WWE Hall of Famer and industry veteran Jeff Jarrett believes WWE’s scaled-back live event schedule may unintentionally pave the way for a resurgence in independent wrestling.
Speaking on the latest episode of My World with Jeff Jarrett, the former multi-promotion executive addressed WWE’s recent decision to reduce the number of non-televised live events — commonly referred to as house shows — across the calendar year. While Jarrett acknowledged the business rationale, he pointed to a surprising upside for the wrestling industry at large.
“I get it because of their business model,” Jarrett said. “But for another promotion, there’s lots of money to be made in — I’ll say — even the B, C, and D markets.”
Jarrett attributed WWE’s decision to financial obligations tied to public and private investors.
“They have to report to the street and to private equity,” he noted, referring to Wall Street pressures and investment firms with stakes in WWE.
While that corporate lens may limit WWE’s footprint in smaller regions, Jarrett sees it as an opportunity for grassroots promotions to fill the gap — and thrive while doing so.
“WWE will always get the talent. AEW and WWE write the big checks… but the developmental? They’ll get there,” Jarrett said. “There’s a reason why independent wrestling is being embraced across the board — because that is where the talent’s going to come from.”
Jarrett concluded by emphasizing that independent promotions are uniquely positioned to grow in markets that WWE may no longer prioritize, ultimately becoming the training ground for wrestling’s next breakout stars.
(h/t to WrestlingNews.co for the transcription)
