Jim Ross is taking time off from AEW, but why? The man many fans consider the great wrestling announcer of all time recently informed his fans that he's taking time off from AEW. Ross revealed on his Grilling J.R. podcast that:

"I'm gonna take some time off starting this week. I’m not going to be at Collision this week. My doctor believes that if I take a couple or a few weeks off, I'm not sure how many, we'll see, it's got to heal, that being off the airplane for a few weeks would be good for my leg to heal. So that's what I'm gonna do. I'm gonna take a few weeks off.”

Good 'Ol J.R. explained that although he's cancer free, his leg is still healing from the radiation treatment he received to treat the cancer. It has not healed completely which means he has to see a wound doctor regularly. The process of treating the wound is painful to say the least:

“Every Tuesday I go to the doctor, wound doctor, and he scrapes my wound. He gets rid of all the dead tissue, which is not a fun thing."

At 71, Ross has given his all to his profession and certainly deserves time off to recover. If a short sabbatical can allow his body to heal, why shouldn't he take the time off? Although some fans criticize Ross for making occasional on-air flubs, he still brings more to the table than nearly any announcer working today. In the meantime, AEW has the right talent in place to pick up the slack while Jim Ross focuses on his recovery.

However, Ross sounds optimistic that he'll be back soon:

“So I want to take some time off to get my leg to heal. Folks have been following me, goddang, I've been suffering with this sh*t for almost two years. How much good barbecue can a country boy eat? So somewhere along the way, man, I gotta turn the corner and get better. I'm not in a great deal of pain except when I get to the city I’m flying to. My leg swells up like a cantaloupe and it hurts like hell. So I want to try to not travel, see how that affects me, and go from there. So I'll be missing for a couple of weeks. I'll keep everybody posted here. You'll find out first right here. I appreciate everybody's concern.”

Jim Ross may be looking to get himself ready for travel in 2024. J.R. has a new book coming out in 2024 (Business Is About to Pick Up!: 50 Years of Wrestling in 50 Unforgettable Calls) and a book tour can't be ruled out. Ross has also floated the idea of a short tour with longtime friend and broadcast partner Jerry "The King" Lawler; the idea being for the two to hit the convention circuit and provide autographs.

WrestleLamia sends its best to Jim Ross as he takes time off and wishes him a fast and full recovery.

Photo Credit: AEW