Jeff Jarrett has shared the story behind one of TNA Wrestling’s most unique ideas, revealing that a bold pitch during the development of the promotion’s first video game caught Midway Games completely off guard.
Looking back, Jarrett recalled how a character created for a console game eventually crossed over into the wrestling ring.
Speaking during a Dark Side of the Ring Q&A in New York, the WWE Hall of Famer reflected on the making of TNA iMPACT! and why he believed one fictional creation deserved a life beyond the controller.
Jeff Jarrett recalls pitching Suicide’s jump from video game to TNA television
Jarrett explained that Midway Games invested heavily in understanding TNA before developing the 2008 title, even visiting his home and diving deep into the company’s creative process.
“The company, Midway Games approached us, and they really loved the brand,” Jarrett said. “They came actually to my house and sat down and we went into the DNA of kind of the creative process.”
The project became especially meaningful for Jarrett, who balanced game development while his wife was seriously ill.
“My wife was in ICU… I was taking laps… and doing calls,” he recalled.
The biggest surprise came when Midway introduced the original character, Suicide. Rather than leaving the masked star inside the game, Jarrett wanted to bring him onto TNA programming.
“I’ll never forget the look on their faces and I said, ‘Hey man, I love this character. I want to make him into a real wrestler,’ and they were like, ‘What the…?'” Jarrett said.
It was a move that stunned the developers but eventually became reality, turning a digital creation into an in-ring performer. Talk about leveling up — Suicide didn’t just respawn; he entered the squared circle.
Jarrett also revealed that plans for a second TNA video game never materialized despite the first title’s success.
“They overextended. They went bankrupt,” he said of Midway. “TNA 2 was on the books for years, and then the Hogan years happened, and it all went to shit.”
Although the sequel never reached the finish line, Jarrett’s unexpected pitch ensured TNA iMPACT! left behind more than just a video game — it created a wrestling character whose legacy extended far beyond the console.
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