Want more wrestling news, rumors, and results? Be sure to visit PWInsider.com and PWInsiderXtra.com.
The talk of the Impact locker room over the last 48 hours has been what was described to PWInsider as a "loud and ugly argument" between Impact executive Bob Ryder and Karen and Jeff Jarrett at the final Impact Wrestling taping this past Sunday 4/23 in Orlando, Florida that at one point, appeared to have been Ryder's exit from the company.
Multiple sources stated that Karen Jarrett confronted Ryder (who was timing out the show) and began arguing with him over what we are told was, of all things, the booking of a hotel room. Shortly after Karen "dressed down Ryder", she left the scene. Several minutes later, Jeff Jarrett loudly confronted Ryder and told him to "not wait" and to leave the taping. After his argument with Jeff Jarrett, Ryder packed up and left before completing his duties.
We are told that Ryder then had another argument with the Jarretts before getting in his car and leaving. There was a lot of sympathy for Ryder after the incident because his health has not been the best in recent months
A number of those we spoke to believed yesterday that Ryder was fired by the Jarretts or that Ryder had quit after his argument with Karen. However, PWInsider.com has confirmed that Ryder was in the Impact offices in Nashville today working per usual. It is believed that whatever sparked the issue was settled once everyone returned to Nashville. Whether there will be any fallout to the scene in Orlando remains to be seen.
Impact officials had been trying hard to keep the incident quiet the last 48 hours, to the point that sources who are usually very open with me denied the incident ever happened. Another dismissed it as the pressures of producing TV, although many, many others confirmed the scene indeed happened and that in the moment, it was "as bad you can imagine."
As has been reported over the years, Impact Wrestling (formerly TNA) was founded in 2002 after a fishing trip on Ryder's boat with Jeff and Jerry Jarrett, which led to the company's initial concept of weekly Wednesday night PPV events priced at $9.99. Ryder has been a major cog in the TNA machine from day one, handling travel and logistics before moving upward to handle talent relations and contract issues. He would be the longest running regular employee there (alongside Jeremy Borash) and as one person told me yesterday, "if Ryder left, he would be the guy that knew where every single body was buried."
Ryder previously worked for World Championship Wrestling after parlaying his Internet reporting into a position with that company.
If you enjoy PWInsider.com you can check out the AD-FREE PWInsider Elite section, which features exclusive audio updates, news, our critically acclaimed podcasts, interviews and more by clicking here!
Bang On Casino
