During a recent episode of his “My World with Jeff Jarrett” podcast, WWE Hall of Famer Jeff Jarrett commented on the concept of using a six-sided ring in TNA, trying to be different from WWE, and more.
You can check out some highlights from the podcast below:
On the idea behind using a six-sided ring in TNA and wanting to be different than WWE: “The six-sided ring came from me working in Mexico, and it had a different feel. Again, MMA in 2004, 2005, 2006 is not like it is today. I don’t want to call it like it was a hidden secret, but it wasn’t mainstream on FOX Sports and ESPN like it has been the last seven, eight, 10 years. I loved the feel of it, and again, it was ‘that’s professional wrestling, but that’s not WWE.’ I think to this day, there’s a tremendous upside in that – in clearly defining you are the alternative to the leader in the marketplace. Do not be WWE-lite. I thought that from the very, very beginning. Get in the professional wrestling game, but don’t be WWE-lite.”
On coming up with the Impact name for TNA’s weekly television show: “That’s a funny story that me and Mike Tenay used to chuckle about. There was a couple of us in the room. On our agenda for the creative room was name the TV show. Did we think it was gonna be sticking around [that long]? Next month, the 20th anniversary of the company. The naming of the show was done at the Holiday Inn conference room in downtown Nashville. We were sitting up on the eighth or tenth floor looking out, and like creative rooms are, lots of fun and chatter and get down to work. That’s how it was. We went around the table, and we actually rough sketched and used the six-sided in the I’s. What’s a one-word name? Because again, Raw, Nitro, Thunder. We didn’t need Boy Meets World or Desperate Housewives or any of that.”
(h/t – 411 Wrestling)
