I Listen So You Don't Have To: The Ross Report Ep. 80

Ross talks SummerSlam, barely Photo Credit: WWE.com

If you're new, here's the rundown: I listen to a handful of wrestling podcasts each week. Too many, probably, though certainly not all of them. In the interest of saving you time — in case you have the restraint to skip certain episodes — the plan is to give the bare bones of a given show and let you decide if it’s worth investing the time to hear the whole thing. There are better wrestling podcasts out there, of course, but these are the ones in my regular rotation that I feel best fit the category of hit or miss. If I can save other folks some time, I'm happy to do so.

Show: The Ross Report
Episode: 80 (Aug. 26, 2015)
Run Time: 1:47:14
Guest: Dave Scherer (12:59)

Summary: Jim Ross calls Dave Scherer of Pro Wrestling Insider to break down SummerSlam. They start with a big picture look at how match order reflects the perceived value of WWE titles and talk about most of the card and a bit about the Saturday night NXT show. They also theorize about how WWE might operate after Vince McMahon leaves as well as the future of NXT, TNA, Ring of Honor and Tazz.

Quote of the week:“I have a lot of respect for Vince McMahon. I don’t think he’s made all the right calls, obviously, but Jim, I’m 53 years old. … as you get older, you’re not in tune with what the younger people are saying. And you need to realize that. Mike Johnson’s younger than me. We have guys on my site younger than him. And they understand what younger people think. That’s not to say Vince shouldn’t go with his gut, because his gut’s made him a lot of money and put him where he is today. But you have to realize as you get older that there are people that you don’t quite understand the way you used to anymore, and you have to surround yourself with people that do understand.”

Why you should listen: How long has it been since you listened to Ross weigh in on the state of the business today? If you need more of that in your life, or for some reason are interested in Scherer’s opinion, here you go.

Why you should skip it: Because it’s the same damn stuff Ross always says, basically. He focuses on just a few matches — I don’t think he mentioned Randy Orton, Sheamus, Dolph Ziggler, Rusev or half the teams in the tag title match at all, and referenced others just in passing, to say nothing of the first hour of the NXT special — and is generally concerned with the outcomes and perhaps finishing sequences. It’s presented as a SummerSlam review but comes off as just another excuse to complain.

Final thoughts: Occasionally Ross and his guest will sincerely review an entire card. Often he is ready with as much praise as he is petulance. This is just a waste of time. Seriously. There are at least a dozen written reviews of the SummerSlam weekend that will greatly enhance your appreciation, enjoyment and understanding of the weekend. This will just make you wish you’d clicked play on a different file.