After his run withECW that cemented him as a legend of the promotion, Taz had a brief stint with WWE before ultimately being forced to retire due to his injuries. However,according toJimRoss, the ECW legend didn't have a fair tenure with WWE.
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"If he hadn't gotten injured, he was on his way to doing really well; some talent were afraid of him, 'cause he would suplex your ass out of your boots if he wanted to," Ross claimed during an episode of "Grilling JR." Ross further recalled speaking to Taz after the first major injury he had while signed to WWE. "He had tears in his eyes, and I think I probably did too, when we found out the diagnosis of his injury." Ross noted that the injuries were severe and required surgery, and Taz was worried it would end his career.
Ross additionally recalled that there were some names in WWE who felt like Taz was too short, despite how ruthless he was in the ring. Ross also noted how the former ECW talent in WWE usually had trust issues, and Taz was no different, but that he ultimately cultivated a good relationship with him. Currently, Taz is recovering from surgery and according to Ross it'll take some time to heal. "His chair will not be filled as I understand it until he gets back," the veteran said. "I don't expect to ever see Taz in another match, he's not interested in it."
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Jim Ross claimed that he always believed that Taz could become a star, and recalled how he knew WWE could use the ECW legend and that he could have gone far if not for his injuries. "He was potentially dangerous for the established main eventers," Ross boldly claimed, and maintained that he still believes today that Taz would've been a major name.Taz's WWE debut was a major twist at the time, considering how he beat Kurt Angle in only a few minutes, which Ross recalled as a shocking moment. "Some of the guys you know, in the back they saw 'Hey, what a pop.' Number one, and number two: he's dangerous," the veteran noted.
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Unfortunately, not everyone was too impressed by Taz, and Ross recalled that there were rumors that he had heat with one of the biggest names in WWE at the time Triple H. "Triple H was very astute in his evaluating things, as we see today in WWE," Ross noted. "But he never came to me specifically and said 'You got to get rid of Taz' or 'Why did you hire Taz?'" Despite this,Ross didn't completely debunk the rumors and noted that if Triple H complained, it simply wasn't to him.
If you use any quotes from this article, please credit "Grilling JR" and provide a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.
