Jeff Jarrett says there was an old-school promotional logic behind not always giving hometown wrestlers the big win in front of their local audience.
Speaking on My World, Jarrett discussed the philosophy after Conrad Thompson brought up Vince McMahon’s history of going against hometown talent.
Creative is subjective and positioning and branding and positioning the marketplace and all that kind of stuff.
But I have heard it explained to me over and over and over.
Jarrett said he often goes back to the way his father, Jerry Jarrett, explained the concept during the territory days.
The north star I always use is my dad’s explanation that he really believed in.
Jarrett said Jerry Lawler was the top star in the Memphis territory, but his father still wanted to limit how much the local audience saw him away from the ring.
Lawler was the top star by far in the territory.
Jarrett said his father eventually wanted Lawler to move out of Memphis.
My dad, as he was booking on the end and starting his own company, he asked Lawler to move out of his hometown.
And I’m going to say this now knowing both of them, in those days, he didn’t ask him. He told him.
Jarrett said the logic came down to exposure.
My old man’s entire logic thought process was, if you really drill it down to a microcosm, is that my dad really liked your top guy not to be seen in opening match or work twice in one night and all that kind of stuff.
Limit the exposure because when the people see you, it’s got to be special.
Jarrett said that mattered because the fans were paying to see the talent.
Why does it got to be special?
They’re the ones that are actually paying.
Jarrett said hometown familiarity could hurt a wrestler’s mystique.
If you live in a town, they see you at the grocery store, they see you at the gas station, they see you at the restaurant.
You may have a screw up here, may have a screw up there.
They see the human side of it.
Jarrett said the idea was to keep the presentation special.
This is that fundamental belief that it limit the exposure.
And when they do see you, it’s got to be super, super special.
Jarrett said hometown wrestlers can be viewed differently by their local audience.
Hometown boys, they know you as a human, good, bad, or indifferent.
And that was kind of the mindset.
Jarrett also pointed to the way Vince McMahon Sr. promoted main events at Madison Square Garden.
At the Garden for years and years and years, and I know some people think curfew, well, Vince Senior would have his main event go on, I don’t want to say in the middle of the card, but not on last.
That main event went in there. Bruno tore the house down, got to the back, got in the car, and left.
Nobody saw him leave the building.
Jarrett said there is a larger psychology to how promoters present top stars.
It’s just kind of the mindset.
It is a psychology of promoting that.
Jarrett said simply being from a town does not automatically mean a wrestler will draw more there.
Just because wrestler A is from this hometown doesn’t mean, oh, he’s over and he’s going to sell a lot of tickets for us right here.
Matter of fact, it can be the contrary.
Jarrett said some wrestlers may be stronger draws in other markets than in their own hometowns.
You might not move the needle like you would in other towns.
Jarrett used himself as an example, saying Louisville was a stronger town for him than other markets.
I know in my history, Louisville was a much better town for me.
They loved heat. They loved the babyface.
My dad was over in that town like a son of a gun.
Jarrett said Lawler’s connection to Memphis was built through the specific way television was structured in that territory.
Lawler’s town, obviously he got over in Memphis.
He got over in the era on that TV. It’s a 90-minute show.
Half hour of that 90-minute show was dedicated strictly to Memphis most of the time.
Jarrett said that kind of local television mattered.
You got a Lawler interview talking about Monday night.
There were just certain things.
Jarrett said the hometown booking philosophy ultimately came from how territory promoters viewed exposure and value.
It’s a psychology. It’s a philosophy, if you will.
Yes, it can be subjective, but that is how the territory promoters viewed hometown guys.
If you use any portion of the quotes from this article, please credit My World with Jeff Jarrett and Conrad Thompson, with a h/t to Wrestling Headlines for the transcription.
