Jeff Jarrett Thinks AEW Should Turn Collision Walkout Into Storyline

On the latest episode of My World With Jeff Jarrett, the WWE Hall of Famer talked about the recent controversy surrounding Nixon Newell and Miranda Alize walking out of the November 8 AEW Collision taping. The two left the taping after they declined to do a three-minute match on the show as they felt they should get more time. You can check out some highlights below:

On What He Knows About It:

“I was not at Collision. I have not spoken to anybody.”

On the Situation Being Overblown.

“They’re not under contract by any stretch of the imagination, right? So I think they’re being brought as either a tryout or strictly enhancement, one of the two. And I don’t know the conversation, ‘Hey, can y’all work Saturday night in Houston?’ ‘Yeah, okay.’ I don’t know any — there’s so many details that I have a feeling that went between the talent and talent relations and that communication. And then of course, the producer. There’s so many variables that go into this…

“I just think there are too many unknowns. Way, way too many unknowns. It’s the world we live in, specifically in professional wrestling that is hyper, hypersensitive. I think had it been during the week, and you have Raw and and Dynamite and Collision headlines, and maybe other little independent [shows], whatever it may be. It being a Saturday night, not much going on on Sunday, gave it more. I just think that the traction kept picking up and kept picking up, and the algorithms and all that kind of stuff. I don’t think anybody except like I said, talent, talent relations, producer. That’s the core group that really knows what went on. I think it’s that simple. I think much ado about nothing. Unless, again, I’m not privy to any details at this time. But boy oh boy, I’ll say this. Those two young ladies got a lot of press, good or bad, out of the weekend. Is that a fair statement? Like a boatload of online press.”

On Creating Emotional Connection:

“The essence of the industry — and I’ve said it over and over and over — is creating an emotional engagement. Well, how do you do that? Well, personal issues draw money. And you can bring that up to date, personal issues ‘fill in the blank.’ The other kind of mindset is blurring the lines. Conrad, all of what I just said is frowned upon in today’s industry. Blurring the lines, nobody wants a personal issue. That’s why I just go, ‘What are we doing here, guys?’

“The industry — and I don’t, because it comes out, ‘Oh, he’s the veteran, the old timer, the business has passed him by.’ All this craziness. And I’m thinking: folks, the real essence of what we do is getting people engaged in the ’70s, absolutely there were some that said, ‘Hell yeah, that’s all real.’ But no, for the most part they were engaged in the product. That’s what it’s all about. And so many times in today’s world, we stumble upon a reason for people to get engaged. And just as soon as it happens? Oh my God, we slammed the door on that son of a bitch so quick and say, ‘God forbid people buy into this. That’s the last thing we want to happen.’ Does that make sense? Because it’s so frustrating, not that — whatever silliness happened Saturday night. I’m talking about overall, the whole industry. Sometimes I think, ‘What are we doing, guys? Get emotionally engaged.’”

On If He Would Try To Make It a Storyline:

“Hell yeah. I mean look, again. Some people — I’m trying to think who, my old man [said] multiple times. And I tell Idol right here in front of me. Multiple times, I heard story after story after story that my dad would say, ‘He’ll draw money. I’ll make money.’ Austin Idol, my dad would say time after time, ‘You can’t trust him. He’s irresponsible, he’s a snake in the grass. He’s undependable.’ Every negative connotation.

“But let’s flip that. ‘Yeah, I can make money off Idol.’ So give it about a three-month break. ‘I know we didn’t see eye to eye about three months ago, but do you have the next four Mondays available? Because we’ve got a hot story.’ It’s like, what is your incentive? Do you want to create interest in your brand? Then hell yeah, you lean into it Conrad, and figure it out. And look, there’s a lot of plugs and pieces here that — you know, can you have a civil conversation with talent and all this? And you’ve got to be able to, like you said, trust them enough. But things change. It’s the nature of the business in so many ways. But yes, you lean into it.”

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit My World With Jeff Jarrett with an h/t to 411mania.com for the transcription.