WWE News: A Quiet Revolution for Jim Ross to Call WrestleMania XXVIII Has Begun

WrestleMania season is synonymous with a lot of names.  Names which, if they are available to be utilized by the WWE, are pretty much guaranteed to surface as possible participants in the WWE's biggest pay-per-view of the year. 

This was the case with Hulk Hogan—who headlined nine consecutive WrestleManias before leaving the WWE for a fledgling movie career as well as a rival company—during WrestleMania XXV season where doubt loomed as to what legend was finally going to step up to face Chris Jericho. 

This is always the case with Vince McMahon, as he almost always seems to magically appear for at least a cameo appearance on the WrestleMania card if not a match. 

One name synonymous with WrestleMania that is not as sexy or provocative, at least to the higher ups, is Jim Ross. 

At WrestleMania XXVI, Ross' streak of calling at least one match at 13 straight WrestleManias was snapped violently as he did not even appear on television at the event, despite being available to be used.  The new, more ominous, streak of Ross not appearing at WrestleMania fortunately did not have a chance to develop as Ross found his way back to the booth to call the bulk of WrestleMania XXVII. 

With Michael Cole's commentary only continuing to deteriorate as the myth that is Vince McMahon's alleged "genius" (he loves Michael Cole almost as much as he loved the idea to launch the XFL) follows suit, it seems more and more unfitting that quite possibly the biggest WrestleMania of all time seems to be on pace to be narrated by an announce team with the cohesive equivalence to a practice squad. 

The whispers of Michael Cole's adverse effect on WWE's product are now starting to grow as loud and pronounced as the lousy pay-per-view buyrates and sinking ratings.

Now, even those outside of the insulated WWE bubble are starting to chirp about Cole's ineptitude.  According to a report by popular wrestling tabloid the Wrestling Observer Newsletter:

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"A WWE employee texted a UFC employee during Saturday’s show on FOX to say their production is terrible. The WWE employee received a text back reading, 'At least we don’t have an imbecilic lead announcer ruining our show.'"

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CM Punk, who is a strong candidate to have been on the "WWE" side of that exchange given his passion for MMA and camaraderie with MMA stars like Chael Sonnen, has even gotten in on the fun, simply tweeting: 

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"I want @JRsBBQ to call wrestlemania."

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It's no secret that Jim Ross would like nothing more than to call WrestleMania, as his desire is just as strong as the presumed need to have such a big-match voice at the helm to guide viewers through an symphony of sports entertainment. 

Ross himself has not shied away from inquiries as to what his status will be come WrestleMania, aggressively answering questions with the apparent hope that a certain, detrimentally stubborn chairman with a bullying fetish will take notice and play nice.

It was noted in a recent piece that Ross had pessimistically responded to fan questions as to whether the Rock would lobby the hall of famer to call his match with John Cena.  During a recent blog post, Ross took a less damning, yet more ambiguous, tone regarding the possibility of a WrestleMania return, saying:

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"Been asked dozens of times if I’m broadcasting at WrestleMania 28. The honest answer is that I don’t know. I don’t find it newsworthy that I ‘want’ to broadcast WrestleMania because anyone in WWE who does any job in connection with the event and who doesn’t want to be a part of WrestleMania should be future endeavored. That would be the equivalent of a NFL player NOT wanting to play in the Super Bowl. WrestleMania remains very special to me and I will be in Miami for WrestleMania week and will enjoy every minute of the experience no matter what I do."

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Common logic dictates that Jim Ross calling the biggest WrestleMania of all time would be best for business, and could add yet another selling point to an event that is expected to break the all-time box office record. 

Jim Ross calling WrestleMania would undoubtedly be best for business.  No other sport is as disrespectful to its most talented living announcer, as Al Michaels would never be asked to sit at home while Dennis Miller calls Sunday night football and so on. 

Unfortunately, an increasingly senile Vince McMahon doing what's best for business is nowhere near as much of a sure thing as it once was. 

Those encouraged by the ongoing revolution's increasing momentum, shouldn't be.  Leading up to WrestleMania XXVI, there were a handful of top stars who lobbied to have Ross call the card, only to ultimately be denied by the only fan Michael Cole has, and will ever need in Vince McMahon.

There's no telling whether a change of heart will eventually see Jim Ross doing what he does best come April 1st, but for now fans best temper their expectation for three hours of unnecessary burials of up-and-coming talent, petty arguments and comments, the detrimental extenuation of miscues, and of course, Jim Ross...jokes.   

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