When Jeff Jarrett entered the world of professional wrestling in the mid-1980s, downtime backstage among wrestlers was filled with various activities, from reading to playing cards.
Fast forward to today, and video games have taken center stage, becoming a ubiquitous fixture in wrestling locker rooms.
Platforms like Xavier Woods’ “UpUpDownDown” and AEW’s video game podcast featuring Adam Cole and Evil Uno are now commonplace in the industry.
In the recent episode of “My World with Jeff Jarrett,” Jarrett talked about the surge of video game culture within wrestling locker rooms over the past two decades.
Specifically, he credited AJ Styles, his former TNA rival and avid gamer, who is currently the number-one contender for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship, for introducing him to the burgeoning influence of video games in wrestling.
“I think he was the first one I saw with the actual console on the road,” Jarrett noted.
“And I thought, ‘Okay, that’s pretty cool,’ because it’s portable. I used to think, ‘They’re swapping a deck of cards or setting up a cribbage table.’
It was a natural transition or progression. It’s the evolution of gaming in the dressing room. I’ve always believed in the camaraderie of the locker room.
Whether it’s cards or video games, coming together and bonding fosters healthy competition.”
Jarrett emphasized the positive impact of such activities on team dynamics, promoting a sense of unity and camaraderie among wrestlers, whether they’re gathered around a card table or a gaming console.
