Former AEW employee and creative team member Jimmy Jacobs recently spoke out for the first time since leaving the company, addressing numerous misconceptions about his role there and sharing his frustrations with the online narratives surrounding his time at AEW and his future in the industry.
In an interview with WrestleMobs, Jacobs revealed that many misunderstandings had surrounded his position in AEW, echoing a similar experience he had after leaving WWE, where he was wrongly labeled as a “leak” — a claim he firmly denied.
Jacobs joined AEW in June 2023 as a producer, but after just over a year, he left the company in October 2024, opting to take a break from wrestling altogether. While confirming that he was indeed part of AEW’s creative team, Jacobs clarified that his role was not what many fans or even fellow wrestlers believed. He explained that his position was more administrative than creative, dating back to his time at WWE.
“I would challenge anyone to name one segment I wrote or produced at AEW that they can then criticize,” Jacobs stated. “I didn’t. That was not my job there, at all.”
Jacobs went on to explain that his primary responsibility was acting as a “channel for information.” He was frequently in contact with AEW President Tony Khan, discussing ideas and helping to organize and relay them to the appropriate people, whether it be talent, producers, technical staff, or others involved in production. Jacobs also played a key role in formatting TV scripts. After Khan would present his ideas, Jacobs would draft the initial scripts and help structure the shows, but he emphasized that ultimately, the creative direction was always Khan’s decision.
“My creative fingerprints weren’t on AEW at all,” Jacobs said. He also denied being involved in bringing supernatural storylines into AEW, which he had worked on during his time with TNA. “The record needs to be set straight. I wasn’t writing AEW TV at all,” he said, adding that while he had some creative collaboration with Chris Jericho in his final months at AEW, his involvement was not as significant as some might have thought.
Looking ahead, Jacobs revealed that he is likely to work with WWE, AEW, or TNA in the near future. He also mentioned that he had worked with Scott D’Amore on Maple Leaf Wrestling and would be open to working with him again. Jacobs stressed that, similar to his work in WWE and AEW, he had never had a formal contract with those promotions, but rather a working agreement.
Although Jacobs left AEW, he spoke highly of Tony Khan, describing him as “very kind and accommodating” when he made the decision to step away. He expressed gratitude for Khan’s understanding and noted that Khan had told him he was welcome to return whenever he chose. Jacobs also praised Khan for his contributions to the wrestling industry, calling his impact “undeniably positive” and acknowledging that the current wrestling landscape, with its abundant opportunities, is the best it’s been since 1999.
“I think Tony Khan has had a positive effect on the wrestling business that can’t be understated,” Jacobs said. “It’s the best time to be a wrestler since 1999 because of the number of jobs and money that’s being made. Tony takes his role seriously — so many jobs depend on the decisions he makes.”
There was also a mention of an interesting tidbit from the interview, where Jacobs and Khan allegedly listened to Jim Cornette podcasts on the road.
