Jeff Jarrett discussed pitching The Ultimate Warrior to join TNA in 2002 during a recent edition of My World with Jeff Jarrett. “I had a couple of conversations with Jim [Hellwig], but very top-level. And to put it in context, I had never done business with him. Our paths really never crossed in WWE. I was not at the WWE at that time. So, me and Jim’s paths never really crossed other than I met him on Thanksgiving Day in 1985. He was in there with Sting in the territory at that time. So, he was more of a business colleague and a friend of my dad’s in this relationship. I reached out and had some conversations, but my dad was doing all the true business negotiations and he was asking me different questions. [Warrior] was a tremendous name value and going into June of 2002, we were only looking at 26 shows, even if you made every show. So, Jim was only a four, five, six, or whatever, ‘Hey man, come give us a try.’ That was one of the first pitches, but I gave that pitch to a lot of folks over the first year, whether it was Curt Hennig, Rick Steiner, Hacksaw, or The Road Warriors. We’re not asking you to sign an exclusive deal. We’re not asking you anything other than we’re starting a company, do you want to come work a few shows? He obviously had the name value, so that was about the extent of my conversation with Jim.”
