SmackDown announcer and WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross is down, but he’s far from out, despite reporting on his blog on jrsbarbq.com Tuesday that he has suffered his third attack from Bell’s palsy.
Bell’s palsy – named for Scottish surgeon Sir Charles Bell, who studied the nerve and its innervation of the facial muscles 200 years ago – is a paralysis or weakness that affects the muscles on one side of the face, often caused by trauma to the seventh cranial nerve. In most cases, the effects are not permanent.
Ross’ first encounter with the condition took place in late January 1994. His second Bell’s palsy attack occurred in late 1998, days after suffering the loss of his mother.
In the first of two blogs he posted Tuesday, Ross reported that he suffered his third Bell’s palsy attack Monday night, during a flight from Oklahoma City to Atlanta. "I was able to reach WWE doctors who were in Jacksonville for Raw," he wrote, "and they were able to call in the medicines I needed to get started on to slow down the paralysis. Now we just wait and see how the meds work, and Mother Nature takes her course."
Ross added that he had still intended to handle his SmackDown announcing duties this week, as well as be a part of WWE Bragging Rights this Sunday in Pittsburgh. Unfortunately, an hour following his initial statement, the WWE Hall of Famer followed up with a second blog, with the news that his plans had suddenly changed.
"Not the news I wanted to share," he reported. "It has been decided that I should not risk further issues by working [SmackDown], and I am in the process of arranging a flight back to [Oklahoma City] so I can see a neurologist on Wednesday."
Though understandably disappointed, "Good Ol’ J.R." took the time to thank everyone who was "tremendously supportive of my situation," and wanted to emphasize one other point to the WWE Universe: "Never count me out of the game, as this isn’t the first mountain that I have had to climb. … Better days are on the horizon."
Keep checking with WWE.com for updates on Jim Ross’ condition.