Legendary pro wrestling announcer Jim Ross announced he will be undergoing brain surgery after a lengthy hospital stay.
The 74-year-old Ross, who currently works for AEW, said during his return to his “Grilling JR” podcast on Friday that he needs to get a shunt to drain fluid from his brain.
“That’s gonna be an adventure because I don’t think they’re going to find much in my brain,” Ross quipped before getting serious.
“Hopefully nothing will go wrong. I’ve got a great surgeon. I had to go to a cardiologist today, heart doctor obviously, and talk to him about this upcoming procedure. He had to approve it or they wouldn’t do it.”
The WWE Hall of Famer added that a date for the surgery wasn’t confirmed, but he expected it to happen in the next week or so and noted that it’s been seriously affecting his quality of life.
“I got to get it addressed,” Ross said. “I couldn’t live my life the way it was. I’d forget s–t and I just couldn’t remember things. It was just horrible. I felt horrible.”
The longtime WWE announcer is coming off a nearly 40-day hospital stay before being released June 30.
Ross had serious health issues during the days leading up to AEW Double or Nothing at Louis Armstrong Stadium in May.
He fell at his home in Oklahoma and missed his initial flight, and said during a previous episode that his back went out and he was in “overwhelming” pain in his hotel room.
Ross still did some commentary on the show, as his appearances on AEW television have become more sporadic in recent years because of his health issues.
He understands the severity of the surgery he is about to have.
A shunt traditionally helps drain excess brain fluid through a tube into another part of your body so it can be better absorbed and requires regular monitoring, according to the Mayo Clinic.
“It’s fairly serious,” Ross said. “I always feel like anytime they open your skull up that’s a serious piece of business and this certainly feels that way. I’ll get it done, a short hospital stay and went back home and heal up. That’s my options, so I’m gonna do it. I’m gonna heal up.”
