The wrestling world lost a true giant with the passing of wrestler/booker/promoter Jerry Jarrett. Icon, legend, giant. It's easy to slap these labels on someone's name when they go on to that great squared circle in the sky. However, Jerry Jarrett fits every description.
Looking at the many promotions that failed against the WWF in the 80s and 90s, it's hard to believe Jerry Jarrett's Continental Wrestling Association (CWA) would remain in business when bigger companies such as the American Wrestling Association (AWA) and Jim Crockett Promotions (JCP) crumbled.
Jerry Jarrett contributed so much to professional wrestling and had arguably one of the keenest minds for the business. He always seemed to know what would work well in the wrestling world.
Jerry Jarrett Sees the Future
Although he wasn't the first promoter to use entrance music, he saw its value and soon, many wrestlers in the Continental Wrestling Association (CWA) were using it. He did the same with videos, pioneering the hype videos fans see in the WWE, AEW, and other promotions.
While Jerry Jarrett never took his promotion either CWA, or its successor, the United States Wrestling Association (USWA) further than a regional promotion, he knew how to keep it going.
He saw dozens of promotions fall by the wayside as he continued plugging away. When he sold his interest in USWA, he did it on his terms, unlike so many other promoters who either went bankrupt or liquidated their company at a low price.
A Wrestling Sage
Jerry Jarrett's mind for wrestling made him a valuable advisor. He was relied upon at different times by the WWF and World Championship Wrestling. Unlike some promoters, Jerry Jarrett stayed in touch with the changing tastes of wrestling fans.
For more about Jerry Jarrett's many contributions to wrestling, check out the obituary I wrote about him for Ten-Bell Salute.
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