The kingpin of Global Force Wrestling, Jeff Jarrett, was on Chael Sonnen’s You’re Welcome podcast to talk about a vast myriad of wrestling topics. Here’s a brief highlight of what they covered:
- Jarrett talks about the Grand Slam Tour, which will see Global Force in various minor league baseball stadiums. He adds that he’s done more than 50 shows in open air stadiums and has never dealt with rain interrupting the matches. Chael talks about the time he fought for Bodog in Costa Rica, on the beach, and the canvas ended up burning people’s skin.
- Jarrett says that his father, Jerry, kept him in the dark about the wrestling business growing up, and he credits that for his wrestling fandom.
- Jarrett confirms that he’s still a part owner of TNA, but he left on good terms with the company, and he’s sent text messages back and forth with Dixie Carter recently.
- Jarrett wants every promotion to succeed, not just Global Force. He wants WWE, NXT, Lucha Underground, Ring of Honor, Triple A, New Japan, everything to have great years ahead because the entire wrestling industry thriving is a great thing.
- Jarrett loves the advent of social media, so wrestling fanbases across the world can communicate with each other and let people know about brilliant local talents.
- When asked about the finish to WrestleMania, Jarrett points out that Vince McMahon and his team probably have things planned out to next year’s WrestleMania, barring injury, and he feels that the ending to the main-event “advanced all parties in the right manner”.
- Chael asks about the “legitimate tough and scary guys.” In addition to Meng, Jarrett says about Scott Steiner, “He didn’t have to say much. He was incredibly athletic with a mean streak from here to Bay City, Mich., and I’m in Tennessee. Nobody even considered pushing his buttons wrong.”
- Chael asks if Hulk Hogan is the best of all-time, citing the 30 years Hulkamania’s been around. Jeff agrees, but says that for his time, nobody was ever hotter than Stone Cold Steve Austin. Chael adds that because so much of wrestling is out of the wrestlers’ control, the biggest money maker is a good way to determine that.
- Chael says that Hogan was the only person to make everyone at ESPN leave their desks to meet him and take a photo. No other athlete from the NBA, the NFL, or the MLB garnered that kind of response.
- Jarrett has been trying to lock down Jim Ross as Chael’s broadcast partner, but he says nothing is official yet.
- They talk about great heels of the old days, and Chael’s favorites were Ted DiBiase and Rick Rude, while Jarrett cites Jerry Lawler as his personal favorite.
- Jarrett says the two most memorable people he’s ever hit with a guitar are Beetlejuice from Howard Stern and The Fabulous Moolah simply because of shock value.
I wasn’t expecting a lot of what Jarrett said, mostly in terms of his appreciation for all wrestling and the hope that everyone succeeds. It kind of makes me hope that Global Force does well, especially if their goal is to unite wrestling fans across the world and turn people on to wrestlers they might not be aware of.
