Jim Ross and the WWE go hand-in-hand like peanut butter and jelly, a pairing that's simply always meant to be. 

Good ole' JR "retired" from the WWE in 2013, believed to have ended his legacy as one of the greatest commentators to ever work a microphone. He turned his attention to personal projects and working independent scene shows.

Ross made his triumph return at exactly the right time, making his surprising return to the WWE universe when he called The Undertaker's final match at WrestleMania 33, a surprise from the promotion that was kept under wraps pretty well. 

Despite Ross being released by the WWE in 2013, he remained in contact with talent and executives within the company, including Vince McMahon. That's one of the reasons the two sides were able to hash out a deal to bring back the iconic voice of the WWE.

Ross joined the Two-Man Power Trip of Wrestling podcast with Shane Douglas to discuss how his return to the empire he helped build happened, as transcribed by the TMPToW Podccast.

"I had never stopped communicating with WWE and the WWE had never stopped communicating with me. Basically, I was in contact with Vince regularly because we are friends and are still friends and if I saw something on TV that I liked then I might send him a text. Kevin Dunn and I are friends from OU football because he is an OU football fan and a lot of people don't know that so that was always our link. Triple H was a guy that I signed and he's done pretty well for himself," Ross said.

Ross had allies still back home at the WWE, but it was his late wife that was pushing him to find a way back to the company where he rose to the top of sports entertainment. One week after she passed away, Ross had signed his new contract with the WWE. 

"She was really the catalyst for keeping me motivated to do that, and she was right. I wanted to go back to get my jersey back and play a little bit. I had what I felt was some unfinished business," Ross said. 

"Kevin Dunn and working through Vince was very instrumental in me coming back. It was the Friday night before WrestleMania and this was a week after my wife got killed that I signed my contract. They were negotiating with my manager Barry Bloom," he added.

It's certainly a good thing to have Ross back in the fold, a man who has committed his life to the world of professional wrestling. It may have taken years, but it's better later than never.