Legendary professional wrestling announcer Jim Ross is scheduled to undergo a second brain surgery.
Ross, 74, made the announcement in a social media post.
“Getting another brain surgery Wednesday morning to address an issue with my shunt,” Ross tweeted. Positive thoughts appreciated. Thanks."
Doctors performed a shunt procedure on Ross in August, according to Sports Illustrated. The operation involved drilling a small hole into his brain to drain fluid, the magazine reported.
Doctors were hoping the procedure would help Ross improve his memory and balance, two health issues that have become problematic over the past few months.
Getting another brain surgery Wednesday morning to address an issue with my shunt. Positive thoughts appreciated. Thanks
— Jim Ross (@JRsBBQ) October 6, 2026
On his “Grilling JR” podcast, Ross spoke about the shunt but also about another potential health issue.
“I saw a little spot of something on my kidney,” Ross said. “So we’re running a lot of tests. My shunts are bothering me in my brain,” Ross said. “So I’m going to get a scan tomorrow and get that back to my neurosurgeon so he can tell me what the hell’s wrong. It may just need to be adjusted, that’s my take on it.
“My oncologist is ... sending me to a specialist in Oklahoma City for a little place on my kidney, but they’re not sure if it’s cancerous or not. So it’s been a stressful week. It really has.”
Ross has recently been the announcer for All Elite Wrestling pay-per-view matches but became famous calling WWE bouts.
“JR” was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2007 and the NWA Hall of Fame in 2016.
Ross has had health issues before and has spoken about his battle with Bell’s Palsy. He was reportedly diagnosed with skin cancer in 2021.
Ross began calling pro wrestling matches with the Mid-South Wrestling promotion during the early 1980s. He then moved to World Championship Wrestling, a territory run at the time by the National Wrestling Alliance.
[ Pro wrestling announcer Jim Ross has successful brain surgery ]
According to his biography on the WWE website, Ross debuted in Vince McMahon Jr.’s promotion in 1993 at WrestleMania IX.
Ross was the voice of the WWE during WWE’s “Attitude Era” of the 1990s and 2000s, notably teaming with former wrestling star Jerry “The King” Lawler.
[ Pro wrestling announcer Jim Ross hospitalized for ‘shortness of the breath’ ]
He was also on the microphone at the May 23, 1999, pay-per-view event in Kansas City, Missouri, when Owen Hart suffered a fatal accident after the shackle on his harness released, sending him crashing from the ceiling to the canvas, the Calgary Herald reported.
Ross also worked in WWE’s front offices for several years.
He has been with the AEW promotion since it was formed in 2019, according to Bleacher Report.
In addition to his wrestling work, Ross markets J.R.’s Family Bar-B-Q Sauce.
Ross is the author of five books, including two cookbooks.
His latest, “Business is About to Pick Up! 50 Years of Wrestling in 50 Unforgettable Calls,” was released in 2024.
“Slobberknocker: My Life in Wrestling” was published in October 2017, followed by “Under the Black Hat: My Life in the WWE and Beyond” in March 2020.
The cookbooks include 2000’s Can You Take the Heat? The WWF Is Cooking and J.R.’s Cookbook: True Ringside Tales, BBQ, and Down-Home Recipes (2003).
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