Jeff Jarrett, recently inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame, discussed a long-standing rumor about Vince McMahon having a bias towards wrestlers from the southern United States. Jarrett addressed the topic on his “My World” podcast, dismissing the idea as inaccurate.

“I’ve heard that for 30 years, and I’m telling you, it’s just not true,” Jarrett stated. “Vince signed talent from all over the place. He didn’t care where you were from. He cared if you coudl draw money, if you could get people to watch, and if you could get people to buy tickets.”

Jarrett pointed to several successful non-Southern wrestlers who thrived under McMahon’s leadership as evidence.He mentioned Bret hart, Shawn Michaels, and Kurt Angle, all of whom achieved main event status in WWE despite not having Southern roots.

“Look at Bret Hart, look at Shawn Michaels, look at Kurt Angle. Those guys weren’t from the South,and they were huge stars. Vince saw potential, and he gave people opportunities. He didn’t limit himself to a certain region.”

The Hall of Famer believes the rumor likely stemmed from the prominence of Southern wrestling promotions like the NWA and WCW before WWE’s national dominance. McMahon often brought in talent from these organizations, leading to a perception of favoritism.

“I think it started because Vince brought in a lot of guys from the territories, from the NWA, from WCW, and a lot of those guys were from the South. but that wasn’t as he favored southern wrestlers; it was because those were the guys who were already established stars.”

Jarrett concluded by reiterating his belief that McMahon’s decisions were based purely on business and a wrestler’s ability to generate revenue,not their geographical origin.