Jeff Jarrett will be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame as part of its Class of 2018 joining Goldberg, The Dudley Boyz, and Ivory during WrestleMania 34 Week in New Orleans April 6, the WWE said on its website.
Jarrett, the son of Tennessee wrestling promoter Jerry Jarrett, started out as a referee before competing in as a wrestler at 18, WWE said. The former WWE and WCW champion
wrestled against other Hall of Famers like Jerry "The King" Lawler and Nick Bockwinkel, the website said.
Jarrett made a successful career as a villain in both WWE and WCW, winning four WCW world heavyweight titles and six WWE Intercontinental championships from 1993 to 2001, per the WWE.com.
While his catchphrase "Ain't I great?" was often responded to with boos from fans, per WWE.com, Jarrett, known as "Double J," was humbled by the honor, responding on Twitter.
"There's not enough space in a tweet or a post to say all the 'thank-you's' that I want to say," Jarrett said on Twitter.
"I would have never dreamed that in 2018 I'd be going into the Hall of Fame, but as I've sat back and looked I said, 'Welp, I guess there are some things that are just meant to be,'" Jarrett told NBC Sports.
The induction allows Jarrett to come full circle, NBC Sports wrote, noting that Vince McMahon fired Jarrett on live television in 2001 after WWE purchased WCW.
NBC Sports wrote that Jarrett and his father started Total Nonstop Action Wrestling a year later, a promotion that launched the careers of future WWE/NXT superstars like A.J. Styles, Samoa Joe, Eric Young, and Bobby Roode.
Styles will be defending his WWE championship while Jarrett is now receiving its top honor, NBC Sports wrote.
"I don't believe in coincidences, only convergences and A.J. headlining and me going in to the Hall of Fame is perfect," Jarrett told NBC Sports. "He's been a friend since the early days of our relationship and it's been great to watch him progress as a performer. I can't say enough about the guy."
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