Jeff Jarrett is on television so much because he’s adored by the AEW faithful.
Good Karma Wrestling recently welcomed Jeff Jarrett to discuss his wrestling career and current run in AEW. Jarrett was asked about the “Last Outlaw” character he portrayed in GCW and how he brought it over to AEW.
Jeff Jarrett said the Outlaw will always be part of him, noting how it’s as much of a mindset as it is a character.
“The ‘GCW version’ was just the tip of the iceberg and then things started rolling. If you saw night one of my debut in Baltimore, Maryland, when I cracked Darby Allin, that was the debut in AEW of ‘The Last Outlaw.’ [He’s] always there, you’ll see the black hat, the black coat from time to time, and that’s in my DNA,” Jarrett said. “When I look around the dressing room and I see whether it’s the Lucha stars or talent from Japan or even the Europeans, I look around the room and truly realize I am the only guy — Sting, [Chris] Jericho to a degree — that worked the territory system. So that’s really the genesis of that [gimmick].
“And it’s not really that I want it to go back by any stretch of the imagination. It’s kind of a message that, ‘Hey boys, y’all didn’t create or invent this industry.’ In Memphis, we were doing hardcore wrestling before ECW was ever thought of. We were doing street fights before — it’s the evolution of the business and I think that’s [what the Last Outlaw] is,” Jarrett said. “I respect the yesteryear but I also know that each and every day you better prove yourself, and that’s what the Last Outlaw does.”
It was then pointed out that Jeff Jarrett gets a lot of television time in AEW and was asked why he deserves it. Jarrett said the answer was quite simple.
“Emotional connection with the audience. It’s just that simple. It’s something — it goes without saying, and the naysayers [will say] ‘Oh, he’s done this, he’s done that.’ All you have to do is listen to the people in the arena. They love me. There’s some kind of ‘eff you Jarrett’ [chant] they get going on but I think that’s a term of endearment,” he joked. “They absolutely love me. [laughs]
“But it’s the emotional connection, that will never go away. The moves will continue to get more and more aggressive and more and more athletic. That’s just the nature of the beast,” Jeff Jarrett said. “You look at things that will happen [on AEW TV] and I don’t use this word lightly, but it’s revolutionary. At the end of the day, the emotional connection with the audience existed 70 years ago and it’s going to exist 70 years from now. That’s what entertainment is all about and I don’t care if you’re playing NBA basketball, if you’re playing NFL football or if you’re in a Hollywood blockbuster. It’s all about connecting with your audience.”
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