WWE Hall of Famer Jeff Jarrett spoke on his My World podcast about a wide range of topics.
During it, he was asked about why Mike Graham said Jarrett never drew any money in the business:
“Well, I guess this is the time to tell the story behind the story. My father has had several mentors, but do you know who his favorite mentor was? Eddie Graham. Do you know who knew that more than anybody? Mike Graham. Eddie really liked my old man. They had a really good relationship. It was a father/son relationship. My dad’s dad went off to war. He didn’t get killed. He came back to the United States but didn’t come home, so my father grew up without a father figure. Roy Welch was the old promoter in town who was Nick Gulas’ partner, but Eddie really became like a father figure, and Mike knew that.
Mike was never really a fan of my father. I’m well aware, and I’m going to be diplomatic about this, I’m well aware of mental health issues, but let’s just say Eddie had mental health issues. He took his life, and Mike took his own life. I can’t speak for them, but they had a lot of baggage. That goes pretty deep. Mike did the hang around backstage at TNA multiple times and wasn’t hired. I was with Mike in the WCW days when he was a producer/agent. I could tell something was there that, let’s just say, that was a well known, unspoken issue, that Mike’s father and mine had a professional relationship.
Mike knew very well that my dad became a successful territory promoter, and a lot of the tricks of the trade he learned from Mike’s dad, and their territory went away. There’s a real deep side to that, so when that GIF or whatever you want to say, that comment came out, I got it. I was way on the outside. I was at TNA and rocking and rolling over there, and Mike created a great soundbite, and great visual, but I’ve always had compassion because knowing his upbringing in the last years of his life, specifically as the years went on, him coming and wanting to be a part ot TNA, and we didn’t have a spot for him, and I don’t know what happened with WWE, I never got upset. I had compassion for him, but that’s the story behind the story. It still makes for a good GIF, I’ll say that.”