During a recent episode of Grilling JR, Jim Ross recalled being denied a time off request in 1993 despite never having asked for time off prior. Here’s what he had to say:
I had been with the company since 1993 and I had never taken a day off. I had never filled out a vacation form. On that night, my Sooners played Boise State in the Fiesta Bowl, and I really wanted to go to the game. I got turned down. Vince said we need you, we got to have you call this match. It’s important.
Here’s a guy on a temporary week-to-week type deal, and I’m getting all these messages. I wasn’t pissed off at the contract, I was pissed off that I wasn’t granted a day off. You got your golden boy Todd Grisham who’s going to take my place – stick his ass in there.
Was it the fact that ‘we could piss his ass off because I’m not going to let him go to the bowl game’? I think there’s a plausible reason for that. Do I definitely know? Hell no. That’s me and my ego talking, but how much would it have hurt for me to miss a RAW? I hadn’t missed any except when I was sick.
I just felt like it was unreasonable. Vince knew my passion for Oklahoma. I just think that was another way of getting at my goat and seeing how I’d react. I had to be there to call the big K-Fed vs. John Cena match. It wasn’t like calling The Rock and Stone Cold, let me tell you that.
You can listen HERE.
Credit: Grilling JR. H/T WrestlingInc.