These Brilliant AEW Success Stories Should Have SUCKED
8. Jeff Jarrett
With the exception of the pops that could be heard by a small-but-vocal community of right-minded Jeff Jarrett lifers, the mood was fairly sour when 'Double J' shockingly debuted in All Elite Wrestling in what had already proven to be quite a challenging period for the company.
The drama coming out of the post-All Out 2022 press scrum suggested that perhaps some of the more controversial figures in wrestling history might not necessarily be the best fits for the challenger brand, but - for more reasons than just the obvious - the 'Last Outlaw' has left the doubters in the dust once again.
Understanding of the reputation he's carried for decades, Jarrett plays the clown so well that he doesn't remotely scan as a threat to a title until he's gleefully punching the air ahead of what he thinks is a certain three-count. In that fleeting moment, he gets to be the biggest threat of all. And therein lies the continuing magic of the character - an AEW with Jarrett holding gold is so unthinkable that he can get crowds to root for just about anybody in order to stop it.
Digging into his vast bag of tricks as a cartoonish scoundrel alongside a crew of equally ludicrous villains he's elevated along the way, Jarrett has made himself the perfect person for so many roles that it's hard to imagine the company without him occupying a little corner of it.
Or maybe not so little...