Jim Ross Shares The Biggest Lesson He Learned From ‘Cowboy’ Bill Watts

Jim Ross knows it’s all about the fundamentals. 

Jim Ross recently spoke with Wrestling Then And Now and was asked if he could pinpoint the biggest lesson or best advice he learned working for ‘Cowboy’ Bill Watts in Mid-South Wrestling. Ross said that it was the importance of fundamentals of wrestling, and how things fell apart if you deviated from that.

“How important fundamentals are. The basic art of storytelling, the basic art of doing a promo. All of those — the promo, the matches, have to have a beginning and a middle and an end. And when one of those elements are eliminated it affects the process,” Ross stated. “Cowboy was big on fundamentals.”

Ross also spoke about his relationship with “Dr. Death” Steve Williams, sharing another story that took place during the Mid-South Wrestling days.

“He was a tough son of a gun, he was probably one of the top ten toughest wrestlers ever in the business. He was a four-time All-American at [Oklahoma University] in wrestling, and he played in three bowl games on the football team as a starter. So I think those are two things that certainly cement that he was a great athlete. I don’t want him doing my taxes, God bless him, but he was a hell of a hand and tough. Physically tough. He got his eye busted open one night, it was in Shreveport at the Irish McNeil Boys’ Club [home of Mid-South Wrestling in 1980-1985] and he had 137 stitches and still made his town the next day in Biloxi ‘cause Cowboy said ‘you’re booked.’”