Jacobs opened up on working with Vince McMahon | Image Credit: IMAGO / MediaPunch
Jimmy Jacobs has been many things in professional wrestling: A cult indie figure, a WWE writer during one of its most creatively charged eras, and the man behind moments that fans still talk about years later. In a candid chat with Bobbo's World, Jacobs looked back on the highs, heartbreaks, and lessons that shaped his career.
Jacobs recalled his post-WWE transition to Impact (TNA), how Scott D’Amore brought him in, and how the smaller scale gave him creative freedom.
“When I came into TNA, it was actually great timing. Scott D’Amore had just taken over after all the ownership chaos — Billy Corgan, Anthem, all that. Scott called me right after I got fired and said, ‘Hey, come to Bound for Glory. Let’s go on a date and see if we want to go steady.’ I liked working there right away. I was respected. I didn’t have to put up a front or wear a tie to prove my worth. They needed people who could wear a few hats — I could manage, produce matches, promos, scripts. I learned so much in WWE that I could now apply in a smaller, scrappier system.”
Jacobs contrasted the freewheeling Impact system with WWE’s "micromanaged" environment under Vince.
“In WWE, Vince read every single word that went into scripts. There were reasons for that, but it made changing things hard. Vince had to personally approve changes, and he was busy. Guys like Cena or Undertaker had freedom, but most of us didn’t. Impact was different. If I wanted to try something, I just did it. If Scott didn’t like it, we’d talk. In WWE, everyone was playing not to lose. Vince could be volatile. One weird interaction and you were in the doghouse. He’d say things like, ‘If I say the sky is green, the sky is green!’ and you’d just have to deny reality. So yeah, I loved the freedom and the boundaries at Impact. I finally had balance — work when you work, rest when you rest.”
“I was at Impact for five and a half years. I loved it. But toward the end, I was doing more logistical stuff, less creative. I wasn’t the ideas guy anymore — more the guy piecing the show together. At WWE, I was in the trenches creatively. At Impact, I became the guy making the puzzle fit. Eventually, it was just time to move on.”
Jacobs reflected fondly on the absurd brilliance of the “List of Jericho” era, crediting Chris Jericho for the idea that became one of WWE’s most iconic comedy beats.
“One of my favorite ones — I think this was Chris’s idea — was the Goldberg segment. Chris threatens to put Goldberg on the list, and Goldberg just grabs the clipboard and writes his own name down, saying, ‘I just made the list!’ It was great — he was that character who didn’t care. It was such a fun bit. Hard to believe that was almost nine years ago now.”
Jacobs remembered the emotional depth behind the Kevin Owens–Chris Jericho breakup, a moment he still calls “their Shakespeare.”
“I forget whose idea that was — maybe Kevin’s — but that was where the Shakespeare was. That day Triple H was there, Vince wasn’t. Hunter loved Kevin and wanted to protect him. He thought the list and the ‘KO’ thing was a bit corny, so he wanted Kevin to just attack Chris out of nowhere.
"I’m so glad it happened the way it did, because that’s the whole story. Jericho gives him this gift, Kevin looks at it, and says, ‘Why is my name on it?’ He shows the crowd before Chris even realizes what’s coming. That’s the moment you freeze in time — when your best friend betrays you. That’s the Shakespeare.”
Jacobs explained how timing and politics shaped that year’s WrestleMania card, where Owens and Jericho’s story took a backseat to Goldberg, Brock Lesnar, Undertaker, and Roman Reigns.
“That year it was Goldberg vs. Brock and Undertaker vs. Roman — hard things to compete with. In another universe, maybe Goldberg and Brock didn’t need the title, Kevin keeps it, and you do Chris vs. Kevin — U.S. Champion vs. Universal Champion. But you know, Brock’s a big star. What Brock wants, Brock gets. If a few things changed, maybe that could’ve been the Universal title match. But Undertaker was only ever going to put over Brock at Mania.”
Reigns wanted Jacobs as his personal writer | Image Credit: IMAGO / Imagn Images
Jacobs opened up about his 2017 firing, reportedly over a selfie with the Bullet Club, and how it stemmed from deeper creative frustration.
“I just wanted to be judged by my work. Everyone I worked with respected me. I didn’t get fired because I was bad at my job. My last stories were Kevin Owens vs. Shane McMahon on SmackDown and John Cena vs. Roman Reigns on RAW. After that, Roman even told me he wanted me to be his personal writer. But my boss was still judging me based on some shit from eight years ago. I just wanted to contribute the way I knew how — not worry about what suit I was wearing."
"But look, it’s his sandbox. If you don’t like working for Vince McMahon, don’t work for Vince McMahon. The problem wasn’t Vince — it was me. I didn’t know how to deal with that, so I acted out. Eventually, it was, ‘Either take me how I am or fire me.’ And they fired me. They’re doing great, I’m great — it’s fine.”
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