Jerry Jarrett | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | Jerry Winston Jarrett (1942-09-04)September 4, 1942[1] Nashville, Tennessee, U.S.[1] |
| Died | February 14, 2023(2023-02-14) (aged 80) Tennessee, U.S. |
| Education | Peabody College |
| Occupations | |
| Organizations |
|
| Spouse | [2] |
| Children | 4, includingJeff[2] |
| Parent | Christine Jarrett[3] |
| Relatives |
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| Ring name(s) | Hawaiian Flash Jerry Jarrett |
| Billed height | 5 ft 11 in (180 cm)[4] |
| Billed weight | 227 lb (103 kg)[4] |
| Trained by | Sailor Moran[4] Tojo Yamamoto[4] |
| Debut | 1965[4] |
| Retired | 1988[4] |
Jerry Winston Jarrett (September 4, 1942 – February 14, 2023) was an American businessman, professional wrestlingpromoter, and professional wrestler. Along with his long-term business partnerJerry Lawler, he was a key figure in the history of professional wrestling in theMid-Southern United States.[4] Described as a "wrestling genius", he was inducted into theNational Wrestling Alliance Hall of Fame in 2009.[5]
Jarrett founded theMemphis, Tennessee–basedContinental Wrestling Association in 1977. In 1989, he merged the CWA with theDallas–based promotionWorld Class Championship Wrestling, creating theUnited States Wrestling Association which he sold to Lawler in 1997. In 2002, he co-foundedNWA:TNA inNashville with his sonJeff Jarrett, selling his controlling interest toPanda Energy International later in the same year.
Jarrett was born to Christine "Teeny" Jarrett (1923–1998) inNashville on September 4, 1942.[1] His parents divorced when he was three. To support Jerry Jarrett and his sister, Christine began working as a ticket vendor at the Nashville Hippodrome forNick Gulas andRoy Welch, thepromoters ofNWA Mid-America. Over time Christine Jarrett was given more responsibility by Gulas and Welch, and by the early-1970s, she was promoting shows on their behalf inIndiana andKentucky.[3] At the age of seven, Jerry Jarrett began sellingprograms for Gulas and Welch.[1][6]
After receiving ahardship driving license at the age of 14, Jarrett began promoting professional wrestling events: renting buildings, advertising shows, constructing the ring, selling tickets, and stocking refreshments.[1][7] He worked as a promoter until enrolling inPeabody College. After graduating in 1963, Jarrett worked four years for theMurray Ohio Manufacturing Company as apurchasing agent before deciding to pursue a career in professional wrestling. He began working for Welch and Gulas as an office assistant and became a referee by default after a referee was a no-show.[1]
While working as a referee in the 1960s, Jarrett became a professional wrestler. His friendTojo Yamamoto and veteran wrestler Sailor Moran trained him. He wrestled his first match inHayti, Missouri in 1965. After debuting, Jarrett formed a tag team with Yamamoto.[1][4][8] Jarrett performed primarily forNWA Mid-America for the first few years. Between 1970 and 1976, he won theNWA Mid-America Tag Team Championship once, theNWA World Tag Team Championship(Mid-America version) once, and theNWA Southern Tag Team Championship(Mid-America version) ten times. Jarrett also performed for Gulas'Southeastern Championship Wrestling promotion and won theNWA Tennessee Tag Team Championship in 1975.[9]
In 1977, Jarrett founded theContinental Wrestling Association. In addition to booking the promotion, he also occasionally wrestled. He and Yamamoto became the inauguralCWA World Tag Team Champions in July 1980, losing the belts toAustin Idol andDutch Mantel the following month.[10] In 1985, Jarrett briefly wrestled under amask as "Hawaiian Flash".[11]
Jarrett formally retired in 1988, although he came out of retirement in 1993 and 1995 to wrestle on several occasions for hisUnited States Wrestling Association.[4]
In the early-1970s, Jarrett and his mother began promoting professional wrestling shows on behalf of Gulas in theMemphis area.[12][13] After a dispute with Gulas in 1977, Jerry Jarrett opted to break away beginning a promotion, theContinental Wrestling Association (CWA). With the support of his mother,Jerry Lawler, and Buddy Fuller, Jerry Jarrett built the CWA into a successful promotion, staging events each Monday that regularly sold-out theMid-South Coliseum and airing television shows each Saturday morning onWMC-TV. In 1981, NWA Mid-America folded due to competition from the CWA, with Gulas selling his territory to Jarrett.[13][14][15]
In 1979, The Freebirds asked Jarrett to play "Free Bird" on their entrances. They first tried it in the Mid-South Coliseum and twirling the house spotlights. As a result, Jarrett became one of the first promoters to use music and videos to promote his roster of wrestlers.[16][6]
In 1984, Jarrett entered into a talent exchange withBill Watts'Mid-South Wrestling promotion. Jarrett and Lawler advised Watts to bring more young performers into his territory to attract a younger generation of fans, especially females since they would often bring their boyfriends to the shows.[16] In 1988, Jarrett began talks withVerne Gagne, owner of theMinneapolis, Minnesota–basedAmerican Wrestling Association, about a potential merger. After negotiations broke down in 1989, Jarrett instead entered into a merger withWorld Class Championship Wrestling (WCCW), a promotion based in Dallas, to create theUnited States Wrestling Association.[17]
The United States Wrestling Association began promoting shows inTennessee andTexas in 1989, with Jarrett aspiring to make it a national promotion. In 1990, WCCW withdrew from the USWA after a revenue dispute and folded shortly afterwards.
In 1992, the USWA began a talent exchange program with theWorld Wrestling Federation. By the mid-1990s, attendances at the Mid-South Coliseum had fallen sharply, and Jarrett sold his stake in the promotion to Jerry Lawler and Larry Burton before it folded in 1997.[18]
In 1993,Vince McMahon was indicted on suspicion of supplying illegal anabolic steroids to professional wrestlers. Before the trial, McMahon appointed Jarrett to run the company in case he was found guilty and sent to prison. When McMahon was found not guilty, Jarrett left to focus on the USWA.
After stepping back from working in promotion, Jarrett worked as a consultant forWorld Championship Wrestling (WCW) and the WWF.[7]
In 2001, Jarrett suggested the acquisition of WCW, calculating that he could return the company to profitability by aggressively cutting costs. The WWF acquired the company after WCW programming onTBS andTNT was canceled.[7][1]
After the sale of World Championship Wrestling to the World Wrestling Federation and the bankruptcy ofExtreme Championship Wrestling, the North American professional wrestling industry lacked a viable competitor to the WWF. Jerry and Jeff Jarrett attempted to fill the void.[19][20] On May 9, 2002, they formed J Sports and Entertainment (JSE), the parent company ofNWA:TNA, a new professional wrestling promotion that began airing weekly pay-per-views onIn Demand on June 19.[21]
In October 2002, JSE sold a 72% controlling interest in NWA:TNA toPanda Energy.[22][23] Jarrett remained part of the NWA:TNA management team until departing in late-2005 over a dispute about the direction of the company.[24] In October 2005, he introduced professional wrestler Oleg Prudius toWWE, where he becameVladimir Kozlov.[25]
After stepping away from professional wrestling, Jarrett owned a construction company and an international television distribution company.[24][19]
Jarrett had four children: a daughter Jennifer, and sons Jerry Jr.,Jeff, and Jason.[2][19] Jerry Jarrett became estranged from Jeff in 2005 after they had disputes about their operations while runningNWA:TNA;[7] they reconciled in 2015.[26] Jerry Jarrett was married toEddie Marlin's daughter Deborah.
Jarrett died of a heart attack while undergoing treatment foresophageal cancer on February 14, 2023, at 80.[18]
Jarrett contributed to 2004'sThe Story of the Development of NWATNA: A New Concept in Pay-Per-View Programming and released the autobiographicalThe Best of Times in 2011.[27]
Back in the studio, The Hawaiian Flash appeared. The masked man wanted revenge for Lawler against Dundee. It became clear as the man talked that the Flash was Jerry Jarrett underneath a mask.
,Internet Wrestling Database