Jeff Jarrett Talks GFW, NXT, Wrestling's Future in Exclusive Interview

When the professional wrestling industry is at its best, or at least at its healthiest, it resembles the American frontier. A world of indiscriminate expansion and thriving territories.

The Wild West.

As independent wrestling promotions begin to make noise with an array of national television deals, Jeff Jarrett, one of wrestling's most formidable pioneers, sees opportunity.

Jarrett spoke with the PodNasty Wrestling Podcast as he prepares to launch Global Force Wrestling (GFW). He seems to be doing so in a time where the business he grew up in is primed for its next expansion.

Even when discussing the potentially toxic situation between Destination America, ROH and TNA, Jarrett called the situation "very healthy" since it hearkened back to his days growing up as a wrestling fan.

"A wrestling block is not anything revolutionary," said Jarrett.

"It was back in the 80s there was a lot of syndicated programming, and you would have a block of wrestling on a Saturday morning or Saturday evening. You could watch wrestling from the Tennessee area, from the Florida area, from the Texas area, from all sorts, and so I think it's very healthy."

Pro wrestling's most successful period featured a revered war between WWE and WCW for national wrestling supremacy. It's no secret that the threat of a competing wrestling promotion brings out the best in all parties involved. 

While fighting for modest viewership on a fledgling network isn't an ideal competition for wrestling promoters, Jarrett still feels the situation will force both TNA and ROH to raise their game.

"In business, what do we do? We compete," he said. "So I think it's going to up everybody's level, and I saw many posts on social media over the last seven days that, quite frankly, go right to that. And who's going to be the winner out of all these competition? The wrestling fan, and that at the end of the day is good for the wrestling business."

The monolithic world of corporate wrestling that WWE has lorded over for the past decade-and-a-half fosters a controlled environment. The lack of competition allows WWE to become complacent. In the modern era, wrestling is only as good as WWE allows it to be. When one company is striking deals with all the major corporate sponsors, the west isn't quite so wild.

But even WWE seems to realize the uninspiring landscape that it created on the strength of its visionary, and hyper-competitive owner. With no threats and a viewing audience that has shrunk in the post-WCW era, WWE's only competition can come from within.

Enter NXT. The younger, cooler brand where counterculture is king. In each of his first two weeks on the Raw roster, brash NXT champion Kevin Owens—all dressed in black—stepped on John Cena's belt like an outlaw.

The only thing missing was a revolver and a horse.

Jarrett, like many others, thoroughly enjoys NXT programming. 

"When you inject fresh blood and fresh talent that's prepared, it's a good thing. And I think that, above anything—Kevin Owens, Finn Balor, this new talent coming along—they're not rookies.

"The old definition of success is when preparation meets opportunity. I think Kevin has prepared himself, he's getting the opportunity and he's going to be successful."

If GFW is going to be successful as a wrestling product, Jarrett will have little influence on the matter as an on-camera persona. He described his potential involvement as an on-camera talent as "minimal."

"I'm the promoter, and the stars are going to shine, the athletes are going to shine. That's what 99.9 percent of my time is geared toward as it relates to my professional side of things is promoting this brand."

Jarrett's brand would only thrive if wrestling was fully embraced as a mainstream product. Even in its hay day, wrestling was seen as a guilty pleasure for a lowbrow audience. But among the many developments in national wrestling, Jarrett feels pro wrestling is already on its way to becoming a mainstream product.

"I think we're in the process of [wrestling becoming mainstream], I really do," he said. "Three years ago you had WWE on Monday and Friday nights at the time, and you had TNA, and that was really the only national wrestling.

"But now you have Ring of Honor with their syndicated deal and their cable deal. You have TNA, you have the Lucha Underground on El Rey, you have New Japan [Pro Wrestling] on AXS. So when you have multiple national promotions on multiple networks, things don't happen overnight, but the process is beginning to get there."

If wrestling ever does "get there," Jarrett could be one of many beneficiaries. WWE will remain at the forefront of professional wrestling, but having several viable options for fans will only keep them sharper.

GFW and other promotions like it will just need to find a niche, settle into it and expand.

Just like the cowboys did.

Alfred Konuwa is a featured columnist and on-air host for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter @ThisIsNasty and subscribe to his weekly wrestling podcast.