Jeff Jarrett Says Global Force Wrestling Won’t ‘Write Stories,’ Likens His New Model To Territory Days
TNA founder Jeff Jarrett recently spoke with Rolling Stone regarding his aspirations for Global Force Wrestling, the fledgling venture he launched in 2014. Although Jarrett has been rather short on details for how the organization will function once everything falls into place, he did offer some general concepts and a detail or two to writer Aaron Oster. Describing GFW as “forward-thinking and innovative,” Jarrett indicated that the company will work with independent promotions in something of a symbiotic model of cooperation.
“We want other organizations to thrive,” said Jarrett. “We want them to do as well as they can. It’s a win-win for wrestling if that’s the case. Thirty years ago, it wasn’t uncommon for different promotions to share talent. You would load up a big card with wrestlers from other territories. It is a professional wrestling organization, first and foremost.”
Jeff Jarrett also hinted that Global Force will move away from using heavily scripted material in an effort to provide the real stories of the men and women of the squared circle.
“One big thing is that we’re not really going to write stories, although that goes into professional wrestling,” Jarrett explained. “Instead, we’re going to document stories. Like I said, every wrestler has a story. Why does he want to be in this business? What makes him tick as a human being? What is he competing for?”
Jarrett’s efforts with Global Force thus far have been deliberately and meticulously orchestrated. Social media buzz and a lengthy build up paid off for Jarrett when GFW teamed up with New Japan Pro Wrestling in January for one of the most critically acclaimed pay-per-view events in recent wrestling history. In May, Jarrett signed former MMA competitor Chael Sonnen as a commentator for the company’s events. GFW also named a number of talents as the first official members of the company’s roster, including PJ Black, Doc Gallows, Davey Boy Smith, and Karl Anderson. Most recently, Global Force put on a live event in Tennessee that drew between 400 and 500 people according to WrestleZone.
Speculation abounds as to whether or not Jeff Jarrett can ultimately succeed in turning his vision for Global Force Wrestling into a marketable product with sustained mass appeal. Although his former company TNA has lost a good deal of prestige in recent years, Jarrett was instrumental in building that company from a niche-market weekly pay-per-view show to an internationally recognized promotion. Indeed, if there’s anyone in the wrestling business whocan attest to the value of perseverance, it’s Jeff Jarrett.
[image via Impact Wrestling]
