Toby Keith passes away

Country musician Toby Keith passes away at 62. Keith made several appearances across WWE and TNA programming, including a live song performance on the very first TNA show …

Jeff Jarrett says Tony Keith was a huge fan of Wrestling and good friend that turn down the White House gag to show up at TNA PPV event Jarrett said, “Toby, just to tell you what a megastar he was and Friend, he was a huge superstar in the ‘90s. By 2002, when this came along, he went into a whole different stratosphere of selling tickets, downloads, records, and all that. He got invited to the White House, and he turned down the White House. They wanted him to sing on June 19th. The whole Peter Jennings controversy had come out, and his interview, and it was national news, not just Southern type headlines. But Toby was invited to the White House, and he actually turned the White House down, and said, ‘I’ve already committed to Jeff to do a wrestling event in Huntsville, and I can’t be there. It shows you what kind of a man and friend Toby is. It’s just incredible.”

Fun fact TNA was nearly sold to Jeff Jarrett by the backing of Toby Keith at one point but failed due to Dixie Carter

“The deal was very close at one point. Bob Carter came to Keith to finalize the deal and the two sides were close on a price, although they were not quite there. The belief is they were going to hash it out, but Carter only had one request in selling, which was that Dixie Carter would remain with her title, have some power in the company and remain a television character. Keith said he wasn’t going to buy the company with any creative limitations, so the deal actually fell apart because Bob Carter in the end was going to protect his daughter.

Because of all that, Keith and Jarrett simply decided they could start their own promotion working contacts they’ve made throughout their respective careers for television deals and the like But that’s how close it was and that, of all things, is what made it fall through.”

My heart is heavy today upon hearing that my friend Toby Keith has left us.
I’m so sad.
A true man’s man.
Boomer Sooner Big T.

— Jim Ross (@JRsBBQ) February 6, 2024