| Jeff Jarrett | |
|---|---|
 Jarrett in 2015 | |
| Birth name | Jeffrey Leonard Jarrett[1] |
| Born | (1967-07-14)July 14, 1967 (age 57)[2][1] Hendersonville, Tennessee, U.S.[3] |
| Spouse(s) | |
| Children | 3 |
| Family | Jerry Jarrett (father) Eddie Marlin (grandfather) |
| Professional wrestling career | |
| Ring name(s) | The Blue Blazer[1] Jeff Jarrett[4] |
| Billed height | 6 ft 0 in (183 cm)[4] |
| Billed weight | 230 lb (104 kg)[4] |
| Billed from | Nashville, Tennessee[4] |
| Trained by | Tojo Yamamoto[3] |
| Debut | April 6, 1986[3] |
Jeffrey Leonard Jarrett (born July 14, 1967) is an Americanprofessional wrestler andprofessional wrestling promoter. He is signed toAll Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he both wrestles and serves as Director of Business Development. He is also the founder of the revivedAcclaim Entertainment.
Beginning his career in his fatherJerry Jarrett'sContinental Wrestling Association (CWA) in 1986, Jarrett first came to prominence upon debuting with acountry music stargimmick in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, nowWWE) in 1993. Over the next nine years, he alternated between the WWF and its main competitor,World Championship Wrestling (WCW). After WCW was purchased by the WWF in 2001, Jarrett joined the upstartWorld Wrestling All-Stars (WWA) promotion. In 2002, Jarrett and his father together foundedNWA: Total Nonstop Action (NWA-TNA, now Total Nonstop Action Wrestling). After departing the promotion in 2014, Jarrett founded another new promotion,Global Force Wrestling (GFW). After a failed merger between TNA and GFW, he cut ties with TNA. Jarrett then wrestled in Mexico forLucha Libre AAA Worldwide before returning to WWE in January 2019 as an on-screen talent andproducer. He departed WWE once more in August 2022, making his debut with AEW that November.
A third-generation wrestler, Jarrett has had over 80championship reigns throughout his career, among them theNWA World Heavyweight Championship (six times),WCW World Heavyweight Championship (four times), andAAA Mega Championship (twice). He was inducted into theTNA Hall of Fame in 2015 and theWWE Hall of Fame in 2018.
Born inHendersonville, Tennessee, Jarrett became involved withbasketball while attending Goodpasture Christian School, but he worked for his fatherJerry Jarrett'sContinental Wrestling Association as areferee in March 1986 and trained as a wrestler under his father andTojo Yamamoto.[5] Jarrett made his in-ring debut at the age of 18 on April 6, 1986, whenjobberTony Falk attempted to end his lengthy losing streak by challenging Jarrett, then a referee, to a match. Jarrett accepted the challenge, wrestling Falk to a 10-minute draw. Jarrett is a third-generation wrestler: his father wrestled, as did his maternal grandfather,Eddie Marlin, while his paternal grandmother, Christine, was employed by Nashville-based wrestling promotersNick Gulas andRoy Welch.[6][7][8] He also wrestled with theAmerican Wrestling Association (AWA) and theContinental Wrestling Federation (CWF) in the late 1980s.
In 1989, his father Jerry purchased theTexas-basedWorld Class Championship Wrestling (WCCW) promotion and merged it with the CWA to create theUnited States Wrestling Association (USWA). Over the following years, Jarrett won theUSWA Southern Heavyweight Championship on 10 occasions and theUSWA World Tag Team Championship on 15 occasions. Jarrett also wrestled on theindependent circuit for seven years, appearing inJapan andPuerto Rico. In 1990, he wrestled his first tour of Japan forSuper World Sports (SWS).[9] Jarrett would continue wrestling for USWA full-time until losing the championship toJerry Lawler on December 20, 1993, but return sporadically for future dates.[10]
Jarrett's first involvement with theWorld Wrestling Federation (WWF) came on August 9, 1992, when he participated in the kick-off to the first cross-promotional angle between the WWF and the USWA. Sitting at ringside along with Jerry Lawler at the WWFhouse show that was being held at theMemphis Pyramid, he issued an open challenge to any WWF wrestler. After defeatingKamala by disqualification that night,Bret Hart accepted Jarrett's challenge for a match the next time that the WWF came to Memphis.[11] Beginning in October, Jarrett himself began making appearances on WWF house show events, defeatingMondo Kleen andBarry Horowitz. At aWWF Wrestling Challenge taping inLouisville, Kentucky, on October 28, Jarrett scored his biggest victory of his nascent WWF career by upsettingRick Martel.[12] However, the scheduled match between Bret Hart and Jarrett on October 31 in Memphis was cancelled due to poor weather.[13] Following the cancelled Memphis show, he returned to the USWA.
Nearly a year later, Jarrett returned to the World Wrestling Federation. He made his televised return on October 23, 1993, onWWF Superstars of Wrestling as aheel under thegimmick of "Double J" Jeff Jarrett, acountry music singer[14] who intended to elevate his singing career through his exposure as a wrestler. Jarrett's character would strut to the ring wearing flashing "Double J" hats and ring attire, while he punctuated hispromos with the phrase "Ain't I great?". He ended his interviews by distinctly spelling out his name ("That's J-E-Double-F, J-A-Double-R, E-Double-T!").[15] He would often win matches by smashing opponents with anacoustic guitar, which was nicknamed "El Kabong" after the cartoon characterQuick Draw McGraw. The "Double J" character was a country music version ofThe Honky Tonk Man.
Jarrett had his first televised match with the WWF on the December 20, 1993, episode ofRaw, defeatingP.J. Walker. Jarrett made hispay-per-view debut in January 1994 at theRoyal Rumble, entering the Royal Rumble match as the 12th participant and was eliminated less than 90 seconds later byRandy Savage. Also at the Royal Rumble, Jarrett participated in attackingThe Undertaker and forcing him into thecasket, an incident that would be a focal point in Undertaker's rematch later that year. Jarrett was scheduled to wrestle in a five vs. five tag match atWrestleMania X, but the match did not take place due to time constraints. However, the match did take place on the April 4 episode ofRaw, with Jarrett's team winning. During this time, Jarrett started having what would be a very long string of matches with Doink (Ray Apollo) during house shows in which he usually won the match. Despite getting pastLex Luger by countout in the first round, Jarrett lost in the second round of the 1994King of the Ring tournament, being pinned by the 1-2-3 Kid. Only weeks before SummerSlam, the WWF promoted a match as part of a "rap versus country" rivalry that pitted Jarrett againstMabel who portrayed arapper. There was little buildup for the match until Mabel tried to provoke Jarrett into a fight, but Jarrett simply exited. AtSummerSlam, Jarrett won the match by pinfall.[citation needed]
Around this time, Jarrett began a feud with the 1-2-3 Kid's friend,WWF Intercontinental ChampionRazor Ramon. Jarrett would face both men atSurvivor Series 1994, Jarrett's team competed in another five vs. five tag team match, this time with elimination rules. Jarrett's team lost when all the members of the team including himself were counted out. Later during the event, Jarrett once again tried to illegally attack The Undertaker, but this time was stopped byChuck Norris. In January 1995, Jarrett would once again feud with Bret Hart, ultimately losing to Hart on the January 23 episode ofRaw.[16]
At the1995 Royal Rumble inTampa, Florida, Jarrett defeatedRazor Ramon to win theWWF Intercontinental Championship thanks to interference by his assistant,The Roadie. In an effort to become a dual champion, Jarrett challengedDiesel for theWWF World Heavyweight Championship in the main event of the February 20 episode ofRaw, but lost the match. Razor Ramon received a rematch atWrestleMania XI which Jarrett lost bydisqualification, but retained the Intercontinental Championship. Jarrett and The Roadie lost as a duo to Razor Ramon in a handicap match atIn Your House 1. On April 26, 1995, the Intercontinental Championship was declared vacant after a controversial ending to a match between Jarrett andBob Holly. They had a rematch later that evening where Jarrett reclaimed the title. On May 19, Razor Ramon regained the title from Jarrett inMontreal, Quebec, but Jarrett won it back two nights later inTrois-Rivières, Quebec, making him a three-time Intercontinental Champion.
AtIn Your House 2: The Lumberjacks on July 23, 1995, Jarrett performed the song "With My Baby Tonight".[17] Later that evening, Jarrett lost the Intercontinental Championship toShawn Michaels. Following the event, Jarrett left the WWF for five months and returned to the USWA. Jarrett returned to the WWF atIn Your House 5 on December 17, 1995, feuding withAhmed Johnson. Jarrett lost to Johnson by disqualification at the1996 Royal Rumble and left the WWF shortly thereafter due to a contract dispute. Later that year, The Roadie revealed that he had in fact sung "With My Baby Tonight" and that Jarrett had beenlip synching.[15]
After leaving the WWF in January 1996, Jarrett returned to the United States Wrestling Association in Memphis. He won the USWA Unified World Heavyweight Championship for the third time defeatingJerry Lawler on April 20. He dropped the title back to Lawler in August and left the USWA before the promotion folded in November 1997.
In October 1996, Jarrett was hired byWorld Championship Wrestling (WCW), signing a one-year contract.[8] Upon debuting in WCW, Jarrett became a "free agent" in the rivalry betweenThe Four Horsemen and theNew World Order (nWo). After defeatingChris Benoit atStarrcade, andSteve McMichael, both by cheating when the referee was distracted, Jarrett was reluctantly inducted into the Four Horsemen. On June 9, 1997, Jarrett defeatedDean Malenko to win theWCW United States Heavyweight Championship.[15][18] In mid-1997, Jarrett was kicked out of the Four Horsemen and began feuding with Horsemen member Steve McMichael. Despite aligning himself with McMichael's then-wife,Debra McMichael, Jarrett lost the United States Heavyweight Championship to McMichael on August 21. In October, Jarrett's contract expired and he opted to return to the WWF, despite the dominance of WCW in the ongoing "Monday Night War".[7][8][15]
Jarrett returned to the WWF on the October 20, 1997, episode ofRaw is War, delivering aworked shoot speech in which he criticized both WCW PresidentEric Bischoff and WWF ChairmanVince McMahon. After briefly feuding withThe Undertaker, Jarrett defeatedBarry Windham to win the vacantNWA North American Heavyweight Championship. In early 1998, Jarrett joined forces withJim Cornette and hisstable of"invading" National Wrestling Alliance wrestlers, and began defending the North American Heavyweight Championship on WWF television. In March, Jarrett left Cornette's stable, and Cornette stripped him of the title and awarded it to Windham.[8][15][19]
Jarrett went on to reprise his country music singer gimmick on the March 2, 1998, edition ofMonday Night Raw, introducingTennessee Lee as his newmanager. AtUnforgiven: In Your House on April 26, 1998, Jarrett once again sang alongsideSawyer Brown with their hit single, "Some Girls Do". On the June 1, 1998, edition ofRaw, Tennessee Lee introducedSouthern Justice (formerly known as theGodwinns) as Jarrett's new bodyguards. Jarrett grew a goatee at that time. On the August 9, 1998, edition ofSunday Night Heat, Jarrett fired Tennessee Lee after he had inadvertently cost Jarrett multiple matches in the preceding weeks. Jarrett and Southern Justice then began feuding withD-Generation X (DX), with Jarrett losing to DX memberX-Pac in a hair vs. hair match atSummerSlam. Jarrett's long hair was subsequently cut short by DX andHoward Finkel, who had himself been shaved bald by Jarrett and Southern Justice shortly before SummerSlam. Jarrett and Southern Justice were defeated by DX atBreakdown: In Your House in September, and the trio separated shortly thereafter.[15][19]
Jarrett briefly feuded withAl Snow before reuniting with Debra, who had left WCW for the WWF, and forming a tag team withOwen Hart. Hart and Jarrett were close friends and travel partners for years, so the team jelled almost immediately. Jarrett and Hart won theWWF Tag Team Championship fromKen Shamrock andBig Boss Man, successfully defending the titles atWrestleMania XV before losing toKane and X-Pac on an episode ofRaw. Eight days after Hartdied in a stunt that went wrong atOver the Edge, Jarrett defeatedThe Godfather, who Owen was scheduled to face at the pay-per-view, for the Intercontinental Championship. As he was handed the title belt, he yelled Hart's name in tribute to his friend. In mid-1999, Jarrett exchanged the Intercontinental Championship withEdge andD'Lo Brown on two more occasions.[15][19] His fifth reign brokeRazor Ramon's record from 1995. He held the record untilChris Jericho's seventh reign in 2004.
In the months that followed, Jarrett became increasingly abusive towards Debra. AtSummerSlam, Jarrett challenged D'Lo Brown for both theWWF European Championship and WWF Intercontinental Championships, with Debra accompanying Brown to the ring following an argument with Jarrett. Brown lost the match after bothMark Henry and Debraturned on him, making Jarrett the second ever "Euro-Continental Champion". On the following episode ofRaw, Jarrett rewarded Debra and Henry by giving Debra an assistant,Miss Kitty, and Henry the European Championship.[15][20] In late 1999, Jarrett began feuding withChyna over the Intercontinental Championship.[21] Over the course of the feud, Jarrett would develop amisogynistic character, attacking numerous women such asJacqueline,Stephanie McMahon andCindy Margolis, while insinuating women like Chyna "had no business being in a wrestling ring, and should be cooking, cleaning and making babies". He would attack Chyna withfrying pans and even dump her in alaundry basket. Jarrett eventually abandoned Debra in favor of Miss Kitty after he and Debra were defeated by Stephanie McMahon andTest in a mixed tag team match. He later also turned on Miss Kitty after she lost a match that Jarrett had inserted her into in his place.[15][19]
Jarrett left the WWF in October 1999, right after WWF head writerVince Russo resigned from the WWF in order to join WCW.[22] Jarrett's contract expired on October 16, 1999, one day before his scheduled match with Chyna atNo Mercy.[23] Jarrett wrestled at No Mercy nonetheless, losing the Intercontinental Championship to Chyna.[24] Chyna later alleged that Jarrett and Russo had colluded in order to delay Jarrett's title defense until after Jarrett's contract had expired, and that Jarrett had subsequently made a deal with WWF Chairman Vince McMahon for $200,000 in order to wrestle at No Mercy without a contract.[23] In 2006, Jarrett asserted that he had been paid only what he was owed by the WWF.[15][25][26][27] In a 2008 interview for a TNA special, Jarrett stated that not only were his negotiations cordial and in good faith, but that he also gotstock options in WWF'sinitial public offering, which occurred two days after he left.[28]
Jarrett returned to WCW on the October 18, 1999, episode ofWCW Monday Nitro, attackingBuff Bagwell and proclaiming himself the "Chosen One" of WCW. Jarrett took part in a tournament for the vacantWCW World Heavyweight Championship, winning his first three matches with the assistance ofCreative Control. AtMayhem on November 21, he was eliminated from the tournament after losing his semi-final match toChris Benoit following interference fromDustin Rhodes. AtStarrcade on December 19, Jarrett defeated Rhodes in aBunkhouse Brawl, then unsuccessfully challenged Benoit for the United States Heavyweight Championship in aladder match. On the following episode ofNitro, Jarrett defeated Benoit in a rematch, winning the belt. In the same evening, Jarrett reformed the nWo withWCW World Heavyweight ChampionBret Hart and the reigningWCW World Tag Team Champions,Kevin Nash andScott Hall, with the foursome calling themselves "nWo 2000".[15][19]
In early 2000, Jarrett feuded with WCW CommissionerTerry Funk, who forced him to wrestle three veterans –George Steele,Tito Santana, andJimmy Snuka – in one night. Jarrett was stripped of the United States Heavyweight Championship after suffering aconcussion during his bout with Snuka, but the title was returned to him by Nash after he became WCW Commissioner. In order to help him retain the title, Jarrett drafted the Harris Brothers (formerly Creative Control) into nWo 2000. In the following months, Jarrett repeatedly challengedSid Vicious for the WCW World Heavyweight Championship, in the process clashing with Nash and winning the position of WCW Commissioner for himself. Following Bret Hart's retirement, the nWo disbanded.[19]
In April, WCW was rebooted byEric Bischoff and Vince Russo, with all titles vacated as a result. Bischoff and Russo also createdThe New Blood, a stable of younger wrestlers who feuded withThe Millionaire's Club, made up of the older members of the WCW roster. Jarrett joined The New Blood, and atSpring Stampede on April 16, he defeated Millionaires Club memberDiamond Dallas Page to win the vacant WCW World Heavyweight Championship. Page regained the title on April 24, and on April 25, the title was contested in a tag team match pitting Jarrett and Bischoff against Page and actorDavid Arquette. Arquette won the WCW World Heavyweight Championship after pinning Bischoff. Jarrett hit Page with the championship belt while special refereeKimberly Page's back was turned; WCW officialMickie Jay counted Bischoff out while Jarrett had Page pinned, who kicked out. AtSlamboree on May 7, Jarrett defeated Page and Arquette in a three-waytriple cage match to win his second WCW World Heavyweight Championship after Arquette turned on Page.[15][19]
In May, Jarrett won and lost the WCW World Heavyweight Championship on two further occasions, regaining the title from Ric Flair both times. Jarrett feuded with Nash andHulk Hogan throughout June 2000, and on July 9 atBash at the Beach, he faced Hogan with the world championship on the line; the match ended swiftly after Jarrett immediately lay down, allowing Hogan to rest a boot on his chest and win the title, with Hogan commenting, "That's why this company is in the damn shape it's in—because of bullshit like this!". Vince Russo subsequently came to the ring and delivered aprofanity-laced statement, in which he accused Hogan of politicking and claimed that Hogan had used his creative control to refuse to lose to Jarrett. Russo then stated that, while Hogan was free to keep the title belt he had just won (the "Hulk Hogan Memorial Belt"), Jarrett would wrestleBooker T for the official WCW World Heavyweight Championship later that night. Booker T won the match and Hogan did not appear in WCW again. It is disputed whether the situation was ashoot, awork, or some combination of the two.[15][19][29]
In the following months, Jarrett briefly feuded with Booker T,Mike Awesome,Sting,Buff Bagwell, and Flair. In late 2000, he joined forces with the Harris Brothers once more, with the trio defeatingThe Filthy Animals atStarrcade on December 17. In the same evening, Jarrett aligned himself with WCW World Heavyweight ChampionScott Steiner by helping Steiner defeat Sid Vicious.
In 2001, Jarrett and Steiner became members ofThe Magnificent Seven, a large stable headed by Flair. Flair and Jarrett feuded withDusty and Dustin Rhodes until March, when WCW was purchased by the WWF.
Uninterested in Jarrett, the WWF neglected to acquire his contract, leaving him without a job. On the March 26 episode of the WWF'sRaw program (which coincided with the final episode ofNitro), WWF ownerVince McMahon was seen watching Jarrett within the WCW venue on a television set. Mocking Jarrett's trademark of distinctly spelling out his name, McMahon stated that Jarrett would be "Capital G, Double-O, Double-N, Double-E – GOONNEE!"[15][19]
With both WCW and the WWF now ruled out as employment options, Jarrett resurfaced inWorld Wrestling All-Stars (WWA) in late 2001, wrestling throughout Australia and Europe. Jarrett won theWWA World Heavyweight Championship, but was later stripped of the title. Jarrett returned to the WWA during his firstNWA World Heavyweight Championship reign; he defeatedSting for the WWA World Heavyweight Championship at the last WWA event on May 25, 2003,unifying the two titles.
In June 2002, Jarrett and his father created alimited-liability company, J Sports and Entertainment and opened a new pro wrestling promotion,Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA). TNA aired in a weeklypay-per-view format until May 2004, when the promotion negotiated a television deal withFox Sports Net and began broadcastingImpact!. In November 2004, TNA began airing monthly pay-per-views instead of weekly pay-per-views, and in October 2005Impact! moved toSpike TV.Panda Energy and its chairman and CEO, Robert Carter, acquired a controlling interest in TNA in 2002, although Jarrett remained a minority owner.[30][31]
On the inaugural TNA pay-per-view on June 19, 2002, Jarrett took part in a Gauntlet for the Gold with the NWA World Heavyweight Championship on the line, but was eliminated by country singer Toby Keith. In the following months, Jarrett feuded with Scott Hall, Brian Lawler, and Brian Girard James. On November 20, 2002, Jarrett defeatedRon Killings to win the NWA World Heavyweight Championship with the assistance of Vince Russo. After Jarrett refused to join Russo'sSports Entertainment Xtreme stable, Russo turned the members of SEX, including the debutingRaven, against Jarrett. The rivalry continued until February 2003, when Russo parted ways with SEX. In the following months, Jarrett feuded with the remaining members of SEX, then began feuding with Raven andRaven's Nest, the group of wrestlers that Raven controlled. On June 11, 2003, Jarrett faced Raven andA.J. Styles in a 3-way match for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship. Styles pinned Jarrett to win the title after the returning Russo struck Jarrett with a guitar. Jarrett regained the title from Styles on October 22, 2003, turning heel. Jarrett was unable to escape Styles, losing the title to him on April 21, 2004, in a steel cage after Russo—who had returned as the new TNADirector of Authority—chose Styles to replace the injuredChris Harris. Jarrett would get revenge on May 19, however, by hitting Styles with a guitar during a title match, which enabled Ron Killings to win the title. Jarrett then defeated Killings, Styles, Raven and Harris in aKing of the Mountain match on June 2 to win his third NWA World Heavyweight Championship.[19][32]
In early 2005, Jarrett formed a dominant stable known asPlanet Jarrett withMonty Brown,Kip James, and, later,Rhino. Jarrett also used the phrase "Planet Jarrett" to refer to TNA as a whole, reflecting his real-life stake in the company and his prominent role within the promotion. On April 3, 2005, Jarrett defended the championship outside NWA territory, wrestlingRay González in theInternational Wrestling Association. González won with a clean pin and briefly held the belt, being stripped on the same card. The championship was returned to Jarrett and the change was not recorded as official by TNA or the NWA. Despite his efforts to hold on to the title, however, he lost it to long-time rival A.J. Styles atHard Justice on May 15, 2005.[32]
Jarrett won his fourth NWA World Heavyweight Championship on September 15, 2005, defeating Raven at aBorder City Wrestling (BCW) event. He lost the title to Rhino atBound for Glory on October 23, but regained it on the November 3 episode ofImpact!. Jarrett's reign lasted untilAgainst All Odds on February 12, 2006, when he was defeated byChristian Cage.
In the following months, Jarrett feuded with Sting, who had declared that Jarrett was a "cancer" in TNA. In the course of the feud, Scott Steiner debuted in TNA as an ally of Jarrett.[33]
AtSlammiversary on June 18, 2006, Jarrett won his sixth NWA World Heavyweight Championship in a King of the Mountain match when refereeEarl Hebner tipped over a ladder thatChristian Cage and Sting were simultaneously climbing. He retained the title in a bout with Sting atHard Justice after Cage turned on Sting, hitting him with one of Jarrett's guitars. After apolygraph proved that Jarrett had cheated to win the NWA World Heavyweight Championship, Director of AuthorityJim Cornette forced Jarrett to wrestleSamoa Joe in a "fan's revenge"lumberjack match atNo Surrender, with Joe winning the match. At theBound for Glory pay-per-view on October 22, Sting defeated Jarrett for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship after Jarrett was forced to submit to Sting's signature finisher, theScorpion Death Lock.
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On the following episode ofImpact!, Jarrett announced in an interview that he was leaving TNA indefinitely. For the following six months, Jarrett did not appear on TNA television, instead focusing on his role as Vice President of TNA Entertainment. Jarrett, however, temporarily returned to TNA television on the April 12, 2007, episode ofImpact!, and aligned himself with Samoa Joe, by helping him defeat A.J. Styles, turning face. On April 15 atLockdown, Jarrett, making his in-ring return, and the rest ofTeam Angle defeatedTeam Cage in aLethal Lockdown match. The following episode ofImpact!, he delivered his first promo in months, stating it's not all about Jeff Jarrett and he returned to give back to the wrestlers and fans, officially completing his face turn. He then entered into a feud withRobert Roode, losing a match to him atSacrifice on May 13. Jarrett was then scheduled to take on Styles with the winner to earn a spot in the King of the Mountain match atSlammiversary on June 17 but could not compete due to "personal issues". In 2008, Jarrett was featured in the promotion of TNA's "Maximum Impact!" tour of the United Kingdom.[34]
AtHard Justice on August 10, 2008, Samoa Joe defeated Booker T using the Acoustic Equalizer, the trademark move of Jarrett, setting up for his return to in-ring action, as quoted by the website, "Obviously, we all know who used a guitar in the past!" referring indirectly to Jarrett. After numerous weeks of Jarrett's theme song playing and his guitar appearing on TNA programming, Jarrett returned on the September 11 episode ofImpact!. AtNo Surrender on September 14, he would help Joe defeatKurt Angle and Cage and assist Joe in retaining theTNA World Heavyweight Championship by hitting Angle with a guitar, keeping him aface. The following Thursday onImpact!, Jarrett cut his firstpromo since Slammiversary, claiming that the current respect angle that Sting was involved in was actually a matter of the veterans refusing to pass the torch to the young guys. Angle came out and challenged Jarrett to a match atBound for Glory IV on October 12, but Jarrett refused, saying he had nothing left to prove, and instead pointed to the screen to reveal the debutingMick Foley. On the next episode ofImpact!, Jarrett relented to verbal cheap shots taken by Angle regarding Jarrett's children and accepted the match at Bound for Glory. The feud got more personal due to Angle mentioning Jarrett's wife, which led to Foley being named thespecial enforcer for their match. At Bound for Glory, Jarrett returned to the ring after a 17-month absence, and defeated Angle using his Acoustic Equalizer.
On the November 20 episode ofImpact!, Kurt Angle threatened Mick Foley and wanted another match against Jarrett atFinal Resolution on December 7 after Foley announced that it was Angle would face Rhino at Final Resolution. Angle continued to demand a match with Jarrett and he said if he could not get Jarrett at Final Resolution, he would wrestle Foley. Angle then slapped Foley causing Jarrett to come out and talk about what Angle wanted and then what Jarrett wanted (Angle to be fired). Because of Angle's contract clause, Jarrett could not fire him, so he made this stipulation: if Angle lost to Rhino, he would be fired from TNA; if Angle beat Rhino, he would get Jarrett atGenesis on January 11, 2009. Angle defeated Rhino at Final Resolution, allowing him to face Jarrett at Genesis. The feud got even more personal when it started involving Jarrett's three daughters during the December 11 episode ofImpact!. Angle said that they would becomeorphans after Genesis and that "Uncle Kurt" may find it in his heart to adopt them and make them his. Jarrett came out to confront him but was held back by his longtime friend, BG James, TNA PersonnelTerry Taylor, referee Earl Hebner, andScott D'Amore. At Genesis, Jarrett lost to Angle. Jarrett suffered some injuries, but able to compete on the TNA Maximum Impact Tour, by facing against Angle in two singles and a few tag team matches with A.J. Styles against Angle and Scott Steiner. Then on the February 12 episode ofImpact!, Jarrett returned to stop Angle from forcing Sting to lay down and gain an easy championship victory. The next week, Jarrett allowed Angle to have another match against Sting, and on the February 26 episode ofImpact!, Jarrett announced Angle versus Sting atDestination X on March 15 for the TNA World Heavyweight Championship. AtLockdown on April 19, Jarrett captained a team against Angle's team inLethal Lockdown which his team won.
Jarrett would then enter a feud with Mick Foley, who attacked him while shooting his DVD at theTNA Asylum. The two would meet in a four-way match atSacrifice on May 24 involving Kurt Angle and Sting with Jarrett putting his voting shares in TNA on the line, Angle putting his leadership ofThe Main Event Mafia, Sting putting his career, and Foley putting the TNA World Heavyweight Championship; Sting would go on to pin Angle for the victory and leadership of the Main Event Mafia. Jarrett later pinned Eric Young in order to qualify for the King of the Mountain match, however, Young attacked Jarrett after the match in the storyline. The following week, Jarrett called out Young and offered to turn the other cheek, but instead Youngprovoked him by saying that he pays more attention to wrestling than his own daughters just like his father Jerry which resulted in Jarrett slapping Young and assaulting him. Jarrett also would accidentally punch refereeEarl Hebner while Hebner was trying to separate the two. On the June 11 episode ofImpact!, Mick Foley kayfabe fined and suspended Jarrett and threw him out of the arena as a punishment. The following week, Foley threw a party for Jarrett and welcomed his return to TNA in order to have him on his side atSlammiversary on June 21. At Slammiversary, Jarrett refused to give Foley the belt in the King of the Mountain match, which was won by Kurt Angle after assistance from Samoa Joe. Shortly after Slammiversary, Jarrett once again disappeared from TNA programming. During his hiatus, it was reported that Jarrett had lost all of his backstage power in TNA and would return only as a wrestler.[35]
On the December 3 episode ofImpact!, Jarrett made his first appearance in months via telephone, refusing to help Mick Foley regain control over TNA afterDixie Carter had announced that Hulk Hogan was coming to TNA.[36] On the December 10 episode ofImpact!, Foley met with Jarrett, who agreed to return and help him deal with Carter and Hogan.[37] On the January 4, 2010 episode ofImpact!, Hogan made his debut, confronted Jarrett and claimed that he had to earn his spot in TNA.[38] The following week, Jarrett started showing signs of aheel turn as he threatened Hogan with legal actions;[39] however, on the January 28 episode ofImpact!, he changed his mind and agreed to fight for his spot. In the main event of the show, he came out to no entrance music or pyrotechnics and was defeated byMr. Anderson after a low blow.[40] This started an angle of Hogan's business partner Eric Bischoff, acting on his own without Hogan, having Jarrett work humiliating jobs backstage at the Impact! Zone, such as flipping burgers and cleaning restrooms, while also booking him in unfavorable matches, such as surprise Falls Count Anywhere and handicap matches.[41][42][43]
On the March 22 episode ofImpact!, after Jarrett broke a guitar over Bischoff's head, Bischoff placed him and Mick Foley, another wrestler he had had problems with, against each other in a No Disqualification match, where the loser would get fired from TNA. Jarrett won the match, refereed byBeer Money, Inc., and with Foley fired from TNA, Hogan ordered Bischoff to lay off of Jarrett.[44] The following week, Hogan, prior to leaving on a business trip, apologized to Jarrett for Bischoff's behavior and gave him a chance to earn the number one contendership to the TNA World Heavyweight Championship in a match against the TNA World Heavyweight Champion A.J. Styles. With Hogan out of the building, Bischoff and Styles' manager Ric Flair interfered in the match and cost Jarrett the number one contendership. Later in the evening, Jarrett was announced as the second member ofAbyss' Team Hogan in the annualLethal Lockdown match, where they would meet Team Flair, led by Sting.[45] AtLockdown on April 18, Team Hogan (Abyss, Jarrett,Rob Van Dam andJeff Hardy) defeated Team Flair (Sting,Desmond Wolfe, Robert Roode and James Storm), when Bischoff turned face and helped Team Hogan pick up the victory, effectively ending his feud with Jarrett.[46] Just before Lockdown, Jarrett said that he was going to find out the answers to Sting's behavior, which led into a brawl onImpact!, with Sting leaving a beaten Jarrett in the ring, which in turn led to their match atSacrifice on May 16. At Sacrifice, Sting assaulted Jarrett prior to their match and then dragged him in to the ring, where he scored a pinfall in seconds over a bloodied Jarrett.[47]
Jarrett was sidelined for a month before making his return atSlammiversary VIII on June 13, where he cost Sting his TNA World Heavyweight Championship match against Rob Van Dam.[48] On the June 24 episode ofImpact!, Sting assaulted Jarrett to the point that TNA president Dixie Carter suspended him for 30 days without pay the following week.[49][50] During Sting's suspension, Jarrett found a new enemy in Kevin Nash, who claimed that Jarrett himself, and not Sting, was what was wrong with TNA.[51] Sting returned from his suspension on the August 5 episode ofImpact!, wearing a new red face paint, and, together with Nash, beat down Jarrett, Bischoff and Hogan.[52] On the August 26 episode ofImpact!, Jarrett attempted to recruit Samoa Joe to help him against Nash and Sting, but was turned down. Thus Jarrett was left alone for a match, where he was defeated by Nash, after an interference from Sting.[53] The following week, Sting defeated Jarrett in a singles match, after an interference from Kevin Nash. After the match, Samoa Joe joined Jarrett and drove Sting and Nash away.[54] AtNo Surrender on September 5, Jarrett and Joe defeated Sting and Nash in a tag team match, after Jarrett hit Sting with his own baseball bat.[55]
AtBound for Glory on October 10, Jarrett and Joe faced Sting, Nash and their newest allyD'Angelo Dinero in a two-on-three handicap match after Hulk Hogan, who was scheduled to team with Joe and Jarrett, was forced to pull out due to a back surgery; at the end of the match, Jarrett abandoned Joe and left Joe behind to be pinned by Nash, thus Jarrett turnedheel for the first time since 2007. At the end of the event, Jarrett aligned himself with Hulk Hogan, who ended up making a surprise appearance, Eric Bischoff, Abyss and the new TNA World Heavyweight ChampionJeff Hardy, all of whom made heel turns with the exception of the already heel Abyss, in the process revealing themselves as the "they" Abyss had referred to.[56] On the following episode ofImpact!, Jarrett explained that he had joined the stable, now known asImmortal, in order to get back at Dixie Carter for taking away his backstage power in TNA, while also wanting to end the career of Kurt Angle, who had proclaimed that he would retire from professional wrestling if he failed to win the TNA World Heavyweight Championship at Bound for Glory. Jarrett then attacked Angle, when he was being restrained by TNA's security officers.[57] The following week, Samoa Joe attempted to avenge what had happened at Bound for Glory, but was restrained by the security officers, before being beat down by Jarrett.[58]
AtTurning Point on November 7, Jarrett defeated Joe after choking him out with abaton, following interference fromGunner andMurphy, his security officers.[59] On the following episode ofImpact!, Jarrett assaulted Joe after he had defeated Gunner and Murphy in a handicap match, but was then chased away by the returning Kurt Angle.[60] AtFinal Resolution on December 5, Jarrett faced Joe in a submission match; after a pre-match assault and later an interference by Gunner and Murphy, Jarrett forced Joe to submit with an ankle lock.[61] On the January 6, 2011, episode ofImpact!, Angle interrupted Jarrett's $100,000mixed martial arts (MMA) challenge and signed a contract to face him atGenesis on January 9 in an MMA exhibition match, since he had promised not to wrestle again.[62] The match was thrown out in the third round after Jarrett blinded Angle; after the match, Jarrett bloodied Angle, before announcing that he was ending his mixed martial arts career and promised that his current (and Angle's former) wife,Karen Jarrett, would be joining the retirement party.[63]
On the January 13 episode ofImpact!, Karen made her return and stopped Angle just as he was about to attack Jarrett, telling him that she would not allow him to ruin their personal lives and promised to tell all about their divorce the following week.[64] The following week, Karen slapped Angle, providing a distraction which allowed Jarrett to beat him down.[65] On February 13 atAgainst All Odds, Jarrett defeated Angle in a singles match and as a result Angle was forced to walk Karen down the aisle, when she and Jarrett renewed their wedding vows on the March 3 edition ofImpact!.[66] On March 3, Angle proceeded to destroy the wedding set with an axe and forced wedding guest,New York JetBart Scott to tap out with the ankle lock.[67]
On April 17 atLockdown, Jarrett defeated Angle in an"Ultra Male Rules" two-out-of-three Falls steel cage match, with help from Karen.[68] It was later reported that Jarrett had severely bruised his ribs in the match.[69] On the May 12 episode ofImpact Wrestling, Angle revealed a name from Jarrett's past, Chyna, as his backup in taking care of him and Karen.[70] AtSacrifice on May 15, Angle and Chyna defeated the Jarretts in a mixed tag team match.[71] With Karen out of the picture, Angle defeated Jarrett on June 12 atSlammiversary IX in what was billed as the "final battle" between the two.[72] However, on the following episode ofImpact Wrestling, Jarrett challenged Angle to aParking Lot Brawl and agreed to sign a contract that would force him to move toMexico without Angle's children; Angle ended up winning the fight after choking Jarrett with a shirt, forcing him to say "adiós", thus ending the long feud in the process.[73] The following week onImpact Wrestling, Bischoff forced Jarrett to obey the match stipulations and exiled him to Mexico.[74]
Jarrett returned to TNA on the July 14 episode ofImpact Wrestling, showing off the "Mexican Heavyweight Championship" belt, playing off theAAA Mega Championship he had won during his stay in Mexico.[75] On the August 18 episode ofImpact Wrestling, Jarrett aligned himself with theMexican America stable by helping its membersAnarquia andHernandez defeat Beer Money, Inc. for theTNA World Tag Team Championship.[76]
In October, Jarrett began feuding with the returning Jeff Hardy.[77] On November 13 atTurning Point, Jarrett lost to Hardy three times in a row, first in six seconds, then in six minutes and finally in ten seconds.[78] On December 11 atFinal Resolution, Jarrett was defeated by Hardy in a steel cage match.[79] As per stipulation of the match, Jarrett was, in storyline, fired from TNA on the following episode ofImpact Wrestling.[80] In reality, he was written off television to overseeRing Ka King, a new promotion based inIndia that is a subsidiary of TNA.[81]
After Ring Ka King, Jarrett wrestled for AAA without work in TNA. In 2013, Jarrett assumed the backstage role of Executive Vice President of Development/Original Programming.[82] In 2013, Jarrett and Country star Toby Keith tried to buy TNA; however, when both met Bob Carter, he demanded that his daughter Dixie remain in the company as on-screen President. Jarrett and Keith decided to create their own company.[83] On December 22, 2013, Jarrett resigned from TNA Entertainment.[84] Jarrett remained an investor in TNA Wrestling after his resignation came in effect on January 6, 2014.[85]
Jarrett made his debut for Mexican promotionLucha Libre AAA Worldwide on March 21, 2004, defeatingLatin Lover to win the 2004Rey de Reyes tournament.[86] Over the next two years, Jarrett would make several sporadic appearances for AAA as a member of the heel stableLa Legión Extranjera, before the working relationship between AAA and TNA was ended.
In 2004, theInternational Wrestling Association (IWA) ran an angle that satirized its main competition, theWorld Wrestling Council (WWC), by having a heel stable led byRay González adopt its former name of "Capitol Sports" during an invasion angle. On October 9, 2004, González announced that Capitol had formed an alliance with TNA forGolpe de Estado and that this move would bring in Jarrett, then the NWA World Heavyweight Champion,Robert Roode,Konnan andShawn Hernandez to compete on its behalf. AtGolpe de Estado, Jarrett defeatedShane Sewell to retain the NWA title and help the heels gain an advantage in the series.[87] However, González lost with Capitol and IWA tied, ending the angle. Following a face turn, González's association with Jarrett soon concluded, leading to a feud between them. This angle concluded on April 3, 2005, when González defeated Jarrett in a titular contest to win the NWA World Heavyweight Championship.[88] However, his reign was short, being stripped on the same event and at the time the title change was unrecognized by the NWA, with Jarrett returning to TNA with the belt.[88] Starting in 2015, the NWA recognizes Gonzalez's championship reign.
In February 2010, TNA restarted their working relationship with AAA and in early May 2011, Jarrett made his return to AAA television, announcing his and TNA's alignment with Dorian Roldán and his heel stableLa Sociedad and their participation inTriplemanía XIX.[89] Konnan, the co-leader ofLa Sociedad and former TNA worker, however, was against the idea of his former employer coming to AAA and believed that Roldán had made a mistake by inviting him to the promotion.[90] Jarrett and Abyss arrived to AAA on May 18 for a confrontation with Konnan andLa Sociedad. In the end, Jarrett and Konnan revealed that they were in fact on the same page with each other and turned on AAA Mega ChampionEl Zorro with Konnan announcing that Jarrett would be challenging for his title at Triplemanía XIX.[91][92] On June 18 at Triplemanía XIX, Jarrett defeated El Zorro to become the new AAA Mega Champion.[93] On July 31 atVerano de Escándalo, Jarrett successfully defended the title in a three-way elimination match againstDr. Wagner, Jr. andL.A. Park, when someone wearing El Zorro's old mask interfered and hit Park with aguitar.[94] This person was later revealed asLa Sociedad memberChessman, whom Konnan had sent to interfere in the match in order to have Park go after El Zorro instead of continuing to chase his stablemate's title.[95] The storyline continued on October 9 atHéroes Inmortales, where both Jarrett and Park took part in theCopa Antonio Peña gauntlet match. After working together for the entire match, Park eventually turned on Jarrett and eliminated him. After a distraction from the Jarretts, Park was attacked by another masked El Zorro, costing him the match.[96]
Jarrett returned to AAA on March 18, 2012, atRey de Reyes, where he cost L.A. Park his opportunity to earn a shot at the AAA Mega Championship in the finals of the Rey de Reyes tournament. Later that same event, Jarrett lost the AAA Mega Championship toEl Mesías, following interference from Park, ending his reign at 274 days, which was at the time the longest reign in the title's history.[97] On August 5 atTriplemanía XX, Jarrett teamed up with the debuting Kurt Angle as Team Dorian Roldán in a Hair vs. Hair match, where they faced Team Joaquín Roldán (L.A. Park andElectroshock), with the Roldáns' hairs on the line. Electroshock won the match for his team by pinning Angle, forcing Dorian to have his head shaved bald. However, after the match, theLa Sociedad members overpowered the winners and shaved Joaquín bald.[98] Jarrett made a surprise return on December 2 atGuerra de Titanes, hitting L.A. Park with a guitar, after he had escaped a six-way steel cageLucha de Apuestas.[99]
Jarrett's next AAA appearance took place on June 16, 2013, atTriplemanía XXI, where he,Matt Morgan andMonster Pain defeatedAAA World Trios ChampionsLos Psycho Circus (Monster Clown,Murder Clown andPsycho Clown) in a non-title match.[100] On December 8 atGuerra de Titanes, Jarrett was pinned by El Mesías in an eight-man tag team main event, where he, Daga, La Parka Negra and Psicosis were defeated by El Mesías,Cibernético,El Hijo del Perro Aguayo andLa Parka. Post-match, Jarrett took part in the reformation ofLa Sociedad.[101]
On March 16, 2014, atRey de Reyes, Jarrett representedLa Sociedad in a six-man tag team match, where he,Máscara Año 2000 Jr. and ElTexano Jr. faced Cibernético, Electroshock and Psycho Clown. At the end of the match, AAA president Joaquín Roldán hit Jarrett with his own guitar, after which he was pinned by Cibernético.[102] Jarrett was defeated in similar fashion by Electroshock in another six-man tag team match on June 27, after which he was challenged to a Hair vs. Hair match.[103]On May 24, 2015, Jarrett appeared at AAA'sLucha Libre World Cup event on behalf of hisGlobal Force Wrestling promotion, providing English commentary for the semi-final matches of the event and scouting talent for the upcoming GFW events.
On October 6, 2013, Jarrett went to Japan to work an event forWrestle-1 inTokyo'sKorakuen Hall, teaming with the promotion's founderKeiji Mutoh andMasakatsu Funaki in a six-man tag team match, where they defeated Desperado (Masayuki Kono,Kazma Sakamoto andRyoji Sai).[104]
When Jarrett left TNA, he announced intentions to create a new promotion. Jarrett revealed the promotion's name,Global Force Wrestling (GFW), on April 7, 2014. Since the founding of GFW, Jarrett has represented the organization at TNA, NJPW, and other companies' events. Jarrett made his in-ring debut for the promotion on October 28, 2015, defeating Nathan Cruz as part of the GFW UK Invasion tour.[105] During GFW's return to the UK, Jarrett defeated the likes ofNoam Dar,Doug Williams andPepper Parks from March 2 to 5.[106]
On June 21, 2014, it was announced GFW had inked a working agreement withNew Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW)[107] On August 10, Jarrett made an appearance for NJPW to officially sign the agreement. Later in the event, he joined the villainousBullet Club stable.[108] Jarrett returned to NJPW on October 13 atKing of Pro-Wrestling, where he accompanied Bullet Club stablemate A.J. Styles for hisIWGP Heavyweight Championship defense. After Jarrett's outside interference was stopped by the returningYoshitatsu, Styles lost the title toHiroshi Tanahashi.[109][110] Jarrett made his next NJPW appearance on November 8 atPower Struggle, where he helped Styles defeat Yoshitatsu, whom he afterwards also hit with a guitar.[111] Jarrett made his NJPW in-ring debut on January 4, 2015, atWrestle Kingdom 9 in Tokyo Dome, where he and his Bullet Club stablematesBad Luck Fale andYujiro Takahashi were defeated byHiroyoshi Tenzan,Satoshi Kojima andTomoaki Honma, after he accidentally hit Takahashi with a guitar.[112]
Jarrett returned to TNA on the June 24, 2015, episode ofImpact Wrestling, alongside his wifeKaren Jarrett; Jarrett announced that he was part of the King of the Mountain match atSlammiversary XIII, while also promoting his new promotion Global Force Wrestling (GFW).[113] Jarrett would win his record third King of the Mountain match, thus capturing the newly reactivated and renamedTNA King of the Mountain Championship on June 28 stating that he would be taking the belt to GFW.[114] On August 12, Jarrett was appointedImpact Wrestling's new authority figure by TNA President Dixie Carter after General Manager Bully Ray was attacked, which led to Jarrett vacating the King of the Mountain Championship. The week after, it was revealed that Karen Jarrett orchestrated the attacks on Bully Ray and Drew Galloway, claiming that TNA was her husband's company and that he deserved it. Jarrett turned his back on Carter, choosing to align with his wife and turning heel in the process. On the September 16 episode ofImpact Wrestling, Carter made a challenge to Jarrett, putting her TNA shares up against his for full control of the company, by setting up a 10-man tag team match. It was later reported that Jarrett had sold his minority stake to Panda Energy.[115] On the September 16 edition ofImpact Wrestling, Team TNA (Galloway, Lashley, Eddie Edwards, Bram and Davey Richards) defeated Team GFW (Sonjay Dutt, Jeff Jarrett, Eric Young, Chris Mordetzky and Brian Myers) in a Lethal Lockdown Match, resulting in Dixie gaining possession of Jarrett's TNA stake and, as a result, full control of TNA.
On January 5, 2017, it was announced that Jarrett had rejoined Impact Wrestling, now under the ownership ofAnthem Sports & Entertainment In April 2017,[116] Jarrett stated thatImpact Wrestling andGlobal Force Wrestling were "becoming one day by day." On June 28, it was reported that Impact Wrestling had acquired Global Force Wrestling.[117] On September 5, it was announced that Jarrett would be taking an "indefinite leave of absence" from GFW.[118][119] On October 23, Impact Wrestling confirmed the termination of its relationship with Jarrett and his company Global Force Entertainment Inc.[120]
Shortly after the Anthem termination of its relationship with Jarrett and his company Global Force Entertainment Inc, Anthem would still continue to use GFW's tape library with them using the shows One Night Only: GFW Amped Anthology and the promotion reverted to the Impact Wrestling name as Jarrett owned the rights to GFW. During the time of the rebranding, the company had been named Impact Wrestling after itsflagship program, and had assumed the name ofGlobal Force Wrestling (GFW). The Global Wrestling Network (GWN) name had been influenced by its connection to GFW.[121] In October Impact Wrestling launched the streaming service named Global Wrestling Network despite Jarrett owning the GFW rights.[122][123][124][125][126][127][128] On August 14, 2018, Jarrett and his company Global Force Entertainment announced that it had filed a lawsuit against Impact Wrestling's parent companyAnthem Sports & Entertainment in theDistrict Court of Tennessee for copyright infringement over the GFW rights, as Jarrett owned all Global Force Wrestling properties since its creation in 2014. If the lawsuit by Jarrett is successful, Impact would need to immediately suspend the operations of their streaming subscription service under its current name and the company would have to censor the GFW name in their content.[129][130] A mistrial was declared in July 2020 and the lawsuit was not successful as the belief from the neutral judge was that Jarrett infiltrated the jury.[131] The two sides ultimately agreed to a settlement in January 2021.[132]
On June 3, 2018, Jarrett made a surprise second return to AAA atVerano de Escandalo where he unmasked himself as the new leader of theMAD heel stable and inserted himself into the eventsRey Wagner vs.Rey Mysterio Jr. main event for theAAA Mega Championship, making it a three-way match. Jarrett would win the match and become the AAA Mega Champion for the second time afterKonnan returned to AAA during the match as an imposter maskedLa Parka with referee attire on, revealing upon unmasking after the match that he was associated with MAD and aided Jarrett in winning the title by counting the pinfall.[133] On July 13 inQuerétaro, Jarrett teamed withEl Hijo del Fantasma defeatingPsycho Clown andPagano. On August 25, atTriplemanía XXVI, Jarrett lost the Mega title toFénix in a four-way match, which also involvedBrian Cage andRich Swann.[134] atHéroes Inmortales XII, Jarrett lost toRey Wagner in aLucha de Apuestas hair vs. hair match. atRey de Reyes, Jarrett,Killer Kross andLa Máscara lost to Las Fresas Salvajes (Mamba andMáximo) andPsycho Clown in a Six-man tag teamSteel cage match.
On March 31, 2022, Jarret returned toLucha Libre AAA Worldwide at theirAAA Invades WrestleCon event, where he was revealed as the leader ofLa Empresa. AtTriplemanía XXX on April 30, Jarret andRey Escorpion brawled withLatin Lover andVampiro.
On February 19, 2018, WWE announced that Jarrett would be inducted into theWWE Hall of Fame,[135] an announcement that was met with "widespread surprise" due to the circumstances of Jarrett's departure from the promotion since October 1999 and his role in founding Impact Wrestling.[136] Jarrett was inducted on April 6, by his long-time friendRoad Dogg, with the two men singing a duet of Jarrett's country song "With My Baby Tonight".
In January 2019, Jarrett was hired by WWE as a backstageproducer. He appeared as a surprise second entrant in theRoyal Rumble match. Jarrett proposed a duet withElias, who seemingly accepted before smashing Jarrett with his guitar as the match started, leading to Jarrett's elimination by Elias. After the event, Jarrett was rehired by WWE as a backstage producer.[137] The following night onRaw after Royal Rumble, Jarrett, joined by his former partner,Road Dogg, interrupted Elias and the two sang "With My Baby Tonight". Elias attacked both Jarrett and Road Dogg with a guitar. On the February 4 episode ofRaw, Jarrett wrestled in his first WWE match onRaw in over19 years, losing to Elias. After the match, Jarrett smashed Elias with his guitar as payback for the previous week. In March 2019, it was reported that Jarrett was promoted to a full-time member of the creative team.[138] On July 30, 2021, it was reported that Jarrett had quietly departed from WWE in January.[139]
Jarrett made a one-off return toWWE on the January 21, 2022, episode ofSmackDown, appearing in a backstage segment withRick Boogs andShinsuke Nakamura. In May 2022, it was reported that Jarrett had rejoined WWE, serving as the promotion's Senior Vice President of Live Events.[140] AtSummerSlam in July 2022, Jarrett served as aspecial guest referee for theUndisputed WWE Tag Team Championship match betweenthe Usos and theStreet Profits.[141] Following the first retirement ofVince McMahon, who appointed Jarrett back in May, he departed WWE in August 2022 and was replaced byBrian James, who was appointed byTriple H.[142][143]
On January 1, 2022, Jarrett made a surprise appearance forGame Changer Wrestling at the promotion's Die 4 This event, hittingEffy with his trademark guitar shot, debuting a new persona in the process. He was dubbed "The Last Outlaw." Jarrett dressed in all black attire and debuted a new theme song. On January 15, he appeared at GCW Say You Will, attacking Effy's tag team partner Allie Katch with another guitar shot.[144] Jarrett's attacks set up a match with Effy at the promotion'sThe Wrld on GCW pay-per-view, which Jarrett won. It was Jarrett's first match since 2019.[145]
Jarrett was named an ambassador on February 11, 2022, for theNational Wrestling Alliance'sCrockett Cup event, which took place on March 19 and 20, 2022.[146] He was later announced as the special guest referee for theNWA Worlds Heavyweight Championship match betweenMatt Cardona andNick Aldis.[147]
On November 2, 2022, Jarrett made his debut forAll Elite Wrestling (AEW) onDynamite, making his first televised wrestling appearance onTBS in over 21 years since thefinal episode ofWCW Thunder on March 21, 2001. Jarrett aligned himself with Heat (Jay Lethal,Satnam Singh, Cole Karter, andSonjay Dutt) after attackingDarby Allin. Jarrett would go on to declare war on the entire AEW roster and fan base. It was subsequently announced by AEW presidentTony Khan that Jarrett would serve as AEW's Director of Business Development.[148][149] According to Jarrett and Khan, one of Jarrett's responsibilities as Director of Business Development was to help expand AEW's live event schedule and prepare the company to runhouse shows, and on February 1, 2023, AEW announced they would begin house shows titledAEW House Rules. AEW's firstHouse Rules event took place on March 18 at theHobart Arena inTroy, Ohio.[150]
In a December 2021 news release from theProspect League,[151] Jarrett was among several members of an ownership group to purchase theSpringfield Sliders, a collegiate summer league baseball team based inSpringfield, Illinois, temporarily naming it Capital City Baseball until a name was determined.
In February 2022, the ownership group announced the name of theSpringfield Lucky Horseshoes after receiving input.[152][153] Since the announcement, Jarrett has been active in the Springfield area promoting the team, which marked its 14th season in 2022 and the first season since its rebrand.
On March 4, 2025, Jarrett is among the investors of the revivedAcclaim Entertainment, a video game publisher that originally existed from 1987 to 2004.[154]
In 1993, Jarrett had a small cameo role in theMichael J. Fox movieLife With Mikey, appearing alongsideJerry Lawler as a wrestler named "Evil Eye".[155]
In 2005, Jarrett made a guest appearance on the comedy showBlue Collar TV.
TNA announced that on April 14, 2009, the first-ever JarrettDVD release would be a four-disc set, including his best TNA matches and moments, a lengthy and candid interview on his life, career, and TNA Wrestling, rare photos, and guest commentary, among others.
He is a playable character inWCW vs. the World,WWF Attitude,WWF WrestleMania 2000,WCW Backstage Assault,TNA Impact!, andTNA Wrestling Impact!.
In 2018, Jarrett appeared in the music video "Dr. Dare Rides Again" for the pop punk band Send Request.[156]
In May 2021, Jarrett along with co-hostConrad Thompson began the podcastMy World with Jeff Jarrett discussing a wide variety of subjects from Jarrett's professional wrestling career.
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | Life with Mikey | Evil Eye | |
| 1999 | The Unreal Story of Professional Wrestling | Himself | |
| 2003 | Head of State | Wrestler | Uncredited Stunt wrestler |
| 2009 | Larry the Cable Guy's Hula-Palooza Christmas Luau | Wrestling co-ordinator | |
| 2012 | Spring Breakers | Youth pastor | |
| 2023 | The Iron Claw | Jerry Jarrett | Uncredited |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Blue Collar TV | Himself | 2 episodes |
| 2009 | Rove Live | Himself | Episode #10.26 |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | WCW vs. the World | Himself | |
| 1999 | WWF Attitude | ||
| 2000 | WWF WrestleMania 2000 | ||
| WCW Backstage Assault | |||
| 2008 | TNA Impact! | Voice and motion-capture | |
| 2011 | TNA Wrestling Impact! | ||
| 2023 | WrestleQuest |
Jarrett married his "high school sweetheart" Jill Gregory on November 14, 1992, with whom he had three daughters. Jill died ofbreast cancer on May 23, 2007.[157] In 2009, it was reported that Jarrett was romantically linked toKaren Angle. This resulted in TNA president Dixie Carter placing Jarrett on a leave of absence. In 2009, Jarrett returned to TNA, using the real-life situation briefly as a storyline. On April 6, 2010, Jarrett and Karen announced their engagement; they were married on August 21, 2010.
Jarrett and his father Jerry reconciled in 2015, after years since having a falling-out over the business in TNA.[158]
On October 25, 2017, Jarrett entered an in-patient rehabilitation facility.[159] The rehab was set up by Karen Jarrett and WWE.[160] Days earlierReal Canadian Wrestling promoter Steven Ewaschuk had claimed that Jarrett had shown up to their event late and intoxicated, and then continued drinking until passing out in their locker room prior to his match. Jarrett went on to wrestle the first of his two scheduled matches, but boarded a plane home before the second event.[161]
While Jarrett was living in Nashville in the 2000's, he became family friends withTaylor Swift when they were neighbors through mutual friends, with Taylor babysitting for Jarrett's family when he was busy with meetings with TNA. "Taylor would come over and get the girls and take them back to her house and they'd bake cookies and all kind of stuff. One day, Taylor brought overJoe Jonas... Not only is she uber-creative as an artist, she thinks like a businesswoman. Those two skillsets combined, you rarely see. She deserves all the success she has."[162]
1After AAA retracted their working relationship with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, Jarrett's win was stricken from AAA's records. However, when the relationship was resumed in 2010, AAA once again began recognizing Jarrett as a former Rey de Reyes.[215]
2 Despite being aNational Wrestling Alliance (NWA) championship, Jarrett won the title while working for theWorld Wrestling Federation as part oftheir angle with the NWA.
3 Upon winning the title for the second time, Jarrett instantly unified it with theNWA World Heavyweight Championship.
| Winner (wager) | Loser (wager) | Location | Event | Date | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| X-Pac (hair) | Jeff Jarrett (hair) | New York City, New York, US | SummerSlam | August 30, 1998 | [15] |
| Dr. Wagner Jr. (hair) | Jeff Jarrett (hair) | Puebla, Puebla, Mexico | Héroes Inmortales XII | October 28, 2018 |
It was in January of this year that we believe a friendly conversation was had between Jarrett and Vince McMahon. Jarrett, we're told, was upfront with McMahon about the projects he had in the works and his desire to pursue them, while at the same time maintaining a good relationship with WWE.
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