On a recent episode of his podcast, Grilling JR, WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross opened up about several key topics, including the dynamics of backstage politics in WWE, his thoughts on Sunny’s skills as a heel, and more. Ross, known for his candid insights into the world of professional wrestling, discussed how Sunny‘s ability to portray a villainous character stood out, as well as the influence of various backstage figures on the direction of WWE at the time. He also touched on how Vince Russo pushed for certain talent to be showcased in different roles within the company.
Below are some of the key highlights from the episode (thanks to 411mania.com), as Ross delved into his experiences and observations from his time in WWE, offering fans a deeper look into the inner workings of the company during the height of the Attitude Era.
Jim Ross on Sunny’s ability to be a heel:
“I think she gave the audience plenty of reasons to dislike her, and she did it well. She was a very good heel. That’s one thing about Sunny, she was a very, very good heel. And she just took her role too seriously. She shouldn’t have. She just kept alienating more people and more people. The trust factor was becoming almost invisible. So, one problem led to another. And her character and integrity were compromised numerous times. So it was tough. And it’s sad, because she had so much potential in that era. She was a player. She was a big-time player, without a doubt, and she led the way.”
Jim Ross on Vince Russo advocating to use Sable more than Sunny:
“The rivalry between [Vince] Russo and [Jim] Cornette was very prominent, very real. And Russo picked the right horse, because Sable was a moneymaker as far as T-shirts, getting good quality TV time, there was low maintenance that was easy to pull off. So it was bad, it was bad. And you got jealousy, egocentric behavior. And the other thing that Sable was not high maintenance at that point in time. She eventually became a little bit higher maintenance, no doubt.
“But it was just tough, man. Because it became a personal issue. The rivalry between Russo and Cornette was built up behind the scenes. And you know, Russo threw his lot in for Sable, she got a lot more opportunities. And they’re all simple things to execute. You know her deal was her body. She just had great sex appeal and an amazing look. I remember when we brought in Mark Mero and Sable just came as his wife to a meeting with Vince and I. And I remember when they left, Vince said, ‘Well, did you see who the star was to that group.’ And I said, ‘Yeah, it’s not Mark Mero.’ Nice guy, but Sable was a star. Much like Sunny was the star of the Bodydonnas.”
