Jarrett Interview

[TNABaddboi 0]

I came across this on 411wrestling.com. But this is an interview Jarrett did with a British newspaper. Warning: Jarrett does kayfabe some of this, but it's an interesting read otherwise.

 

'I'm reinventing wrestling'

 

By THE LILSBOYS

 

 

BY his own admission taking on the WWE, in what wrestling experts and fans are dubbing the Monday Night Wars II, will be a David v Goliath struggle.

 

But in an exclusive interview, TNA founder and world champion Jeff Jarrett revealed how his company plans to revolutionise the wrestling business.

 

The former four-time WCW world champion and industry veteran gave us a very honest appraisal of the strengths and weaknesses of his bid to provide the first real competition to Vince McMahon since WCW went out of business more than four years ago.

 

And Double J is just the first of many huge names talking to SunSport Online in the month of October.

 

Next week we'll have an exclusive webchat with Batista - you can put your questions to the WWE world champion now by clicking here - and that will be followed by interviews with WWE head trainer Al Snow and a very special wrestling legend.

 

But first here's your chance to find out why Jeff believes Mick Foley and Matt Hardy pulled out of deals with TNA at the last minute, his plans to come to the UK and whether he'd ever work with Vince McMahon again.

 

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How did TNA get to the point where you're at now - with a show on the WWE's old home of Spike TV?

 

My family have been in this business for three generations. My father Jerry wrestled and his mother did everything in the business but wrestle. I worked for both WWE (then WWF) and WCW.

When WCW and ECW went out of business myself and my father felt there was a huge void in the market place.

Wrestling has always thrived when there's been competition and we sensed there was a great opportunity for a new alternative.

So back in June of 2002, we launched TNA with the first ever weekly PPV series. Every Wednesday night for a little over two years, at a price of only $9.95 you could get two hours of Total Nonstop Action.

Our next step was to move to monthly PPVs with a weekly free show on Fox Sports Net. We had a contract with those guys for a year and that ended this past May.

After that we negotiated with several networks and are excited to have launched TNA: Impact on Spike TV - every Saturday night at 11pm and repeated on Mondays at midnight.

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Anyone who follows TNA will know you're the world champion, but what is your current behind the scenes role in the company?

 

There is an executive committee comprised of myself, Dixie Carter and Frank Dickerson. That committee overseas all aspects of the business and the three of us run the day-to-day operations.

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Do you think your move to Spike, alongside UFC, could see the restart of the Monday Night Wars?

 

The Monday Night Wars were extremely successful and the fans were the big winners. I can't say they'll be recreated, but I do think this is a very exciting time for the wrestling business. It will be interesting to see what the audience dictates and where this path leads us.

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What advantages does TNA have over the WWE?

 

First and foremost we have a very fresh product. We have a great roster with a mix of veterans, primetime players and up and coming stars. We're hungry and we definitely have something to prove. We have a six-sided ring, new and unique matches - like Ultimate X and King Of The Mountain - and a focus on hard-hitting in-ring action. Our X Division is not about weight limits it's about no limits, and those guys are truly in a league of their own. Our saying is: "TNA is wrestling reinvented." We are everything WWE isn't - there is less talk and more action. They like to call what they do "sports entertainment", but we're not afraid or ashamed to use the words "professional wrestling".

 

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What advantages do the WWE have over TNA?

 

They have a 40 year plus head start and are a billion dollar publicly traded company! It truly is a David and Goliath story. The biggest advantage they have is they've got five hours of regular television in the US - we have one. We're in the business of promoting and to promote you've got to have distribution and exposure. They also have all the money in the world, whereas we're scratching and clawing for every penny we can. But I think at times we can use that to our advantage, as we have to think on our feet and spend our money a little more wisely.

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TNA have some fantastic matches but seem to lack the big superstars - why do you think that is?

 

In our business to create big stars you need to have a national platform and up until now we haven't had that. Now we've started on Spike it is going to be much easier and I think we've got several potential superstars.

There are a lot of people who've been to the dance before like myself, Kevin Nash, Jeff Hardy, Raven and Tito Ortiz from UFC. Then on the other side we've got Abyss, AJ Styles, Samoa Joe, Christopher Daniels and Monty Brown. Monty Brown is a former two-time SuperBowl participant who can talk the talk and is learning how to walk the walk.

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Matt Hardy and Mick Foley could both have been that huge star for you. They were negotiating with TNA then decided at the last minute to sign back for the WWE. What happened?

 

The almighty dollar! It has a strange way of persuading some individuals. You just asked what advantages WWE have and there's one right there. There's no doubt about it, Vince definitely paid them to keep them away from us.

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Do you think some wrestlers talk to TNA as a way to get into the WWE?

 

Yes. But that's business.

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Are you negotiating with Chris Jericho, Brock Lesnar, Sting or any other big name free agents?

 

To my knowledge Jericho is not available. But if we are having negotiations with stars it's in our best interests to keep them under wraps. We've seen first hand the casualties of word getting out and the monopolistic ways of WWE.

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Dusty Rhodes help put TNA on the map by booking some great PPVs, but he's now moved to the WWE. Will he be a big loss to you?

 

Absolutely not! No one man makes any company go and TNA is continuing to flourish.

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Do you watch WWE Raw and Smackdown and what do you think of them?

 

I work long and hard hours but still watch as much wrestling as possible. I'm probably the biggest wrestling fan in the world and I study the game. Raw and Smackdown are typical, traditional WWE programming. A lot of time they go for shock factor, they emphasise talking more than wrestling and there is a lot of stuff backstage away from the audience. As well as Raw and Smackdown, I watch international shows and independent DVDs. I haven't had a chance to see regular tapes from Britain but I'm in contact with promoters in the UK and am looking forward to coming over soon - hopefully in January.

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How can we watch TNA in UK?

 

We're on Eurosport and The Wrestling Channel in the UK and are looking to broaden our horizons further and increase our exposure. We're also currently in discussions with promoters about bringing a live TNA show over. I've always had a great relationship with the UK fans and would love for that to happen.

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How important was it for you personally to be the world champion for TNA's debut on Spike?

 

I told everybody I'd be the champion when we started on Spike and I am. I'm the guy who started this company from the ground up - so who better?

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You receive a similar criticism to Triple H in the WWE - that because of your position backstage in the company you are in world championship matches. How would respond to that?

 

This is a business and when you really sit down and analyse a true businessman he always does what's best for business. And what's good for TNA is good for Jeff Jarrett and vice versa.

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What is the connection between TNA and the NWA?

 

TNA runs the business, and we have sanctioned the NWA to govern the in-ring product. The NWA has a heritage of more than 60 years and their world title has the greatest lineage in the industry. I think it's a win/win for TNA and a win/win for the fans. My title is the NWA world heavyweight championship, as worn by guys like Lou Thesz, Dory Funk and Ric Flair. The one Batista has in WWE is basically an extension of the WCW title.

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Your show comes after UFC on Spike - what do you think of their product? Is it as good as professional wrestling?

 

UFC definitely has a strong audience and Spike have brought them to the forefront. But professional wrestling has been around as long as television. It's a product that always draws great ratings. Even in the down years of WCW, the ratings were phenomenal - it was the highest rated show on TBS and one of the highest on TNT. So having wrestling on your network is a no brainer.

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WCW eventually went under competing with the WWE - what will you be doing differently to them?

 

You have to make sound business decisions across the board, whether it be creative, administrative, marketing, publicity, advertising or production. If you do what's best for business then it's hard to go wrong.

In WCW they knew they were making bad decisions - from wasting a fortune on unnecessary travel costs to having a direction and creative process that was all over the place - and continued to make them.

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You are currently Vince McMahon's biggest rival, but would you ever work with him again?

 

Yes. If it was good for business - then absolutely!

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Finally can you give us one reason why fans should switch to TNA?

 

Because it is absolutely the best wrestling product in the world today.

 

Thoughts?

[Carnival 0]

The man is a genius.

[Silence 0]

This is a business and when you really sit down and analyse a true businessman he always does what's best for business. And what's good for TNA is good for Jeff Jarrett and vice versa.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

[dubq 0]

Am I missing something. I thought that the Jarrett's had no ownership of TNA anymore?

[Guest Desperate Housewife]

Am I missing something? TNA is scrimping for every penny? Panda is LOADED What a delusional jackoff

[Guest RickyB]

Am I missing something? TNA is scrimping for every penny? Panda is LOADED What a delusional jackoff

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Yes but do you really think Panda will throw all the money they have at TNA without a return on the investment. Panda is a bigger business than just putting money into TNA, they obviously aren't as loaded as WWE because the WWE is Vince's only business so all of his money goes into that, while TNA's money comes from Panda which has more than just TNA to worry about.

[Guest MikeSC]

Even though I'm sure his comments were somewhat-worked --- the premise that he'll transition the belt anytime soon is delusional.

[Guest Fishyswa]

What's with this thought that Panda is some bank that TNA can just randomly access as they need to? Not how it works at all.

 

I'd love an example of how what's good for Jarret is good for TNA.

[Guest RickyB]

I'd love an example of how what's good for Jarret is good for TNA.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

The segment on Friday Night with him, AMW and Nash was the highest rated segment on the show with the ratings going up near 12 o'clock which hardly ever happens. And they needed the belt on him going into the opening show because he's the biggest name they had behind Nash. Just because smarks don't want to see him doesn't mean that casual fans don't.

[Silence 0]

The segment on Friday Night with him, AMW and Nash was the highest rated segment on the show with the ratings going up near 12 o'clock which hardly ever happens.  And they needed the belt on him going into the opening show because he's the biggest name they had behind Nash.  Just because smarks don't want to see him doesn't mean that casual fans don't.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Jarrett has never been over enough or good enough to warrant a main-event spot in any company he's worked for. His ring skills have only been decent-OK at best in the past. Otherwise, his matches have mostly been boring unless he's being carried. His promos are predictable and repetitive every time.

 

Casual fans will only remember Jarrett as a career mid-carder in WWE who lost to a woman on his way out before suddenly receiving a megapush in WCW for the World Heavyweight title all because of Russo when WCW was on its last legs.

[Adam 0]

I met Jarrett earlier today. He's a cunt.

[Carnival 0]

I met Jarrett earlier today.  He's a cunt.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

What happened?

[Guest Fishyswa]

CG made the point.

 

Spike Dudley is a big name, would you put him on top of your fed? Hell, Gillberg is a big name, no one is gonna be running with him as Champ. It's not that they're as credible, but the guy is remembered for a lame honky-tonk kind of gimmick, losing to China, and being the "chosen one" in a bush-league corpse of WCW. It's not exactly a resume that screams "push me over all".

 

And hell even if he is enough of a "name" alone to merit the spot, how does that work with the whole "new wrestling promotion based around young wrestlers going all at an all out, high-impact pace" appeal of the fed?

 

I think the reason "smarks" don't want it is because it just doesn't make sense financially or in terms of a solid product.

[Adam 0]

Well, Wednesday night was the big 'international assault' tour here in Australia, the first time we got to see some decent wrestling. Met pretty much all of them at the airport and even went to Burger King with AJ (it was surreal standing behind him in line). Jarrett was the only one to ignore the fans completely and walk off. I got photos with Rhino, Jeremy Borash, Christopher Daniels, Samoa Joe, AJ and Frankie Kazarian.

 

Later that night they had a 'Meet and Greet' event at the venue. Jarrett was one of only two guys that weren't there. Got photos with The Dud... excuse me, Team 3D, Nate Jones, AJ again, this time with the X Belt, Joe, Daniels, Frankie, and Test (who is now the same colour as Flair, and roided up).

 

Yesterday I was catching a plane back home, and who should be in the opposite plane terminal, but the entire roster of guys on the previous night. I talked to Jesus Aguleria for a bit, he was cool, and Frankie. Rhino asked me where a payphone was, which was uberweird. A friend of mine asked Jarrett for a photo, so Jarrett snatches his camera and takes a photo of my friend. My mate then pulled out his replica NWA Belt and asked Jarrett to sign it, and he said "yeah, sure", before walking away. A fair few of the other guys were tired, but at least they were polite. I didn't get any signatures or photos yesterday, didn't want to bother the guys.

 

It was an awesome day, I'll probably be on the Impact highlight reel of the event because of our front row pro-TNA signs, but Jarrett acted like a cunt.

[Carnival 0]

WOW he sure did.

[Guest Fishyswa]

That makes me like him more. Anyone that committed should get a medal in this day and age.

[Guest Fook_Theta]

It was an awesome day, I'll probably be on the Impact highlight reel of the event because of our front row pro-TNA signs, but Jarrett acted like a cunt.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

You post on this board and you didn't take along a "I'm taping Nitro/Raw" sign? Nothing smarky at all?

 

FAILED

[razazteca 0]

What is the connection between TNA and the NWA?

 

TNA runs the business, and we have sanctioned the NWA to govern the in-ring product. The NWA has a heritage of more than 60 years and their world title has the greatest lineage in the industry. I think it's a win/win for TNA and a win/win for the fans. My title is the NWA TNA rodeo championship belt buckle, as worn by guys like Lou Thesz, Dory Funk and Ric Flair Ken Shamrock, Ron Killings, AJ Styles. The one Batista has in WWE is basically an extension of the WCW TV title.

Had to correct the errors.

[David Blazenwing 0]

A friend of mine asked Jarrett for a photo, so Jarrett snatches his camera and takes a photo of my friend.

 

LMFAO! I like Jarrett a lot more after reading that.

[Adam 0]

I'm just pumped that I might be on Impact, because JB was filming the event for highlights on Impact, and he came over to me and the guy next to me especially because we had pro-TNA signs.

[ZGangsta 0]

I dislike Jjaarreett as much as the next guy, but I think the HHH comparissons are kinda off base. I mean were Trips in the same position, there's no way he'd be putting over the X-division in interviews.

[Magus 0]

I dislike Jjaarreett as much as the next guy, but I think the HHH comparissons are kinda off base. I mean were Trips in the same position, there's no way he'd be putting over the X-division in interviews.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

I don't believe in the comparisons either.

 

HHH is WAY better than Jarrett, in just about every way.

[Guest MikeSC]

I dislike Jjaarreett as much as the next guy, but I think the HHH comparissons are kinda off base. I mean were Trips in the same position, there's no way he'd be putting over the X-division in interviews.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Maybe not.

 

But he doesn't bury people to the extent JJ does.