Jerry Jarrett, Father of WWE Hall of Famer Jeff Jarrett, Dies at Age 80

Legendary wrestling promoter Jerry Jarrett died at the age of 80, WWE announced Tuesday.

Jarrett's impact on the wrestling industry was immense and continues to be felt today in direct and indirect ways. He transformed the business to help shape the product fans are watching now, and his son, Jeff, is a WWE Hall of Famer who has wrestled for numerous promotions and is currently signed with All Elite Wrestling.

A number of figures from the wrestling world reflected on his contributions:

Jarrett helped to found the Continental Wrestling Association in 1977. With the aid of co-owner and top star Jerry Lawler, he turned CWA into the undisputed king in Memphis, Tennessee.

"During the late 70s and early 80s, more than 20 percent of the homes in the metro area watched the show and more than 70 percent of the television sets on during that time period were watching the wrestling show," the Wrestling Observer Newsletter's Dave Meltzer wrote.

Jarrett built his booking style around an approach that was novel at the time and almost unbelievably simple: "Personal issues draw money." Leaning into the storytelling and entertainment aspect beyond just the in-ring product helped set CWA apart.

The most famous example was Lawler's feud with comedian Andy Kaufman, which broke through to the mainstream and included a staged physical altercation between the two on Late Night with David Letterman.

Eventually, CWA's success waned and Jarrett merged with World Class Championship Wrestling to form the United States Wrestling Association. He subsequently sold his stake in the USWA, which ceased operations in 1997.

Later on, Jarrett and his son helped found NWA: Total Nonstop Action in 2002, and the promotion continues today as Impact Wrestling.