Jeff Jarrett recently spoke with Brian Fritz for Sporting News about his WWE Hall Of Fame induction this weekend:
Jeff comments on why now was the right time for the Hall Of Fame because it’s the first time he’s had to make it happen:
Well, you know, some people have asked it in different ways but I think the real simple answer is it really is the very first opportunity. Up through, we’ll say from 2002 to end of 2017, there really wasn’t an opportunity. When I closed the chapter, I’ll say, in the book with TNA in 2013, literally within, it was under 30 days — it was 20, 25 days — I was already into a production agreement with a production company based out of Los Angeles.
We basically just named the company April of 2014 and from then until I went back with Impact, with Anthem (which bought Impact in early 2017), in 2017 and then the merger (with his company Global Force Wrestling) starting to take place. Jan. 2018 it is, without getting into too much long-winded explanation, that’s the real fact of the matter. I was contractually bound whether that prevented them or not. On my end, I kind of think it may or may not have been a factor. This January was the first real opportunity, in my eyes.
Jarrett says he has some big plans in store for Global Force Wrestling:
Very excited. The biggest thing, and I say this because it can be a two-part question: where do I see the business going and where do I see Global Force going? The simple answer is almost the same. Our industry has extreme growth potential international and Global Force is working on two specific projects. One very big, the other is still pretty big. When you look around the world and, through my TNA days and ever dating back a few years before that, the international scene is only going to get bigger. There’s no doubt in my mind it’s got such growth opportunity. Internationally is where I’m going, where Global Force is going, and I think that’s where the industry is going.
Exclusive: Jeff Jarrett Comments On WWE Hall Of Fame Induction, His Relationship w/ The Hardys, More
Jarrett comments on what he’s learned from getting help, going to rehab in 2017:
Life. The short answer is life. I will say this: that decision, that single decision may be the greatest decision of my life. I knew much more so on a personal side as opposed to a professional side that it was time to make a change. I have, and I thank the good Lord, I’m blessed in that if I can’t figure something out, I know where I can. And if I don’t know where to figure it out, I’m going to ask enough questions. A guy told me while I was in treatment the trade of surrounding yourself with people smarter than yourself really operates in all facets of life. I was a big believer in that mantra beforehand but now more so than ever. If you really surround yourself, and I say I want to be the dumbest guy in the room, that’s not a real bad strategy on any level because there’s so much growth potential. It’s very hard to grow when you’re winning. It’s very hard to grow when you’re always the smartest guy in the room or the most successful.
You learn from losses. You learn from persevering. You learn from getting knocked down. I know the cliché is so old and sometimes people will say it’s so worn out but it’s the truth. When you really look at life on anything whether it’s a ballgame, whether it’s a business or family or whatever it is, it doesn’t really matter how many times you get knocked down. It absolutely matters how many times you get back up and keep putting one foot in front of the other.