The first shot has officially been fired in the battle to become the No. 2 wrestling company in the world. On Monday, Jeff Jarrett unveiled the name of his long-rumored promotion,
Global Force Wrestling. The logo of their new company, provided exclusively to SB Nation, is above.
Starting a new wrestling company with the goal to become a competitor (or at least an alternative) to the WWE is no small undertaking, but Jarrett feels the current state of the business leaves ample room for more than one wrestling destination.
Speaking to SB Nation from his home in Hendersonville, Tenn., Jarrett talked about Global Force and their mission statement. "[WWE] have built a brand over the last 50, 60 years. And truly, [WrestleMania] weekend is the perfect example of just how global their brand is. Professional wrestling has been around since the advent of television. There is definitely room, space for a brand new promotion to come on the scene. And we're going to put out the very best product that we can. Our mission statement is going to be, right at the very top, that we are going to put out a professional wrestling product that listens to the fans, engages the fans. We are going to immerse ourselves with the wrestling fan and that is going to be first and foremost."
Jarrett stated that there will be announcements over the next several weeks involving a potential launch date for the new company, but it's clear he's excited about the new venture and can't wait to get started.
"We're very excited. This is day one of a very, very fantastic journey. In the scope of things, it's still very, very early. [Monday's press release] was as soon as I could get information out. More information to come."
Toby Keith's name has continually come up regarding rumors of Jarrett's new promotion, ever since Keith and Jarrett reportedly attempted to purchase TNA in December of 2013. Speculation will continue to swirl about Keith's involvement, but for the time being he is not officially attached to the company. "We're going to be making several announcements over the coming weeks about Global Force Wrestling's strategic partners," said Jarrett.
Jeff Jarrett is no stranger to starting up a wrestling company. Jeff was wrestling for his father, promoter Jerry Jarrett, when Jerry merged Continental Wrestling Association with World Class Championship Wrestling to form the USWA. In 2002, after becoming a four-time WCW World Heavyweight Champion, Jeff co-founded his own wrestling promotion, Total Nonstop Action, with his father. After founding the company on a template of weekly pay-per-views in lieu of weekly television programming, TNA eventually landed a TV deal with Spike and slowly built a dedicated fan base, rising to prominence as the second most popular promotion in the country and providing a viable alternative to WWE for the first time since the sale of WCW to Vince McMahon.
A multi-time TNA champion and central focus of the company for several years, Jarrett spent the last few years focusing on off-screen ventures, such as developing and launching the Ring Ka King promotion in India.
The full press release for Global Force Wrestling is below.
JARRETTS UNVEIL NEW WRESTLING PROMOTION: JOIN THE FORCE!
NASHVILLE -- After weeks of speculation and unprecedented internet buzz surrounding the hashtag #ItsComing ... IT IS HERE!
Legendary performer and third-generation promoter Jeff Jarrett and his wife, Karen, are set to unveil Global Force Wrestling (GlobalForceWrestling.com), which promises to be the most fan-interactive and immersive wrestling experience in history.
"Because of new media, new technology and more ‘in-tune' fans than we've ever had, wrestling is poised for another boom like it experienced in the mid-1980s and late 1990s," Jeff Jarrett said. "What we're going to deliver is a multi-platform, innovative brand that will engage fans in ways they've never experienced. It will provide a fresh perspective inside the business that fans have been clamoring for."
Jarrett, the founder of TNA wrestling and a 12-time world champion who wrestled in WWE, WCW and numerous international promotions, and his wife, Karen, have been laying the foundation for GFW since January 2014.
"Jeff was born into this business," Karen Jarrett said. "It's his life's passion. He saw a unique opportunity to fill a need in professional wrestling, and he has tirelessly devoted himself physically, mentally and emotionally to doing just that."
Videos of the Jarretts previewing the new promotion attached to the hashtag #ItsComing have garnered more than a million views. Meanwhile, Jeff and Karen have been searching the United States and the international ranks in search of undiscovered talent. The response has been overwhelming, with more than 400 performers from across the globe already in the evolving GFW talent database.
"The reality is we want to build a brand in which fans are watching our wrestlers evolve from day one and are truly invested in the lives of our talent in and out of the ring," Jarrett said.
Global Force Wrestling expects to make several more key announcements in the coming weeks. Stay tuned.
