Nathan Jones was with WWE for barely over a year before he quit the company in December 2003, walking out on the promotion during a tour in Perth, Australia.
On a recent edition of his “Grilling JR” podcast, WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross discussed Jones’ shocking WWE exit and Vince McMahon’s reaction to the news.
You can check out some highlights from the podcast below:
On if he was surprised to hear Jones had walked out: “Well yeah. Nathan didn’t travel well. And Nathan sometimes had — his downfall was his people skills. His look, his facials, his body? Par excellance. Perfect big heel body that would eventually turn babyface, and he would been he would got over. He just didn’t like the travel. He didn’t understand the business as well as we would like for him to. I don’t know how much he invested in you know, learning customs. What’s accepted, what isn’t. But I was not totally shocked that he that he left. It just never — he never seemed comfortable, let’s put that way.
“But man, oh man. What a physical package he was. Golly! He was pretty amazing. So you never know, that’s one of the things I always wonder about. Could be another chapter for a book is, guys that you wonder, ‘How would this have worked out if things have been different?’ ”
On if WWE could have done anything different with Jones: “I don’t know what we could do to make Nathan comfortable in his surroundings. You got to be a good traveler, because you’re going to travel a lot. And for a seven foot guy, sometimes that’s really daunting.”
On McMahon’s reaction to Jones leaving: “I don’t think he blew a gasket. I think he was disappointed that it didn’t work out. Because we had high expectations and high hopes for Nathan. It just was not meant to be. And sometimes, no matter how good a manager you want to be or you try to be, sometimes there’s just nothing that you can do about it. You can’t change a guy’s basic personality. If you don’t like to travel, and you don’t want to be on the road, this is not the business for you. So I think that’s kind of where we we we left it, you know. Just, it was was not meant to be. But again, I often wondered how great Nathan could have been if things had been different. But we’ll never know.”
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Nathan Jones, a former WWE wrestler, made headlines when he abruptly quit the company in December 2003 during a tour in Perth, Australia. This unexpected departure left fans and industry insiders wondering about the reasons behind his decision and how Vince McMahon, the CEO of WWE, reacted to the news.
Jim Ross, a WWE Hall of Famer, shed some light on Jones’ departure and McMahon’s response during a recent episode of his podcast, “Grilling JR.” Ross discussed Jones’ struggles with traveling and his lack of understanding of the wrestling business.
According to Ross, Jones had difficulty adjusting to the demands of being a professional wrestler. While he possessed an impressive physical appearance and had the potential to become a popular heel (villain) character who could later transition into a fan-favorite babyface (hero) character, Jones struggled with the travel required in the industry. Ross mentioned that Jones lacked the necessary people skills and didn’t fully comprehend the customs and expectations of the wrestling world.
Despite Jones’ immense physical capabilities, Ross expressed that he wasn’t entirely surprised by his departure. Jones never seemed comfortable in his role, which ultimately affected his commitment to the company. Ross pondered how things might have turned out differently for Jones if he had been more at ease with the demands of the wrestling business.
When discussing McMahon’s reaction to Jones leaving, Ross stated that McMahon wasn’t furious but rather disappointed. The WWE had high hopes for Jones and anticipated his success in the company. However, it became evident that Jones’ personality and aversion to travel were not compatible with the wrestling industry. Ross emphasized that no matter how skilled a manager or promoter one may be, it is impossible to change someone’s fundamental nature. If a wrestler dislikes traveling and being on the road, they are unlikely to thrive in the business.
In conclusion, Nathan Jones’ departure from WWE in 2003 shocked many fans and insiders. His struggles with traveling and lack of understanding of the wrestling business ultimately led to his decision to quit. Despite his physical prowess, Jones never felt comfortable in his role, and this affected his commitment to the company. Vince McMahon was disappointed but understood that some aspects of a person’s personality cannot be altered. Jones’ departure remains a topic of speculation, leaving fans wondering what could have been if circumstances had been different.
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