Source: Inside The Ropes
Inside The Ropes have launched a VIP service this week and one of their new shows is Lets Get Creative where they talk to wrestling bookers and writers. In the debut show, they spoke to Memphis promoter and TNA Founder, Jerry Jarrett. Here’s a portion of what Jerry had to say about TNA:
On Dixie’s non-wrestling background and how that effects her running a wrestling company:
“You’ve got to have an unabiding respect for the business or it’s impossible to be successful. When I was in the wrestling business, me and the wrestling business were intertwined. I ate it, slept it, dreamt it. The wrestling business was my mistress. Dixie saw her first match after she had ownership, I think and I know for a fact she has little regard for the tradition or the history of the business. So, if you don’t know what brought you to the dance, how are you supposed to learn from it and build on it. After all this years, it’s pretty obvious that I’m right. TNA today is as close to being a non factor in the business as you can get.”
Thoughts on TNA’s focus on Ex-WWE talents:
“That’s one of the mistakes they made. They can’t seem to get past the fact that when you bring in guys that WWE has let go, fans are going to see them as yesterday’s soup. But of course you have to have someone who knows how to cultivate and create talent otherwise you have no choice but to use whoever’s available, that’s named talent. It’s pretty obvious that they don’t have anybody that knows how to create talent. I’m guessing, because I haven’t seen the show in 2-3 years, but I’m sure there’s talent there that could be superstars. Truth, Ron Killings was in TNA and then you saw when he went to WWE how Vince made him into a superstar. In the wrestling business, it’s really not any secret, it’s understanding that if you’re making a movie. What are the ingredients you need? A compelling storyline, a great producer/director and great talent. You mix those ingredients and you get great cinema. But if you take this great star or talent and put him in a stinking movie with a stinking producer director, what do you get? And the wrestling business is a dance between the promoter or booker or writer and the talent. They have to be on the same page and they both have to be good.”
TNA’s future:
“I am amazed, because when I was there, Bob Carter called me at least two to three times a week and said ‘I can’t lose any more money, Jerry’ and I said ‘you’re needing to talk to your daughter, not to me. She’s running the place.’ So I’m amazed that they are in business. I think at this point, it’s safe to say that TNA will continue to be subsidized by Bob Carter until he dies. Then I think TNA will go the way of ECW and the territory days.”
To hear the full two hour plus interview where Jerry talks through his entire booking career from Memphis to WWE to TNA, along with over 100 hours of content in archive shows and interviews, head over to: http://www.insidetheropes.co.uk/#!vip/cvnq
The only thing I really needed to know to assess the worthiness of Jerry Jarrett’s opinion was this line: “I haven’t seen the show in 2-3 years.”
Thank you. Goodbye!
yeah, thats what I thought. But seriously, all they need is more money pumped into TNA, and to let Eric B. run the show. Despite what all the smarks say, I am conviced that Eric is one of the best minds for this job, but TNA just don’t have that much money to become really BIG. Just think about the factors of success of WCW…
Frankly, I don’t get the constant internet buzz “bring back the six sided ring”. Really? Let’s just skip those arguments why is 4 sided ring better… But these fans really think that a different ring alone would make that push that TNA now needs? I mean, this is just silly..
And then we have this “bring back Jeff Jarrett”. Man, when I see this hundred thousand times repeated comment, I’m starting to get headache. What does Jeff Jarrett bring to the table? Jeff was boring as hell even when he was world champion in WCW and that speaks for itself. I will just quote Mike Graham from documentary “Rise & Fall of WCW” and I will leave it there: “he broke six thousand guitars, never drew a dime, but he thought he was the man. And he really thought in his little Tenessee brain, that he was bigger and better and draw more money than Hulk Hogan””.
His track record as a failed promoter, also tells me his advice at being successful should not be taken seriously. If it wasn’t for Dixie’s “non wrestling background” there would be no TNA today, it would have died years ago due to Jerry’s mistakes. His bitterness makes taking any of his criticisms legitimate or not seriously.