Professional wrestler Jeff Jarrett has stated that he sees potential for wrestling to grow in the Middle East outside of WWE’s ongoing lucrative relationship with Saudi Arabia.
Since 2018, WWE has been organizing events in the Middle Eastern nation. The most recent example being the WWE Crown Jewel event held this month.
In a recent episode of his podcast, “My World”, Jarrett expressed his perspective about the possibilities of bringing wrestling to the Middle East. He shared,
“There is definitely another opening in the Middle East. The region is filled with potential… How do I put this succinctly? Well consider this — whether for better or worse. Sure, Global Force didn’t take off as expected, but my intention was to collaborate with overseas promotions straight away. I wouldn’t go as far as saying that the market in the United States is oversaturated; that’s the reality, yes, but not the dominant strategy. The world has become highly interconnected due to advancements in technology.”
In the conversation, Jarrett further elaborated on how the proliferation of streaming services has created more room for pro wrestling in the international market. He voiced,
“The world of streaming is rising. Take for instance, India. You have Amazon Prime, Apple, Disney, Hotstar, and many more such platforms. All of these represent international markets for professional wrestling.”
During his tenure with TNA, Jarrett contributed to expanding the promotion’s reach in India through the Ring Ka King promotion, which operated from January to April 2012.
As it stands now, Jarrett occupies the role of Director of Business Development at AEW. His overarching responsibility is to manage the live event experience of the promotion.