Ex-TNA Star Claims Jeff Jarrett Was ‘So Drunk’ He Didn’t Know Who He Signed

Jake Crist just dropped a wild behind-the-scenes story—and it involves Jeff Jarrett not even knowing who he hired.

While speaking on the Tap Out Tavern Podcast, Jake Crist opened up about his early days with TNA Wrestling (then IMPACT under the Jarrett family), recalling a meeting that didn’t go anything like he expected. Crist first set the scene, explaining how he and his brother were brought in for a meeting with Jeff Jarrett during a set of Orlando tapings—and how excited he was going into it.

“So my brother and I, we had a meeting with Jeff Jarrett at the Sky Studio… It was the first set of tapings. It was like 10 in the morning… I was so excited to be there for the meeting because I didn’t know what it was about.”

But once the meeting started, things took a turn. Crist revealed that Jarrett appeared intoxicated—and didn’t even seem to know who he had signed: “I’m in this meeting—Jeff Jarrett’s drunk and he’s trying to figure out who he signed. He had no idea.”

He then described the moment getting even more awkward, as Jarrett tried to piece things together in real time: “Like, he’s saying, ‘What’s your name? Your name’s Jake? Okay—like, you know what your gimmick is.’”

Crist explained that at the time, he was working an “Artist” gimmick alongside Trey Miguel, but the confusion in the meeting made it clear things weren’t exactly organized behind the scenes. He also admitted that the situation could have gone very differently if not for his brother stepping in during that moment.

“Back then, I was doing the Artist gimmick with Trey Miguel. My brother saved my job there. I was out at that meeting when my boss showed up at 10 or 11 a.m. drunk—still probably from the night before.”

That’s what stands out. What should have been a career-defining meeting turned into a chaotic moment that Crist still remembers years later. It’s a rare look at how unpredictable things could be behind the scenes during that era of IMPACT—and how quickly situations could shift for talent trying to break through.

So now the question—does a story like this change how you view that era of TNA, or is it just another example of how unpredictable the wrestling business can be? Drop your thoughts and feedback below.

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