Jarrett also did an interview with The UK Sun this past week.
On The Success of Former TNA Stars & Creating New Stars
On Matt Hardy
On Whether He Holds Any Grudges
On The Current Crop Of Stars In TNA
On The Success of Former TNA Stars & Creating New Stars
“My family has been in the business for 70 years, so hearing the stories from a very young age, that’s part of the business.
“I was a fan first, then I became a wrestler, then a promoter then a businessman and everything that goes with it – marketing, merchandise, licensing, legal, everything. But I’ve always enjoyed it.
“Go back to 2002 when Impact was launched with a young guy from North Georgia AJ Styles and another from Toronto named Bobby Roode, then Samoa Joe came along, Eric Young… I could go on and on.
“Those guys have gone on to be hot attractions and AJ is the hottest attraction. That’s something that I take a lot of pride in.”
He continued: “Being back with Impact wrestling, I couldn’t be happier for those guys, but from a professional and business side, it energises me so much to find the next AJ Styles, the next Bobby Roode, the next Samoa Joe.
“And at Impact, that’s a big part of what we are doing. From the corporate side to the in-ring product, it’s a restructure, a reorganisation, and we want to make Impact great again.”
On Matt Hardy
After making his name as a high-flying daredevil in WWE, Hardy has reinvented himself over the last year in Impact, with his ‘Broken Brilliance’ storyline and his feud with brother Jeff being one of the most-talked about wrestling angles around the globe.
Jarrett said: “I prefer to call it match-making or booking, because Matt, Jeff and ‘Broken Brilliance’ – they are the creators of that.
“You just have to put them in positions and let them run with it. I think that’s part of the magic of our business is that we don’t really write stories but document them.
“Matt Hardy has reinvented himself in a unique way, and with Jeremy Borash and how it is edited, it is groundbreaking and it is revolutionising different story aspects.”
He continued: “When you look down in history, whether it was The Rock or Stone Cold, they are the perfect example that you can be given the ball, but you then have to run with it.
“Matt was given the ball, and he ran with it.
On Whether He Holds Any Grudges
Now Jarrett is back with the company he built into a worldwide brand, few would begrudge him for feeling a little envious at seeing his former charges headline a rival promotion.
However, due to his long-standing family ties in the business, he insists he holds no grudges.
And the desire to help nurture his latest batch of current Impact youngsters into global superstars is what is driving him on.
Jarrett explained: “If I didn’t have such an historical view of pro wrestling then maybe, but no – it is a part of change and evolution.
On The Current Crop Of Stars In TNA
When you look at the Impact roster and the likes of Eli Drake, EC3 (Ethan Carter III), The Wolves and Moose… For that guy to walk away from the NFL, the premier sports organisation in the world, to pursue a career in professional wrestling – I have a ton of respect for that guy for following his heart and for what his mother came from and the tough life that she had.
“He had a contract on the table in the NFL and he walked away from it, those kind of stories really energise me to look at the Impact roster and find that next AJ Styles.
“When I see guys like those I mentioned, it’s pretty exciting.”