Jerry was married to Eddie Marlin’s daughter Deborah Jerrett, with whom he has four children, sons, Jerry Jr., Jeff and Jason, and daughter, Jennifer.
Jerry W. Jarrett was an American promoter, former professional wrestler, and the father of wrestler Jeff Jarrett. He died on February 14, 2023. He founded Total Nonstop Action Wrestling and formerly held a portion of the company. Like the founder of World Wrestling Entertainment, Vince McMahon, Jarrett began his career as a promoter before switching to wrestling.
Career
Jerry Jarrett, who was born into poverty, was first exposed to the wrestling industry when he was very young. At the age of seven, Jarrett started selling programmes for a promotion run by Roy Welch and Nick Gulas, whose mother was a ticket seller. He started promoting wrestling at the age of fourteen after getting his driver’s licence. He rented venues, advertised events, built the ring, sold tickets, and stocked concessions. Prior to moving away from Nashville to attend college, he worked as a promoter. After graduating, Jarrett worked as an administrative assistant for Welch and Gulas. When a referee failed to show up, Jarrett took over as a referee. He immediately started marketing again, progressing from local to regional to nationwide promotions.
In order to become a wrestler, Jarrett chose to quit his job as a referee. Sailor Moran, a seasoned wrestler, and his friend Tojo Yamamoto trained him. In 1965, he competed in his first wrestling contest in Haiti.
In the South, and notably in his home state of Tennessee, Jarrett found success as a wrestler by forming
tag teams with Jackie Fargo and Tojo Yamamoto. He once took part in the incredibly risky Scaffold match.
Throughout his tenure, Jarrett was in charge of numerous wrestling organisations, including Mid-Southern Wrestling, the Continental Wrestling Association, the United States Wrestling Association, World Class Championship Wrestling, and, most recently, Total Nonstop Action Wrestling. Jerry Lawler frequently worked with Jarrett as a business partner. Jarrett started airing his shows on television in the 1970s.
Jarrett made a rare appearance on television on June 18, 2003, when commentator Mike Tenay spoke with him on the opening TNA Anniversary Show.
Jarrett made a guest appearance at Slammiversary, the third TNA anniversary show, on June 19, 2005. He reprimanded his son Jeff for hitting a fan during a fight. Wrestler Oleg Prudius went with Jarrett.
