Jim Ross turns down deal.
According to Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer, Jim Ross was offered a spot on WWE Backstage, which is WWE's upcoming studio show on Fox Sports 1. Ross reportedly turned down the offer.
As previously reported, Fox, not WWE, is in charge of producing and handling of WWE Backstage. Jim Ross currently serves as the announcer for All Elite Wrestling, a direct competitor against WWE.
Fox being in charge of the show has been evident in recent weeks as it was reported that CM Punk tested on-camera for the show. In a recent interview with Collider Live, Punk confirmed the report that he met with Fox and tested on-camera, but did not say if they reached an agreement.
When talking with Fox officials, Punk noted that he would call it as he saw it when discussing matters in WWE on the show.
"I prefaced [the meeting] by saying, 'I'm not gonna come in to dump all over on stuff just to dump on it. That's old Phil. But if it's bad, I'm not gonna pretend that it's anything but bad.' They want to present it like it's a real sport and just have a show that recaps stuff."
As of now, Renee Young and Booker T are the only two announced hosts for WWE Backstage. The show will premiere on Nov. 5 on Fox Sports 1.
