On a recent edition of his “My World” podcast, WWE Hall of Famer Jeff Jarrett discussed Jimmy Hart’s role in the early days of TNA Wrestling, Jim Mitchell being CM Punk’s manager in TNA in 2004, and more.
You can check out some highlights from the podcast below:
On Jimmy Hart’s role in the early days of TNA: “His role evolved back and forth. I mean, he was a part of the original trips down to Orlando in the Impact Bone. So we’ll say into 2003, 2004. Not just the Hogan potential coming on board, but we knew we were putting on — critically acclaimed, but AJ was coming into his own and others, and the cadence and the rhythm, and we had had an Ultimate X match, and a World Cup. And you know, we were beginning to develop talent, but we knew our single biggest problem was awareness and marketing. And we knew we were limited on our budget to do a national marketing campaign and all that. But Jimmy — and that picture you just flashed up, he just turned 80 and so that’s 20 years ago; I think he looks just the same. I mean, it is amazing, he does not age. that is remarkable.
“But you know, Jimmy is — man, when you really know. I hope A&E does a single Biography on him. His life story is fascinating, because people were like, ‘Hey, what’s his background?’ And you know, he was rock & roll and had number ones. And then him being real life buddies of Jerry Lawler, and how he went from that to WWF, then WCW, and just the career. But Jimmy, at his very core, is one of the hardest workers there is. And Jimmy would get in his car and drive to Nashville. And he’s like, ‘No, I don’t want to fly because I’m going to this book or that. But one thing Jimmy has always had, and this is something that you probably — I’m sure you’re aware of Conrad, but you’ll smile is, Jimmy’s Rolodex. [He knows everybody]. And there’s — and when I say everybody, there’s not a market in the United States that Jimmy doesn’t have contact with multiple radio partners. And if you have wrestler A, B, and C call up and say, ‘Hey, man, can I get on Morning Drive?’ You know, ‘Well, we’re booked for this or that.’ Jimmy, especially in this 2004, maybe 20 years later radio’s changed so much, but there wasn’t a market Jimmy couldn’t get on. And so Jimmy would — I mean, he was a one-man marketing machine in a lot of ways. And so he was on board and doing everything he possibly could. And look, we weren’t paying him a lot, but we weren’t paying him just to be around on Wednesdays. There was hanging around on Thursday and some marketing here. I mean, Jimmy is — again, you kind of look at where Hulk was in the professional wrestling industry. He wasn’t working for Vince at the time. WCW was gone. We were — you know, there was an independent wrestler but not a lot. And we were the only consistent thing running, and Jimmy got on board and more than pulled his weight.”
On Jim Mitchell and pairing him with CM Punk in 2004: “I think he’s a fantastic talker. And you know, there’s — when you look back, ‘Why would I bring Jim Mitchell back?’ He’s a storyteller. At his very core, Jim can talk and tell stories. And you know, not that Punk couldn’t talk, but these are in his early days. But his thread and I say his, Jim Mitchell’s — you know, the New Church, he had history. And so it just worked in this scenario with Raven as his opponent.”
