Interesting Jarrett article from Keller at Torch

[The Ghost of bps21 0]

After what Steve Austin said about Jeff Jarrett on the Get in the Ring radio show last week, I expected Jarrett to at least be hitting the ropes extra hard tonight on the TNA PPV.

 

Jarrett faces Sting tonight in one of his bigger singles matches in TNA history. It's certainly the biggest name he's wrestled in a singles match. With the NWA Title on the line and given how rarely Sting wrestles these days, it's a significant match.

 

Austin made the comment about Jarrett not hitting the ropes very hard when explaining why he didn't agree to work a feud with Jarrett back when it was suggested shortly after Summerslam '99. Vince Russo, a good friend of Jarrett behind the scenes, felt it would help elevate Jarrett and give Austin someone fresh to work with. Austin felt it was a step down at a time when his top spot was being challenged by The Rock, Mankind, and Triple H.

 

When explaining why he didn't want to wrestle Jarrett, Austin didn't give the whole story. It's true he didn't like the way Jarrett worked and didn't think he was a top tier level worker (especially his offense), and it's true he felt it would take him down more than it would help Jarrett, but Austin also had some personal issues with Jarrett related to Jarrett's friendship with Austin's then-girlfriend Debra Marshall.

 

Nevertheless, when the top star of this generation calls you out publicly for something as fundamentally simple as not hitting the ropes hard, if you have any pride at all, you're going to respond with a hard effort next time in the ring.

 

The problem is Jarrett may not have an ideal opponent to work with when trying to fire back at that criticism with a standout match. Sting probably isn't going to be in good ring shape. Sting has never been known as a great worker - a good natural athlete, but not a great ring general. Jarrett only has so much leverage to ask Sting to work extra hard. Sting doesn't care what Austin said about Jarrett.

 

Sting, though, is interested in big wrestling payoffs. He wouldn't be working tonight's TNA show if he wasn't. It will help his cause for future big money bookings if the word coming out of tonight's show is that "he still has it." If he looks washed up, out of shape, or way past his prime, it could hurt his future bookings. Sting is one of the bigger names of the last 15 years to never wrestle at a WrestleMania. WrestleMania XX may be a great time for him to make his WWE debut (not counting his final Nitro match against Ric Flair).

 

Jarrett, so preoccupied with backstage duties running the show, has not been anywhere near the consistently excellent worker TNA needed him to be in order for TNA to attract and retain customers each week. The promotion has been built around him more often than not, yet he has had only two stand-out singles matches in the 15 months the promotion has been running weekly events. That's not a good track record, and one of the reasons TNA continues to struggle to find a comfortable stride.

 

If it takes a dig by Austin to get Jarrett to do whatever it takes to turn it up a notch, so be it. Austin may have done Jarrett a favor.

 

The big question, though, is does Jarrett have it in him? Now in his mid-30s, with average charisma and an average overall look with a lot of average looking offense and lacking a reputation as a superstar to carry him on name value alone, can Jarrett step it up even if he wants to? He has against A.J. Styles and Raven, but he'll have to do it against someone like Sting to show fans and the locker room he deserves the top spot he's given himself. Carrying Sting to a three-and-a-half or four star match tonight would be step one.

[Corey_Lazarus 0]

Which is funny, because tonight's match (Sting/Jarrett) has pretty much proved that Sting has very little left, and Jarrett ISN'T a top tier player.

[Guest MikeSC]

Which is funny, because tonight's match (Sting/Jarrett) has pretty much proved that Sting has very little left, and Jarrett ISN'T a top tier player.

After watching his work from 1997 on, why would anybody think that Sting had ANYTHING left?

-=Mike

[MrRant 0]

Sting has always been decent since 97. He hasn't exactly always had great workers to work against either.

[Michrome 0]

He had a ***1/2 match with DDP in April of 99.

[Guest MikeSC]

He had a ***1/2 match with DDP in April of 99.

You mean the match where he won the World Title for about an hour?

 

I wouldn't give that nearly 3 stars.

-=Mike

[Guest dvkorn]

Keller forgot to mention a few good singles matches Jarrett has been in...

 

Some of the good singles matches he has been in

 

the 2 Vs Styles

Vs Raven

the 1st Vs Killings

 

even the 2nd Vs Killings was decent as was the one against D'Lo.. The one against Daniels even though only like 8 mins was decent... The Hall ones were half decent... He didn't really have any good singles opponents that he could work well with until he got to Killings and then they elevated Styles and then Raven & D'Lo came in... I mean who could have a good match with a 2002 BG James... I mean Jarrett and BG James have had some good matches (Check out some USWA from about 94) but not a 2002 BG... and a 2002 Curt Hennig...

 

Plus i could name some other non singles matches that were good... like the 3 way when Styles won the title... Jarrett & Killings Vs Styles & Lynn from week 9... the Triple X Gaunlet.. etc...

 

I personally think that Jarrett has had done of some of his best work in TNA... He seems to have gained a bit of weight since the earlier episodes of TNA and his WCW days... which may have slowed him down a bit but he still is a good performer IMO...

 

It was a decent article considering it was the Torch....

Edited November 6, 2003 by dvkorn

[The Ghost of bps21 0]

I was surprised by his coices as Jarrett's two real good matches in TNA.

 

IMO his two best matches in TNA have been vs. Killings when he won the title and the match where he lost to Styles in a 3 way with Raven.

 

Jarrett has *decent* matches with pretty much everyone else...but one has to think back only as far as Styles vs. Raven and Styles vs. Low Ki to see who the better championship matches were coming from.