Jerry Jarrett Has Died (1942-2023)

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A week after the wrestling world awaited news about the health of Jerry Lawler, it’s being reported today (Feb. 14) that his longtime business partner Jerry Jarrett has died at age 80.

Dutch Mantell tweeted the news, and PW Insider says they’ve confirmed it.

Jerry Jarrett was born in Nashville, and after his parents divorced his mother began working for the National Wrestling Alliance’s Mid-America territory that covered Tennessee, Kentucky & Alabama. As Christine “Teeny” Jarrett’s responsibilities grew, he son got more involved. By the time he was 14, Jerry Jarrett was promoting shows.

He worked as a referee and a wrestler in the 1960s and 1970s, and held several regional NWA tag belts throughout his career. Jarrett never strayed far from the office, though, and in 1977 broke away from the NWA to found the Continental Wrestling Association in Memphis. There, he and Lawler rose to fame selling out the Mid-South Coliseum every week and airing a popular Saturday morning television show.

Every established act passed through Memphis during the CWA’s heyday, and Jarrett & Lawler helped acts like Hulk Hogan & Steve Austin rise to prominence. They were so successful NWA Mid-America folded in 1981, essentially ceding the territory to Jarrett, The King & CWA.

With Vince McMahon’s WWF expanding nationwide, Jarrett teamed up with World Class Championship Wrestling out of Texas to form the United States Wrestling Association in 1989, which he wanted to take national himself. WCCW pulled out of the partnership, and the USWA was forced to enter into a talent exchange with the WWF. By 1995, with the best days of Memphis “rasslin” in the rearview, Jarrett sold his stake in the promotion to Lawler and another partner.

After spending the Monday Night War era as a WCW consultant, Jarrett got back to running his own promotion. He and his son, WWE Hall of Famer and current AEW star & executive Jeff Jarrett, launched TNA in 2002. They quickly sold a controlling share to Panda Energy (owned by Dixie Carter’s family), and the elder Jarrett left the company in 2005. He left wrestling behind at that point, focusing on construction and television distribution businesses.

Legendary promoter Jerry Jarrett has died
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Bonefan32

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Rest in peace

I dont know a lot about him but it seems like the wrestlers who worked with him loved him

I do know he helped create one of the greatest companies of all time with TNA

you know Jeff is going through it,they were always together

Jerry-Jarrett-600x381.jpeg
 
I

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Bonefan32 said:
Rest in peace

I dont know a lot about him but it seems like the wrestlers who worked with him loved him

I do know he helped create one of the greatest companies of all time with TNA

you know Jeff is going through it,they were always together

Jerry-Jarrett-600x381.jpeg
Click to expand...
Must be tough for Jeff to lose both a good friend in Don West and his father within a month. Hope him and his family stay strong though this.
 
Jmare007

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For some reason I thought Jerry had already passed :dwillhuh:

Dude is one of the most influential people from the late territory years. People overlook Memphis but the amount of hall of fame level talent that went there and basically learned how to hone their craft is pretty astonishing. Weirdly, one of his most creative and easy to copy moves was never quite duplicated: having the book just half and a year and letting other people (in his case, Jerry Lawler) get the book so shyt wouldn't get repetitive or stale.

And in a later life move, he was the one behind TNA being created.
 
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