Jim Ross' Fascinating First WWE Report on John Cena and Brock Lesnar resurfaces
John Cena and Brock Lesnar were among the huge stars to be featured in a talent report from legendary WWE commentator Jim Ross back in 2001.
Ross is one of the most beloved voices in the history of professional wrestling, with his dulcet tones responsible for capturing so many iconic moments in the iconic 'Attitude Era'.
But behind the scenes, he was also heading up WWE's talent relations for a seven-year period and was tasked with scouting wrestlers who could be nurtured and turned into huge stars on the main roster.
Ross oversaw the development of so many top talents who want on to achieve great things in their careers but the 2001 class in OVW (Ohio Valley Wrestling), a WWE developmental system, was arguably the most exciting group.
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In an edition of the "Ross Report" on his blog, the 73-year-old went through the list of wrestlers - offering his thoughts on their abilities prior to many become household names and world champions.
At the very top of the list was Lesnar, who Ross described as an "amazing athlete" at 6ft3 and 290lbs. He highlighted Lesnar's incredible amateur experience as an NCAA wrestler and said that he "can make it in time".
Ross proved to be right as Lesnar quickly transitioned to the main roster with a stunning rookie year that set the tone for his exploits in WWE and later UFC, where he became heavyweight champion.
Despite the praise, it was Lesnar's tag team partner and friend Shelton Benjamin named as "perhaps the best athlete in the program".
Benjamin went on to forge a solid career in WWE but never became world champion. That wasn't the case with third-generation wrestler Randy Orton, however, who Ross labelled a "natural".
One of the very best in the business, the master of the RKO has held 14 world championships but is three behind long-time rival Cena, who will retire from the ring in December.
The 48-year-old is widely considered to be the greatest of all time and was the face of WWE for more than a decade prior to making it in Hollywood.
Ross saw potential in Cena, known as 'The Prototype', from the get-go even when others didn't. He said the 17-time champion reminded him of Sting and though things weren't plain-sailing initially, the signing will go down as the best Ross made.
Ross was also positive about the prospects of Victoria, Mark Henry and Lance Cade, as well as tag teams the Island Boys and the Haas Brothers - where unfortunately three of the four have now passed.
The WWE wrestler tipped to have 'main event aura'.
He was similarly enthused about Nathan Jones and Jon Heidenreich and though neither achieved much success in WWE, the former did launch a successful film career.
But the final big-hitter from the crop was Dave Bautista, who Ross claimed had "main event aura" and was nearing being ready for a main roster run.
Learning from the likes of Triple H and Ric Flair, he did quickly blossom into a huge main event player - winning six world titles.
He had his final match against Triple H at WrestleMania 35 and has been a revelation in Hollywood, where he continues to feature in major franchises and films.
Topics: John Cena, Brock Lesnar, Randy Orton
Josh Lawless