The Perception of Jeff Jarrett

[The Mizard of Oz]

This is my first topic, and I wasn't really sure where to put it. It really has nothing to do with TNA, so I think this forum is as good a place as any.

Let me start by saying that I'm not a mark for Jeff Jarrett. However, I have always found him enjoyable. The thing I don't understand is that a great deal of the IWC seems to view Jarrett as a mid-card guy that only got a run at the top because a.) It was in Vince Russo's WCW, and b.) He created his own company.

The problem I have with this is that it's long been said that his problems with the WWF began when Steve Austin refused to work with him, due to some bad blood stemming from their independent days. So, at the HEIGHT of the Attitude Era, the WWF wanted to do a program between Jarrett and BIGGEST WRESTLING STAR IN THE WORLD. But, he was destined to be mid card for life? There seem to be some serious flaws in logic there.

Without TNA, I definitely don't think Jarrett's run as a "top guy" would have lasted nearly as long as it did. But to brand him as a mid-carder that was in the right place at the right time is just wrong. Jarrett was a great worker, IMO, especially in the late-90's, and was solid on the mic. I don't have much doubt that if there were no hard feelings between he and Austin, Jarrett would have gotten a title run or two during the Attitude Era.

 

[b the man]

I doubt that very much. Are you telling me that Jarrett is on the same level as Austin or the Rock or Triple H or Undertaker, etc. All guys who held the title at least once during the attitude era. Because that is what it would take for Jarrett to have a title run during the attitude era. Also, if Jarrett truly is a main event player, than shouldn't have TNA gotten better ratings when he was constantly in the title picture?

 

[Midnite Express 2009]

I wasn't aware that Austin didn't want to deal with Jarrett. If this is true, I wonder how it would've turned out. I must admit, I was never fully impressed with Jarrett's work, especially when he had his 2nd run in WCW (that being when he was World Champion). I think Jeff's a decent (but not great) wrestler, but his matches were never 5 star classics or even 4 stars. I'm not knocking the guy, it's ballsy to start your own company, especially after you seen the destruction of a company that you used to work for, and more than that, starting your own company to rivial the empire known as WWE. But that's where the compliments stop for me. Jarrett always seemed to get what he probably didn't deserve (i.e. the WCW World title, but hey, by then, the janitor could've gotten a run with the strap). The Jarrett now, who's doing this poorly ran storyline with Kurt Angle is not amussing and IMO makes me look at him with even more contempt. But back to Austin & Jarrett: Hmmm...Glad that didn't happen after all. LOL

 

[realdealasshole]

Jarrett was no where near the level of the guys who held the title during that time period. He would be heavily overshadowed by HHH, The Rock, Stone Cold, the Undertaker, and even Mick Foley. Hell, even Kane who had the title for less than 24 hours. These are the guys that DID hold the title during the attitude era. They were deserving. Jarrett is a guy who NEVER gets pops or heat from any crowd. The only time he gets heat is from either just sucking so bad and being so boring that the crowd boos the shit out of him til he shuts up. And no, that's not natural heat. That's the kind of heat created because someone is trying to be somewhere they don't belong. Or he'll get a good reaction because of the smark/idiot filled impact zone. Either way, it's basically grueling for me to watch. It's so grueling that I stopped watching TNA just because of how often and how heavily involved he's been since Bound For Glory. THAT is not a top draw.

 

[AntiChristDeicide]

I doubt that very much. Are you telling me that Jarrett is on the same level as Austin or the Rock or Triple H or Undertaker, etc. All guys who held the title at least once during the attitude era. Because that is what it would take for Jarrett to have a title run during the attitude era. Also, if Jarrett truly is a main event player, than shouldn't have TNA gotten better ratings when he was constantly in the title picture?

I'm by no way a Jeff Jarrett fan, i can agree that he is not on the same level as HHH, Austin,The Rock or Undertaker because if he was he would have been a world champion in WWE. The thing i disagree with you is what you said about him being in the title picture and not having big ratings. Do you realise that when he was champion in TNA it was way before Christian Cage, Angle, Sting, the Hardys,RVD and Mr. Anderson? If so, you realize that when he was champion he was the Biggest name in a promotion that just started, so ratings don't even compare because TNA was new compared to WWE at the time.

 

[classicviolence]

Jarrett gets tons of unwarranted hate. The man is responsible for TNA and that in itself needs mentioning. He gave us an alternative and jobs to guys that needed it.

As a performer, he needed the rub from Austin. He was at his peak during the fall of 99' (yes, off the feud with Chyna.) and it would have pushed him as a "meaner" "edgier" Jarrett as he challenged Austin. It was better than some of the monotony that was the WWF title scene during that fall. (McMahon winning, and HHH getting multi runs early)

As WCW Champion they only used him well giving Booker T the rub. That also needs mentioning, as they carry WCW programming for a while. All of the feuds during the 00-01 WCW run were terrible, besides Jarrett and Booker T. Steiner's titled run was poorly done.

As TNA Champion, he was the only mainstay with the company that was established. Until Samoa Joe arrived the title picture was dominated by Jarrett, AJ and Truth. Jarrett's run were just waay to long sometimes and when he would draw some good heat Russo would just blow it.

He deserves his 12 World Title runs, just for his early 94 run as Double J. The man has the only entertaining feud in TNA currently. Every thing else a gang fight which they have been doing since 2002. Come on TNA. Really??

 

[The Mizard of Oz]

I doubt that very much. Are you telling me that Jarrett is on the same level as Austin or the Rock or Triple H or Undertaker, etc. All guys who held the title at least once during the attitude era. Because that is what it would take for Jarrett to have a title run during the attitude era. Also, if Jarrett truly is a main event player, than shouldn't have TNA gotten better ratings when he was constantly in the title picture?

I seem to recall that around the time Jarrett left for WCW, the feud over the WWF title was between the Big Show and the Big Bossman. Let's not act like Jarrett getting the title would have been so ridiculous. For fuck's sake, Vince McMahon held the belt in 1999. It was used as more of a prop back then than it even is today.

And, no, Jeff Jarrett is not on the level of Austin, Rock, HHH, or the Undertaker. Who is? About ten people in the history of the business? But Jarrett IS on the level of the Big Shows and Kanes of the world. I mean, fucking Bradshaw eventually won the world title, albeit several years later. Had he stayed, even if he didn't hold the belt in the AE, he would have gotten a run with the belt eventually.

But the bottom line, so to speak, is that the WWF wanted this "career mid-carder" to have a run with Austin...AT THE PEAK OF AUSTIN. That to me says that more people than just Vince Russo and Jarrett himself saw he had main event potential.

As for TNA's ratings, I think it's pretty fucking impressive that Jarrett built a company from scratch and five years later, people like Kurt Angle and Sting were working for it. Ratings don't mean shit. The WWE is the established brand. John Cena and Randy Orton could both show up on iMPACT! next week and I guaran-damn-tee you that RAW would still murder it in the ratings. The ratings for TNA aren't a negative reflection on Jeff Jarrett. The staying power of TNA IS.

 

[Jason Scene]

Jeff Jarrett's TNA is the TNA people liked, not this crap which is produced by Carter, Hogan, Bischoff and most of all Vince Russo these days. If you ever read an interview with an old TNA source they always say that Jeff would keep Russo on a leash so that he didn't do anything stupid. That's something, which is obvious from what people watch on TV or read on the internet doesn't happen today.

Jeff though is seen in bad light by some due to rumours that eledge he attempted to extort Vince McMahon of $300,000 to wrestle without a contract and to lose to Chyna which he didn't want to do. People say that this isn't true, but others think differently, as when WWE bought WCW Jeff was one of WCW's top guys and Vince fired him genuinely on-air, proclaiming his name was now spelt "Capital G Double-O Double-N Double-E; GONE!"

I think some people also look at his alliance with David Arquette for some reason, as well as his pushes in WCW all because of Russo.

On a different forum about two weeks ago I saw someone complain about how a couple years ago Jarrett was coming out after his wife died and was looking for sympathy, and how now he's doing this angle with Kurt Angle and is married to Karen in RL.

He's one of the more iffy people, on the liked/hated metre. Personally I like him, but I haven't seen him as a main eventer except for when TNA started which was needed, as they didn't really have main eventers at the time like Jeff.

 

[Post]

I am not the biggest Jeff Jarrett fan. I can't say that I've ever really cheered for him.

My overall perception of Jeff Jarrett...

A very talented in-ring performer that often gets blasted b/c he is the son of Jerry Jarrett. Jeff was blessed at a very young age w/many opportunities because of his father, but let's be realistic. Jeff's last name may have opened doors for him, but his good work ethic and sacrifice kept him employed in top companies.

Jeff was a good heel WCW champ. Not great, but good. He had some good feuds w/Booker T, DDP, and Sid.

When I started watching TNA, Jeff was the leader of Planet Jarrett and a great heel leader. Making TNA allowed Jeff the opportunity to reinvent himself as the wrestler that he always envisioned himself as. When I think of Jeff Jarrett and TNA one word comes to mind...dominance.

I will never see Jeff on the same level as HBK, Austin, Rock, HHH, etc. I will always see him in limbo between the midcard and the main event scenes.

Jeff did a wonderful thing in founding TNA and giving the fans a wrestling alternative. I watch both WWE and TNA and appreciate both shows. I love them for what they are and criticize them for what they aren't.

 

[jobesukulele]

I think it is just his look. He just looks like a bloke. There is nothing that stands out about him at all.

First there was That dreadful blonde hair and silly jacket era of Jarrett.

Then the 2 Jarrett moments that stand out for me are his feud with Chyna and him laying down for Hogan because the Egocentric Monster Hulk wouldn't put him over.

They are Both awful moments in wrestling history.

Then TNA come along and he's been a top guy in it ever since even though he's co-founder.

And you're actually wondering why people don't believe in him?

 

[The Mizard of Oz]

I think it is just his look. He just looks like a bloke. There is nothing that stands out about him at all.

First there was That dreadful blonde hair and silly jacket era of Jarrett.

Then the 2 Jarrett moments that stand out for me are his feud with Chyna and him laying down for Hogan because the Egocentric Monster Hulk wouldn't put him over.

They are Both awful moments in wrestling history.

Then TNA come along and he's been a top guy in it ever since even though he's co-founder.

And you're actually wondering why people don't believe in him?

Jeff Jarrett, in the 90's, didn't look a whole lot different than Dolph Ziggler does today. Dolph Ziggler, who is being hailed by much of the IWC as a future multi-time World Champion.

I didn't think Jarrett's feud with Chyna was a black mark on his career. He actually pulled a solid match out of her. That's more of a plus for Jarrett as a worker.

 

[Jason Scene]

Jeff Jarrett, in the 90's, didn't look a whole lot different than Dolph Ziggler does today. Dolph Ziggler, who is being hailed by much of the IWC as a future multi-time World Champion.

I didn't think Jarrett's feud with Chyna was a black mark on his career. He actually pulled a solid match out of her. That's more of a plus for Jarrett as a worker.

They don't really look similar. Hair color is really all they share.

And onto your second point, the reason it's a black mark on his career is because he extorted Vince for $300,000. Jeff never denies that, he always answers with, "negotiations were fair and I was humble throughout," or something like that.

Hence why Vince wanted nothing to do with him, and fired him, on national television when there was about 8 million people watching. It's also the reason possibly for TNA, as Jeff knew he'd never make back into WWE after what he did.

 

[dizzle1119]

Jarrett IS on the level of the Big Shows and Kanes of the world. I mean, fucking Bradshaw eventually won the world title, albeit several years later. Had he stayed, even if he didn't hold the belt in the AE, he would have gotten a run with the belt eventually.

I don't see Jarrett as being on Big Show's level. That's just me being honest...and it really isn't a knock on Jeff. It has more to do with me feeling as though Big Show is under-appreciated by the vast majority of wrestling fans. The guy was/is one of the most naturally gifted super-heavyweights in history. In terms of athleticism & agility, Big Show was very special. He carried himself well when he was a younger man. You simply don't see guys of that extreme size who can actually move, but Show did just that as a young worker.

Anyways, back to Jarrett. He may well have carried the WHC at one point had he remained in the WWE long term, but then again he may never have had the honor. The man did lose the intercontinental championship to a woman for crying out loud. That speaks volumes of how highly Jarrett was thought of within the WWE. I really don't know if he would've ever been granted a title run. Mr Perfect, Rick Rude and Piper were never world champs for Vince, and I'd argue that all three of those men were more popular & better respected than Jeff.

I will give the guy credit for his work in TNA's early days. I enjoyed TNA in it's formulative days moreso than I do now. Jeff was an integral part of the company behind the scenes as well as in the ring during that time, and initially I had no problem with that. However, Jeff kept himself in the main event spotlight for far too long. I don't like the fact that Jeff is all too willing to bring his "real life" issues into TNA either. His little girls should've never been mentioned on air, and this whole angle with Karen and Kurt's kids is really bad too.

 

[Mustang Sally]

He was solid in all areas, yet he fell short of "star" status. He was a good worker, but not great. He had a good ring personality, but not great. He received good pushes, but not moonshots. In other words, he had the ability to be a solid figure in the mid-card.....and that's what he was.

Given the way both WCW and WWE gave him solid pushes, I wonder why he was always dissatisfied enough to keep bouncing back and forth between the two companies. In particular, after the run as "Double J" in WWE, I truly wonder why he had to hold McMahon up for money to wrestle in the "Good Housekeeping" match with Chyna before he left WWE for good. He blocked his own road back to WWE if the newest WCW run didn't work out.

So, I say he was a good wrestler but a bad politician. After the stunt he pulled in his last run with Vince, Jarrett had to open his own wrestling company if he wanted to continue working in the business.

Talk about burning bridges.

 

[Hollywood Naitch]

Jarrett has never really impressed me in the ring. His wrestling ability is average, and his mic skills are above average but not on the level of a Triple H, a Kurt Angle, a Shawn Michaels or a John Cena. He is a mid-card talent masquarading in a main event spot for a long period of his career.

There was a reason Austin did not want to feud with Jarrett. He correctly realised that JJ was nowhere on his level and it would only have hurt Austin to take part in a program with Jarrett over the title. Now, I do not think Austin did the right thing in refusing to do a job, but I can see why he thought that way.

Jarrett was a fine mid-card talent who can occasionally get it on with the main eventers, kind of like Kofi Kingston (although JJ is not as good as Kofi). He probably achieved all he should in the WWE, but in WCW his title reigns were all down to his friendship with Vince Russo, who really went off the boil after being so important to the success of the WWE in the late 90s. Russo giving Jarrett so many reigns over such a small period of time was ridiculous and has given Jeff a much too high number of title reigns.

In TNA, Jarrett did a fine job of main eventing in the promotions early days. It was his company, he knew what he wanted and believed he was the best man to lead the show. He did have one of the biggest names and resumes in the company so I can live with that. However, he remained as the number 1 guy for too long, especially during his long feud with Raven, where I think he should have dropped the belt far sooner than he did.

I am glad he is taking a back seat the main event these days and letting the bigger stars compete for the belt. Jarrett is not a main event standard wrestler for a major company. He was fine in TNA's early days but not any more. He is doing fine in the spot he is in, as a secondary level heel.

 

[byrnside]

Until today I never understood why Jarrett garners so much heat. I had forgotten all about the RAW/Nitro simulcast where Vince fired Jeff, and I never knew about the $300,000 extortion.

With those things in mind I still don't dislike Jarrett nor his reign at the top. Granted, I think there are much better performers than Jarrett, but towards the end of his last WWE run and even in his later WCW run, I liked him. I thought he earned his spot at the top. From the time he dropped the country singer gimmick, I liked him. I thought he and Owen Hart made an awesome tag team. Had he gotten the rub from Stone Cold, a lot of people might be singing a different tune today.