Under the Black Hat

By: Jim Ross, Paul O'Brien

Narrated by: Jim Ross

Length: 9 hrs and 18 mins

Publisher's Summary

From legendary wrestling announcer Jim Ross comes a candid, colorful memoir about the inner workings of the WWE and the personal crises he weathered at the height of his career.

If you've caught a televised wrestling match anytime in the past 30 years, you've probably heard Jim Ross' throaty Oklahoma twang. The beloved longtime announcer of WWE is already an icon to generations of wrestling fans, and he's not slowing down, having just signed on as the announcer of the starry new wrestling venture All Elite Wrestling. In this follow-up to his best-selling memoir Slobberknocker, he dishes about not only his long career, which includes nurturing global stars like Stone Cold Steve Austin, The Rock, and John Cena, but also about the challenges of aging and disability, his split from collaborator Vince McMahon, and the sudden death of his beloved wife, Jan. The result is a gruff, endearing, and remarkably human-scale portrait, set against the larger-than-life backdrop of professional wrestling.

Ross' ascent in WWE mirrors the rise of professional wrestling itself from a DIY sideshow to a billion-dollar business. Under the Black Hat traces all the highs and lows of that wild ride, in which Jim served not only as on-air commentator, but talent manager, payroll master, and even occasional in-ring foil to threats like Paul "Triple H" Levesque and Undertaker. While his role brought him riches and exposure Jim never dreamed of growing up in a small town in Oklahoma, he chafed against the strictures of a fickle corporate culture and what he saw as a narrow vision of what makes great wrestlers - and great story lines. When suddenly stricken with Bell's palsy, a form of facial paralysis that makes it impossible to smile, he stared down his greatest fear - being cast out of the announcing booth for good.

Picking up where Slobberknocker left off and ending on the cusp of a new career in a reimagined industry, Under the Black Hat is the triumphant tale of a country boy who made it to the top, took a few knocks, and stuck around - just where his fans like him.

©2020 Jim Ross (P)2020 Simon & Schuster

JR Delivers Again!

Good Ole JR gives insight into a legendary career! Never a dull moment. Was very excited that JIm Ross was the voice for this Audio book. I did not want the book to end!!
Thank you for sharing. We love you!!!

1 person found this helpful

Hopefully not the final chapter...

Another great book from Ross. I hope we will get a third. if you are reading this then you know why you are here. And its absolutely worth it.

great

Really like all the inside stuff , wish wwe and Vince wouldn't have tried JR like that , show who Vince is.

Honest book

Was great to listen too. Hard to stop listening. Each day. You could feel Jim’s emotion in each chapter

Great Hall of fame listen

Loved it just like the last one. This man is an absolute legend and it is even better that he is the reading it.

God I love Jim Ross

I thought the first book was great and had to have this one. In the end I was left heartbroken by his wife's death and in understanding about week and the way Vince McMahon is. I've watched WWE all my life and always wondered the reason of Jim being in storylines and now I see it was all BS in trying to embarrass him. The Dr. Hinny crap was horrible.... but I'm glad Jim had tough skin to be a man's man and just keep doing his job. This book servers as an inspiration as a husband and also a hard worker. Love you Jim you've been bringing joy into my life since I was 3 and now I'm 34.

awesome book

if you are a wrestling fan, then you know who JIM ROSS is and that is all you need to enjoy this amazing story read by the voice of wrestling

Once again Good Old JR nails it.

A different take on memories you'll feel you shared with the best sports announcer of all time. Clear your diary this is one-sitting read.

What a slobberknocker!

By gawd, almighty!

Great insight from the voice of professional wrestling, "good old JR", Jim Ross.

Good god almighty he’s written another half

You’ll read this book for more detailed versions of the stories Jim and others have been telling on podcasts and at live shows for years...

The plane ride from hell
Owen falling to his death
Jim’s multiple firings
The bullying
Crazy Vince
The WWE 2K panel disaster
Etc etc etc

Hearing them again here, uninterrupted by a co-host or a rowdy crowd and in context to Jim’s life and career at the time is a real eye opener. You’ll wonder how Jeff Jerrett was ever rehired by WWE after getting the full story (for the first time, I believe) of the night he held WWE up for money. You’ll go from hating Vince McMahon because of his treatment of Jim, to forgiving him a few chapters later when you hear Vince’s words at a JR appreciate night house show in OK and how much they meant to JR.

In a nutshell this is a very entertaining book with great stories by the guy closer to Vince than almost anyone during the most newsworthy period in wrestling history.

However, regardless of how well you know Jim Ross and the stories he has to tell, nothing can prepare you for the final chapter, worth the cost of this audiobook alone, Jim, trying (and failing) to hide the emotion in his voice as he talks about the death of his beloved wife and what her passing did to him. It’s then you realise that the chapters that have gone before are as much about Jan Ross as they are about Jim.

I listened with tears in my eyes, and you will too.

Ps. I Also very much enjoyed the obviously ad-libbed AEW shout outs

Interesting and touching a worthy sequel

I was a little worried about JR having used all his great stories in Slobberknocker but these soon proved unfounded. This book provides a great look at the running of WWE and in particular a look into the mind of it's chairman. JR's distinctive voice leads you though his career and we learn about his wife who supported him through the tough times highly recommended.