'Immortal' Jeff Jarrett, TNA launch all-out invasion of WWE country tonight
Promotion's founder say tri-state fans 'will see best wrestling show they've ever seen'
By CLETE CAMPBELL
TH staff writer
Jeff Jarrett is dead-set on taking over the wrestling world, one town at a time.
Sorry, that’s the Immortal Jeff Jarrett to you.
The influential founder of Total Nonstop Action Wrestling made a shocking turn to the dark side last weekend when he joined forces with Hollywood Hulk Hogan, Eric Bischoff and TNA world heavyweight champion Jeff Hardy among others and formed “The Immortals,” an outfit of rule-breaking, egostical superstars intent on dominating the landscape of professional wrestling. It’s a 21st century version of the popular NWO (New World Order) wrestling mafia Hogan and Bischoff — now the creative team behind TNA — ran in the 1990s.
“We’re taking the company into the year 2011 and beyond and intend to become the most powerful wrestling organization in the world,” Jarrett said.
One of the Immortals’ first stops on its planned road to wrestling supremacy is Dubuque, where TNA will make its first stop tonight when “TNA Live” invades Five Flags Center for a 7:30 house show.
Jarrett says the Immortals planned their shocking takeover bid of TNA for months.
“Everybody within the Immortals has a different agenda.” Jarrett said. “We’ve all come together for different reasons. Hulk and Eric Bischoff were sold a different bill of goods than what they were promised by (TNA president Dixie Carter). Jeff Jarrett has done a lot for the fans and gotten little back in return and is taking back what’s mine and the company I founded.”
Breaking out of character, Jarrett likes the steady growth the grassroots wrestling promotion he co-founded with his father, Jerry Jarrett, in 2002 has made in the shadow of the pro wrestling industry’s Andre the Giant: the World Wrestling Entertainment. TNA draws over one million fans weekly for “TNA Impact,” its flagship television show on Spike TV, is seen in 80 countries and has begun an aggressive house show push into Midwestern markets like Dubuque that have long been WWE country.
“When WWE bought WCW in 2001, it left a huge void in the market place,” said Jarrett, describing the essential monopoly WWE had on the pro wrestling industry when he launched TNA. “Without a No. 2, there can’t be a No. 1.”
Jarrett promises fans who come to tonight’s show, which features such TNA stars as The Monster Abyss, Mr. Anderson and Samoa Joe, will see a superior, more fan interactive product than the WWE.
“When they come out they’re going to get their money’s worth and then some,” said Jarrett a third-generation star whose flamboyant style was influenced greatly by WWE Hall of Famer and Memphis wrestling legend Jerry “The King” Lawler. “They will walk away seeing the best wrestling show they’ve ever seen. This is by far the most fan interactive wrestling show there’s ever been. We go the extra mile for the fans. We give everybody an opportunity to get in the ring and get their picture taken with TNA stars after the matches.”
While TNA, now majority owned by Panda Energy International doesn’t have the WWE’s checkbook or tradition, it’s bringing the heat in its underdog challenge against Vince McMahon’s sports entertainment monster. TNA’s creative team is co-lead by WWE icon Hogan and the formerly wildly popular Hardy came aboard earlier this year. With its Dubuque show, TNA is invading a market in which WWE has performed three times since 2006.
“Quite frankly, our roster is better than their roster,” said Jarrett, who was a six-time Intercontinental champion during a successful run in the WWE . “They’re a publicly traded company that has 50 years of history. From a business standpoint, they’ve got such a head start. But we’re finding a niche in our own way.”
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