On a recent edition of his My World podcast, AEW wrestler Jeff Jarrett discussed the importance of TNA’s video game endeavors and his 2008 contract negotiations with current AEW star Samoa Joe.
In regard to the TNA video game series, Jarrett stated: “At least on par, maybe bigger (than action figures). Because you can create a franchise. Just over the last 12 or 18 months, me diving into and some folks have seen online with Skybound Games and Mega Cat, you know, Moonsault Digital is my partnership in the gaming world. I had no idea how well received the game was when it came out from the gaming audience. I just looked at the numbers and sales. I didn’t really get into the DNA. I didn’t really get into the message boards and all the feedback. It was very, very well received, but the thing that we kind of knew from the business perspective is WWE had a franchise and what Kurt (Angle) was kind of alluding to is a new game came out every year. Not every year, but often for WWE and it’s hard to be the biggest and baddest year after year, just what you said Schiavone [was] saying every week. It goes back to the Nick Gulas days, ‘Biggest card ever signed here in Nashville, Tennessee this Wednesday night.’ He said that every week. The biggest card ever signed, that’s the natural promotion. Kurt, God bless him, I mean when he bought in, he bought in. And he’s not gonna say ‘Hey man, we’re gonna be number two just watch us.’ No, Kurt went all the way and rightly so. It’s hope and its promotion and to the TNA fan base, damn right it was number one to them. It was big Conrad, really big. From a financial perspective it’s one of those deals you get the right gameplay and the right characters and the right story and the right momentum not only can you make a lot of money, but when you have an action figure that’s successful and a video game that’s successful all the other licensees our there like I said lunch boxes and pajamas or sleeping bags it doesn’t matter the entire licensee program just starts rolling a big way because they look into barometers of a video game and action figures are they successful? Yes, they are okay I want onboard. It’s big it’s really, really big.”
When discussing the concerns of Samoa Joe leaving in 2008, and his contract negotiations with the latter, Jarrett stated: “Sure, I mean there’s always a concern when a — let me back up. Joe’s a hell of a talent. The day he walked in the door, I’ve said this on, seems like this has come up a lot in the last year or so talking about AJ Styles and Bobby Roode and Samoa Joe kind of that core group of guys. I didn’t miss it back then that I thought we were lucky to get Joe from the beginning. And we got him, or we, collectively including him, got him on that roll. And then when his contract was up it’s always a negotiation and it’s always — Conrad you can probably say this better than me, but a contract negotiation is always, Jim Ross would always say, ‘miles and money,’ but there’s more than with the talent. Money is at the top of the list, but it’s not the only thing on the list. Joe, like anyone else, did he feel just like you’re saying is he looking over at the fence and saying “Hey man, it may be green over there. I’m gonna be the bull and walk down to the gate and go through and see if the grass is green over here.’ Because, at the end of the day dollars for dollars there’s no way and I tell any talent ever that we had a conversation with we will lose every financial battle we get in with WWE. They’re just that much deeper pockets and always have been.”
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