Jeff Jarrett: “The X-Division style of wrestling is now the main event style of wrestling”
While speaking to Chris Van Vliet, TNA Wrestling co-founder Jeff Jarrett commented on how the X-Division changed the course of the wrestling business…
“I probably wouldn’t realize how influential the X-Division is in today’s modern wrestling had I not done interviews and podcasts. I’ll say this: I had a conversation with Will Ospreay backstage at the Greensboro Coliseum during Sting’s final match, and we were just kind of catching up.
He told me he watched Joe, AJ, and Daniels from Unbreakable 2005. He and his mates, as he said, watched it, and he looked at me and said, ‘Jeff, I watched that and said, not only do I want to do that, I can do that—and I can do it better than them.’
Well, look at the results.
But you know, this is where we talk about being misunderstood. The entire X-Division concept and creation was that I knew, starting the company, there was a lot of unbelievable talent on the independent scene. The independents in 2002 compared to the independents in 2026 are radically different, but there was a lot of talent out there.
I knew they didn’t have TV experience. I’m not going to say they didn’t have experience telling stories and angles—there was just never a platform. In independent wrestling, they knew to go out and put on the absolute best match they could. It’s what they had been trained to do.
So, I wanted to give them a real platform. I knew that lucha libre was beginning to really influence American wrestling off the momentum it gained in the ’90s. Obviously, I knew strong style was beginning to influence the European mat style, and it was all becoming kind of a melting pot.
I can remember, literally about a half-mile from here, having a conversation with my father specifically about the X Division, and he was very negative on it.
‘Son, they don’t know how to tell stories, and there’s no money in this.’
And I’m like, ‘Dad, yes, there is. This style is where the industry is headed. It’s just that simple.’
So, as it’s progressed along, and now that I look back on it, the X-Division style of wrestling is now the main event style of wrestling.”