Jim Ross On Talent Refusing To Take The Loss To Build Storylines: “F*ck The Talent”

WWE’s acquisition of WCW and the subsequent Invasion angle is seldom remembered with fondness. Multiple people have credited creative missteps and lack of star power from the WCW side as primary reasons for the angle’s failure.

Jim Ross revisited the infamous storyline on his Grilling JR podcast and gave his two cents on why the program didn’t succeed in making a significant impact. Ross said that Superstars that were brought into the WWE from WCW had no momentum or a significant track record.

They had no momentum, nobody was on a big winning streak, there were no major wins. Overall, the guys playing the role of guys in WCW who were actually under contract to WWE, they had no momentum.

Ross compared the situation in WCW to the current state of wrestling. He said that promoters cater a lot to talent to keep them “happy” by awarding them wins.

The WWE Hall of Famer said “f*ck the talent” and that if a talent didn’t want to take the loss to build a certain story then they need to grow up.

I see that a lot in wrestling today. This guy wins and then this guy wins. I often hear, ‘We want to keep the talent happy.’ Well here’s what I say: F*** the talent. How’s that? That’ll make a headline.

You have to do what’s best for the overall story and the company that’s paying the tab. If the talent can’t understand that concept, then and only then would I say ‘f*** the talent’. Grow up, you’re playing a fictional character. You’re cast this way.

Throughout the years, many Superstars have straight-out refused to take a loss in a match because it doesn’t align with their personal interests or hurts their reputation. A one dimensional approach like that has hurt many story lines throughout WWE’s history and perhaps, it will continue to do so.

Thank you to Wrestling Inc for the quotes.