It was promoted as Global Force Wrestling (GFW) creative head Jeff Jarrett discussing the company’s post-Slammiversary expansion plans, but Destination X and house shows weren’t the hot topics on double-J’s July 12 media conference call.
To his credit, Jarrett said he wanted to be as transparent as possible on issues surrounding the suspension of champion Alberto El Patron while the company investigates his involvement in a domestic violence incident which allegedly occurred at Orlando International Airport this past Sunday (July 9) and the ongoing public relations battle with Matt Hardy over ownership of the “Broken” gimmick he used while on Impact Wrestling in 2016.
After starting the call by reading the statement released by GFW suspending El Patron and stating that would be all they had to say on the matter, several participants asked questions about the suspension, and Jarrett responded.
He called the situation, where police were called to a scene involving Alberto and his fiancee Paige, unfortunate and reiterated that company officials are looking into it in order to determine what happened. Jarrett has reached out to executives who’ve dealt with similar situations at other companies for guidance, but said there’s never one right way to handle it.
When asked if GFW would consider editing El Patron out of Impact episodes which have already taped, Jarrett said no, believing it would “further damage the brand”. He drew a distinction between this case and the one where the show’s previous owners edited Hernandez out of episodes, because that was a contractual issue where they legally could not show the wrestler due to his agreement with Lucha Underground.
Jarrett has been in contact with Alberto and his representatives, but didn’t reveal what’s been discussed. He said no decision’s been made about keeping the title on El Patron, because that’s not what’s important at this time.
On the topic of the “Broken Hardy” gimmick, which Anthem Entertainment claims is their intellectual property, GFW’s Chief Creative Officer was clear. Asked if Matt & Jeff have re-acquired the rights to use those characters, catchphrases and other associated elements, Jarrett answered, “No, they haven’t”.
He said he’s kept up a good relationship with Jeff Hardy and has spoken to him recently, but that has no bearing on this issue. GFW/Anthem maintains IP law is clear and favors their position. Though he credits Matt and his brother for their performances within the act, other writers and producers were involved... giving ownership to the “publisher”.
Sounds like the El Patron situation will be an ongoing one, pending results of GFW’s investigation and whether or not any charges are forthcoming from the Orlando Police. Reaction to Thursday’s Impact, featuring Alberto as champ and central to a storyline with the LAX faction, should be interesting.
Regarding the Hardys, we’ll see if Matt & Reby choose to “escalate” as promised, but it’s doubtful this is the resolution they were wanting.
H/T: Pro Wrestling Sheet, Wrestling Inc and Wrestling Observer on Twitter