During a recent interview with Wrestling Inc, Jeff Jarrett commented on the latest WWE and ROH releases, other companies capitalizing on the free agents, and more. You can check out some highlights from the interview below:
On so many talented wrestlers being on the free agency market: “The short answer is, never seen it. I really think that from the territory days and then we’ll call it the Attitude Era, which everybody remembers. It was sort of the culmination of the territory days because guys from all over, they would learn their craft and it just sort of bottlenecked. Then there were two companies, then went to one company. Then TNA started in ‘02, that couldn’t really give guys 20 days a month full-time work.
“There’s a period in our industry when you look back at it from a reflective… yeah there was independent wrestling, but it was really in its infancy stages. It used to be called outlaw wrestling in the territory days, then when it went to independents,” Jeff Jarrett said. “Guys who were in High School who had watched the Attitude Era and wanted to become a wrestler. Then as you fast forward through the years and then all of a sudden you just see the progression of the fantastic talent and we got to reap those benefits at TNA and now you fast forward into AEW.”
On the opportunities available to wrestlers and promotions today: “I think there’s much more of an opportunity, an exponential more of an opportunity. The reason I say that is, 2002, there was a bad taste. That is something that me and Conrad have gone in-depth on My World about it. Unless you really lived it and breathed it, like me and my team did at the time, you didn’t understand the backlash that the Attitude Era caused with the decision-makers…
“Then no social media. YouTube early infancy stages, Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook that really was not even thought of. YouTube is the largest network in the world, it’s all over the world so the opportunities to create content. That’s at the core business of what the industry is, create that content, and then get it exposed. You know we are on Streamyard right now, you can click a button and go to Twitter, you can go to Facebook, you can go to YouTube, literally by the click of the button.
“We were joking around, but I am complimenting you. The product you’re putting out right now, all kidding around, it’s professional. You could slice this and go put it on Fox News or CNN or whatever it may be. So the ability to create good high-quality compelling content has never been more readily available. Then pair that with all the talent around the world that is working consistently, then yes, the opportunity is there for me and a lot of others.”
On if he still has being a promoter on his mind:
“Sure it is. I am a third-generation promoter, of course, I am. But look, launching a promotion like we did in 2002 vs. the challenges but also the opportunities today, it’s really not in the same stratosphere. Like I said, MLW, NWA, and Impact, the promotions out there, there are so many of them out there. When we got in the game in 2002, we were a distant two, and I stress that, but we were a two. Now, how many is there right now that me and you could go on, right now on YouTube and watch current, content produced in the last 30 days?”