Slobberknocker ─ My Life in Wrestling

There are few people who have been in the wrestling business longer than Jim Ross. And those who have made it as long as he has (half a century to be exact) probably made enemies or burned bridges. But that’s just not JR.

Slobberknocker is the story of how an Oklahoman farm kid, with a vivid imagination and seemingly unattainable dreams, became “The Voice of Wrestling” to record TV audiences and millions of fans around the world.

Jim opens up about his life as an only child on a working farm, who became obsessed with professional wrestling having first saw it on his grandparent’s TV. Even though the wrestling business was notoriously secretive and wary of “outsiders,” he somehow got a foot in the door to start a historic career, one where he held almost every job in the business—from putting up the ring to calling matches, from driving his blind, drunk boss towards revenge, to consoling two naked 600 pound brothers in the shower room after a rough match.

With all those adventures and responsibilities, he’s also recognized as the man who built and nurtured a once-in-a-generation talent roster that took the WWE to new heights, including “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, Brock Lesnar, and The Rock to name a few. Readers will finally get the opportunity to hear never-before-told stories about the politics, wackiness, and personalities of all the biggest stars.

But this isn’t just a wrestling story. It’s a story about overcoming adversity and achieving your dreams, as success did not come without significant costs and unforeseen challenges to JR, including multiple bouts of severe facial paralysis called Bell’s Palsy.

Currently the host of the podcast The Ross Report, any fan of wrestling—from the territory days to today—will be enthralled with stories from the road and behind the scenes. Slobberknocker is the first time Ross tells his story—and you don’t want to miss it!

Jim Ross has been involved in professional wrestling for more than forty years. Elected into the WWE, NWA, and National Wrestling Halls of Fame, he is known and respected throughout the wrestling world. Ross is also a New York Times bestselling author, a BBQ guru, and the host of his own podcast (The Ross Report), and he can be read through his columns on Fox Sports as well as his work with CBS Sports, AXS TV, and Britain’s ITV.

Paul O’Brien is an award-winning filmmaker and bestselling author from Wexford, Ireland. His Blood Red Turns Dollar Green novels—a crime trilogy set in wrestling’s territory days—have been bestsellers in Canada, Australia, Germany, Mexico, Spain, Italy, the United Kingdom, Ireland, and the United States. Paul is currently developing those novels for TV.

Vincent K. McMahon is the chairman and CEO of World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. A third-generation sports entertainment promoter, he has built the WWE into the top wrestling organization in the world, including taking the company public in 1999.

“Stone Cold” Steve Austin is a Hall of Fame wrestler, most known for his time in the WWE, and is one of the most popular stars in the genre’s long history. He held 19 championships during his career, while being the leader of the illustrious “Attitude Era.” Austin hosts Broken Skull Challenge, his successful podcast The Steve Austin Show, and is the New York Times bestselling author of The Stone Cold Truth, which he wrote with Jim Ross and Dennis Brent.