25 Great Wrestlers That EVERYBODY Turned Against
16. Jeff Jarrett
Right as Triple H was politicking his way to a groan-inducing "reign of terror" in WWE, TNA was starting as it meant to go on by donating its formative years to pushing founder Jeff Jarrett.
The logic around pushing the boss (or the boss' kid, or the boss' best friend) is that they're least likely to up sticks and leave when things aren't good, but problems with the conventional wisdom show themselves fairly rapidly the moment any aspect of the business takes a downturn. It's only then that the supposedly reliable performer is at the root of the biggest problem, and fans learn the hard way that maybe not every intention of the performer in question was a good one.
Jarrett's complex legacy with the company he formed resulted in him developing the reputation of being one of wrestling's savviest snakes. Active dread was the general feeling around his signing with AEW in 2022, particularly as many already considered the company vulnerable in the long looming shadow of Brawl Out.
His run ended up surprising even the fiercest cynics, but an early-2025 attempt at a Sting-esque retirement run was a reminder of the lingering dissent. After a couple of very poorly-received promo battles with MJF, the prospect of him potentially being a World Champion was dropped cold, as was his in-ring run with the company out-right. As of writing, his last match was a dreary defeat to Clauio Castagnoli in January, and the calls haven't been particularly loud for his return.