Former TNA Employee Talks Why He Was Released, The Different Positions He's Held, Getting The Job
Former TNA employee Jimmy Jay, a.k.a. Jason James, recently spoke with Lee Sanders here of The RCWR Show. Jay handled promotion of the ShopTNA.com website, and was released from the company earlier this year as part of the company's budget cuts. During the interview, Jay discussed how working for TNA came about, working under Don West, life on the road and much more. Here are some highlights, the full interview is in the video above:
How working for TNA came about:
"A friend of mine at the time Matt Catalano, still today, he was contacted through their production guy at the time Randy Ritchie, and it was at the time when they had just signed Pacman Jones. He lived in Franklin, TN, which is about 15 miles outside of Nashville. They needed some people to drive a ring over to Pacman's house, set it up in his yard because he was going to train there. So Matt called me, that was my first gig and that was early 2007. My first gig with TNA, glorified story, isn't it?"
Different positions he's held in TNA:
"I started out in the production department, like I said, the ring crew that was my first gig in August then in September I did my first trip on the road for them which was the New York State Fair in Syracuse. House show up there, me and Matt Catalano, two men in a truck, I use that expression because that's what it was back then two men in a truck and a black curtain. I was going to do Bound for Glory in Duluth, GA, but something happened and I didn't end up doing that. Once they started touring in December they had a tour of Canada, Montreal, Quebec City, I l left Christmas Day for that and I was on the ring crew from that point forward.
His TNA release:
"Live events. I worked live events every show. 2007 to 2014, I worked the road shows that was my job. I guess you know, I guess they are deciding to go back a little bit with no road shows this year and I don't know what they've got going on for next year but they don't need a live events guy."
Jay also discussed how Hulk Hogan was being marketed in TNA, if TNA going to a new network would be better, seeing veteran TNA stars and others leave the company over the years and more. You can watch the full interview above.