10 Hidden Masterminds Behind Wrestling's Biggest Ever Stars

4. Jeff Jarrett

Danny Davis OVW
IMPACT Wrestling

Only after 20 improbable years in business is Impact Wrestling/TNA at long last getting some of the recognition its always deserved without so many of the usual qualifiers.

It's not as though "LOLTNA" wasn't earned, or that so many insane moments from the organisation weren't part of why it was never once close to running WWE close during the sludge of the monopoly years. But Slammiversary 2022 was as good a time as any to reflect on just how many wrestlers benefitted from the elevated platform of a secondary televised product following WCW's demise.

AJ Styles, Frankie Kazarian, America's Most Wanted, Triple X, The Motor City Machine Guns and countless others helped completely reshape wrestling enough that most of the modern mainstream is today worked to that level as a minimum. Jeff Jarrett didn't and wouldn't lay claim to discovering or training them, or perhaps even instilling all their sharpest skills. But he built the stage for the wrestlers to show them off.

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Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation nearly 8 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 62,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett