Recently, on his “Grilling JR” podcast, Jim Ross expressed his thoughts about Bobby Lashley’s potential prospects in AEW after his triumph against Swerve Strickland in the Full Gear 2024 event.
Below are some notable elements from the podcast:
Ross’s expectations from Bobby Lashley in AEW post Full Gear: “He’ll now evolve. That was something I communicated to him directly. I was the one to hire Bobby, he’s my guy. I let him know that his current progress though good is not quite there, and I think he concurs. His aim is to participate in exceptional in-ring matches, and being naturally athletic and competitive aids in achieving this. The cadre I belonged to in the past always sought this in wrestlers. They appreciate athletes because of their resilience, their bounce-back ability after injuries and their competitivity. Having the worst match is not an option, everyone aspires to make their match the best. If not, they might as well leave.”
“The match was commendable, very physical, something many wrestlers wouldn’t dare to venture into. Swerve has always been such a hard hitter, and that’s why he has my respect.”
His views on Darby Allin’s car crash scene for the Full Gear storyline: “I must commend the car crash sequence, it was quite an unexpected twist, especially knowing that AEW and other wrestling companies typically don’t explore these dynamics. Moxley retaining his lead just by a narrow margin, cheating like any standard antagonist. The cameo appearances by all the players were a nice touch.”
Ross on Marina Shafir: “ I can’t help but laud Marina Shafir. She contributes a distinct aspect that I am not exactly sure how to define, but it completes the ensemble. I reckon her inclusion has been quite significant to the progress.”