in the 2nd ever (and last to date) Country Whipping match at Extreme Rules 2011.
The fight was mostly a handicap match with Swagger and Cole getting the better of Lawler. Jerry would eventually make the tag to Ross who got a bit of offense, including an ankle lock and low blow with the whip on Swagger. Cole would sneak up from behind and roll up Ross for the pinfall.
7 Jim Ross vs. Michael Cole
WWE kicked off the Ross vs. Cole "trilogy" on the April 25, 2011, Raw; the aforementioned Country Whipping tag team match took place 6 days later. This was also the night of the 2011 WWE Draft and was also JR's first match in 6 years. The Cole match was pure cheap heat with Michael mocking Ross' weight and taking his cowboy hat to demoralize the Oklahoman.
RELATED: 10 Funniest Jim Ross Quotes Ever
Ross eventually got his hands on Cole, tossing him around and getting a few strikes in. Michael's enforcer Jack Swagger would make his way into the ring after attacking Jerry Lawler at ringside who was supporting JR. Swagger attacked JR to cause disqualify Cole, giving JR the win and an unfortunate beatdown and lashing days before their PPV tag team match.
6 Jim Ross vs. Triple H
Booked as the main event for the April 18, 2005, Raw from Madison Square Garden in New York City, Jim Ross was going to go into battle against "The Game" Triple H. This came about on the prior week with JR interviewing Batista who had dethroned Triple H as World Heavyweight Champion weeks prior at WrestleMania 21. Triple H announced that he was going to fight Ross the following week to seemingly get back at Batista.
To open the door for shenanigans, the match was also a No Disqualification contest. The match was mostly a slow beating of Ross which eventually fired up Jerry Lawler to get involved, drawing the attention of Triple H's manager Ric Flair; this all earned Lawler a Pedigree from Triple H. Batista would appear backstage and stormed down to the ring to save JR. After a chair shot to the head of Helmsley, Batista pulled JR on top of Hunter to give Jim the pinfall victory.
5 Jim Ross & Jerry "The King" Lawler vs. "The Coach" Jonathan Coachman & Al Snow
A change of face took place in the summer of 2003 for Raw announcer Jonathan Coachman. "The Coach" became a heel personality fueled by co-General Manager Eric Bischoff. Coach, who was also part of the broadcast team for Raw's supplemental show Sunday Night Heat targeted Raw's broadcast team of JR and Jerry "The King" Lawler. Al Snow, also on Heat's broadcast team, would join in Coach's crusade against Ross and Lawler.
RELATED: 10 Worst Things Vince McMahon Ever Did To Jim Ross, Ranked
The battle between the two teams took place at Unforgiven 2003 in a tag team match where the winners became or stayed Raw's broadcast team; the match had no commentary and was also Ross' first match on PPV. King wrestled most of the bout but would tag JR in who would get Coach down on the mat in the mounted position. With JR's back turned, Chris Jericho ran down to the ring and dropkicked JR. Coach would then get the pinfall on Ross to end his and King's tenure on Raw.
4 Jim Ross vs. "The Coach" Jonathan Coachman
The next night on Raw after Unforgiven 2003, co-General Manager "Stone Cold" Steve Austin booked a match for the following week between JR and Jonathan Coachman where JR would get his and Jerry Lawler's Raw announcer positions back with a victory. To start off the September 29 Raw, co-General Manager Eric Bischoff allowed Coach to pick the match's stipulation. He decided on a (first ever) Country Whipping match because he'd thought about whipping JR.
Ross got the advantage early with the leather strap but would end up taking some lashes himself. A low blow would stop Coach's offense, allowing JR to get in a few more whips. Bischoff would attempt to interfere but Ross threw a few strap whips to fend off Eric. The finale came when JR delivered a stunner to Coach before getting the pin, putting him and Lawler back behind the Raw announcers' table.
3 Jim Ross vs. Eric Bischoff
JR's first-ever singles match came on the February 17, 2003, Raw. 6 days later was No Way Out where Bischoff fought and lost to the returning "Stone Cold" Steve Austin; this would be Austin's first appearance in WWE since his infamous company walkout in June 2002. To promote himself up for the fight, on that Raw Bischoff announced that that night he would fight Steve Austin's best friend Jim Ross.
Before the match, Bischoff made the contest No Holds Barred which immediately opened the door for his enforcer Chief Morley to attack JR. Morley set up a cinderblock beside Ross' head which Bischoff kicked in, bloodying Jim. Jerry Lawler ran down to the ring to try to save JR but was unsuccessful. A final strike to the mid-section from Bischoff immobilized JR, leading to a pinfall victory for Eric en route to No Way Out.
2 Jim Ross & Jerry "The King" Lawler vs. Lance Storm & William Regal
Homecoming took place on the December 23, 2002, Raw for Jim Ross as the event took place from Oklahoma City. A clip was shown during the show of JR joining the Vince McMahon Kiss My Ass club the prior year which angered Ross. General Manager Eric Bischoff addressed the reasonable complaint by booking Ross in the night's main event in a tag match with Jerry "The King" Lawler against Lance Storm and William Regal. If Ross and King chose not to fight, they would both lose their jobs. This was the first time ever that Ross and Lawler teamed.
JR would get quite the "Boomer Sooner" entrance as he was played down to the ring by the Oklahoma University band. Lawler wrestled most of the match but would be laid out from a low blow by William Regal; JR then tagged himself in. Storm saved William from getting punched by Ross with Regal's brass knuckles but a run-in by The Dudley Boyz took out Storm with a 3D. JR regained the brass knuckles and socked Regal in the head to get the pinfall victory for him and King, earning a great crowd reaction and another OU band performance to close the show.
1 Jim Ross & "Stone Cold" Steve Austin vs. Triple H & Chyna
JR's first-ever professional wrestling match was on the October 11, 1999, Raw where he teamed with "Stone Cold" Steve Austin in the night's co-main event in a tag match against Chyna and the WWE Champion Triple H. The match came earlier in the show where Ross would attack Triple H with Steve Austin before Chyna evened the odds for "The Game;" Helmsley then proposed the bout. With Triple H and Chyna in the ring, JR was first to make his entrance. With his back turned, Triple H attacked Ross from behind to get the early advantage.
Steve Austin then stormed his way out to start an arena-wide brawl with Triple H that took them backstage. Chyna and Ross were left in the ring and Chyna would throw a barrage of strikes and kicks leading to a Pedigree on JR. Jeff Jarrett, who was facing Chyna days later at No Mercy, ran down and hit Chyna in the head with a toaster. Jarrett then placed Chyna in a laundry bin and wheeled her out of the arena. Austin and Triple H, who also were set for battle at No Mercy for the WWE Championship, continued their brawl back in the arena. Austin laid out Hunter on a beer stand to end the madness. With all hell having broken loose, the match was ruled a no-contest.
