Jarrett Interview

[TNABaddboi 0]

I just came across this on the WO site. It's from before BFG, but Jarrett's got some comments in here that I thought would definitely generate some discussion, so I'm posting it anyway. Here it is:

 

Alex Marvez interviews Jeff Jarrett

 

Email: [email protected]

 

Throughout its ups and downs, one constant during the 4½ years since Total Nonstop Action Wrestling debuted is the presence of Jeff Jarrett both as a headliner and prominent member of the front office. In the following interview conducted October 4, Jarrett talks about the signing of Kurt Angle, the return of Vince Russo, TNA’s expansion plans and why his performances in 2006 have drawn positive reviews even from the critics who knock his being positioned as the company’s top star.

 

My Scripps-Howard News Service column about White can be found at http://www.shns.com/shns/g_index2.cfm?acti...LING12-10-12-06

 

Q: What kind of impact do you expect Kurt Angle’s signing to make for TNA?

 

Jarrett: “From a historical basis, when you had Lex Luger advertised for WWF shows when he jumped to WCW on the first Nitro or (Hulk) Hogan jumping, (Randy) Savage jumping, (Scott) Hall and (Kevin) Nash jumping, all of those were very impactful. Obviously, this is a very different time all these different things are happening in TNA at the same time. Kurt’s jump is prior to our prime-time move, so that’s all happening in about the same timeframe. In short, I think Kurt will make a huge impact. Internally in meetings in TNA, Kurt was thought of as the one guy – obviously, The Rock is off limits – who truly fits TNA better than anybody else out there. Our style is where all our feuds end up in the ring, so we like performers with a more athletic base. What better athlete is there than an Olympic gold medalist and a multi-time WWE champ? To me, it’s a perfect fit.”

 

Q: I agree that Kurt is a great performer, but obviously there’s a reason he was released from WWE. How satisfied is TNA that Kurt’s previous problems with injuries and pain medication won’t derail his stint with TNA like it did with WWE?

 

Jarrett: “Everything in business is a calculated risk and this is certainly one we want to take. In this business, you have to take risks in order for rewards. We’ve certainly put measures in place like doctor evaluations and constant monitoring. More than anything, and I lived it in the WWF/WCW days, working 20, 25 days a month is what he was doing (in WWE). We know that’s not a reality in TNA. Above anything, that’s the No. 1 factor as far as why I don’t think Kurt will have health problems here.”

 

Q: How do you feel about his potential participation in MMA?

 

Jarrett: “It’s an interesting proposition because the worlds are so different. Kurt is so good in the world we live in that the success he can have in TNA, the sky truly is the limit. In MMA, it’s a whole different bag. I think he can be a success, but to me, it’s a risky proposition.”

 

Q: But he is allowed to do it, right?

 

Jarrett: “Yes. We realize it’s going to come up down the road, but there’s nothing in the foreseeable future. He’s committed to TNA and has told us his top priority is helping us grow.”

 

Q: You’re enjoying a stretch right now of arguably your best work both in the ring and on the mike. How much think grown as a performer in 2006 and what reasons for that?

 

Jarrett: “[Laughs] Hold on, I think I dropped the phone after hearing that. I have done interviews throughout my career where I have said that you really begin to mature in this business as an all-around performer somewhere after 35. The Rock is the exception to that rule. But I feel I am in my prime, that I still throw a dropkick that’s among the best in the business, but that’s not what makes ticket sell. I think the entire evolution of the Jeff Jarrett character has evolved just like TNA has. We’ve come a long way in four-plus years. I can say the same thing about myself.”

 

Q: How much do you think TNA has turned the corner in terms of becoming a viable second promotion to WWE?

 

Jarrett: “Our move to Spike TV, obviously that had to happen for any of this to happen. Now, the prime time move is another huge step. Of course, the two-hour specials will be another big step as well. But the biggest step was getting on Spike. When you’re on a network that reaches 90 million homes, that’s a huge step. Last summer, we were airing in 118 countries but we had no domestic clearance in the U.S. We’ve since grown quite a bit and have seen it in everything from DVD sales to action figure sales to international clearances to merchandise to where we’re now putting in place a plan to do house shows. All the revenue streams are not just opening up but they’re working and we’re turning the corner. Obviously, going to prime time will give us much more exposure and help us continue to grow.”

 

Q: Do you have a target time yet for running house shows?

 

Jarrett: “Living here in Nashville around the country music business, I grew up seeing acts go from playing bars to being opening acts to suddenly being like Kenny Chesney where he can play stadiums. We’ve been building a fan base. In Richmond the other night, we had 1,600 paid. The last time WWE was in the market, I was informed they drew 1,200 paid. I am not by any stretch of the imagination saying we are on par with WWE as a touring business, but I think we’re making strides. I think by the first quarter of next year we’ll be running on a regular basis something like two to four house shows per month and they will be TNA-branded shows. It’s like with every other facet with TNA. You have to crawl before you walk before you run. I consider us in the walking stages.”

 

Q: TNA Impact ratings have slumped slightly over past few months. Can you put your finger as to why?

 

Jarrett: “I think you have to look at all of it. Monday Night Football is enjoying incredible ratings. [ESPN] start promoting it when they signed the TV deal. I don’t believe the games are any better this year or fresher. I may be off a little bit on that and there may be a great match-up here and there, but the numbers are largely the result of great advertising and awareness that ESPN put in place. At the end of the day, we’ve gone for four months in our time slot. Comparatively speaking, UFC and ECW have dropped a much larger percentage than we did. That’s the TV industry. I don’t say it’s the content. It’s a little bit of everything. I don’t look at it like it’s any trend we’re setting or things are spiraling out control or that ECW or UFC are spiraling out of control. We did a .9 (rating) last week. I fully expect the momentum to start again as we get into the TV viewing season. That’s why the ad rates are set during the November and May sweeps. People get back into their TV at this time.

 

Q: What went into TNA’s decision to bring back Vince Russo and how concerned are you about a backlash from fans who don’t want to see him involved in TNA at all?

 

Jarrett: “The creative process obviously has grown by leaps and bounds with what we’re trying to do here. It’s not that we’re changing that method but we’re going to have increased creative needs. Vince was brought back to be part of the process. There’s no doubt he’s a changed man. His critics definitely are not going to believe that. He’s got some supporters to bring him back. He’s someone that at times has been blamed for stuff in TNA that quite frankly he wasn’t responsible for at all. He’s going to bring a creative aspect to us and be part of the process that will give us thought-provoking, intriguing TV. He’s going to add to that process, not replace anyone.”

 

Q: As for the negative reaction from hardcore fans?

 

Jarrett: “This business, especially to the hardcore fans, is built on controversy. No matter who we added to that process, we would be criticized as well as praised. Vince has a storied history. Criticism is to be expected. Only time will tell.”

 

Q: What is the next step for TNA and the biggest challenge you face in going forward?

 

Jarrett: “The No. 1 thing to me is this company is growing so fast. We have been a very small staff. At a company meeting a couple weeks ago, there were 30 or 40 people there. We’re literally growing every day from the licensing department to the merchandise department to live events and this international thing. We’re growing at breakneck speed. They’re all different avenues we have and different departments of the company. One thing we have to be aware of is, like any business, we have to keep costs under control and spend money in the right places as we grow.”

 

Q: Finally, I do consider you a visionary of where the wrestling business is headed. So where are we going to be in five years?

 

Jarrett: “I’ve got an answer for you on that. I believe that the essence of this business is to truly sit down and enjoy the ride and take things for what they’re worth. We’ve been a Shakespeare-for-the-masses thing for many years. People get enjoyment from good vs. evil, although we have blurred that line at times. They are perceived athletic contests, but people relate to differ characters and conflict is the essence of the business. I think the next thing will be pulling back the curtain another notch just like it has been over the past 10 years. That’s not going to slow down. The key to success will be … I don’t know how far back the curtain will be pulled or the manner, but it will be done with the viewer in a way that can still capture the essence of what we’re trying to do because we’re still a very compelling form of entertainment. Pro wrestling and sports entertainment are the same thing. They’re very, very, very compelling, interesting, thought- provoking entertainment that still has a myth and magic to it. As the curtain keeps getting pulled back, wrestling will be presented in a different manner.”

 

Alex Marvez's weekly pro wrestling column can be found in the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, Denver Rocky Mountain News, Biloxi Sun-Herald, Abilene Reporter, Boulder Daily Camera, San Angelo Standard-Times, The Oklahoman, Honolulu Star-Bulletin and a host of other newspapers that subscribe to the Scripps-Howard News Service.

[dubq 0]

Generate some discussion or create some complaining because Jarrett says he thinks he's in his prime?

[luke-o 0]

You’re enjoying a stretch right now of arguably your best work both in the ring and on the mike

 

What an ass kiss.

[dubq 0]

Who's Mike?

[RedJed 0]

Is he blaming MNF for rating remaining stagnent? Thats the most absurd excuse for the rating issue I've ever heard.

 

Overall, decent little piece there though - good to see Jarrett acknowledge that the success or lack thereof of certain sports programming resides in heavy advertising. TNA NEEDS to learn this - they need a team that handles just advertising for them and they need to spend it in the right places - above and beyond commercials on Spike TV.

[TNABaddboi 0]

Overall, decent little piece there though - good to see Jarrett acknowledge that the success or lack thereof of certain sports programming resides in heavy advertising. TNA NEEDS to learn this - they need a team that handles just advertising for them and they need to spend it in the right places - above and beyond commercials on Spike TV.

 

I agree...I think a big part of the problem is that still no one knows about them by the IWC, half of which has already sampled the product and decided they do like it (or decided they don't like it without even trying it because OMG...Jarrett and Russo suck!). I could almost understand them doing focusing on internet fans when they were on PPV only because it's hard to convince casual fans to pony up every week, so they needed the hardcore supporters. But they've been on TV now for two years and the only ratings increases have been because of timeslot improvements (they went from .15 and .20s on FSN to .8 and .9 on Spike). After awhile, they have to try to grow the audience. The touring should help with that, especially when they get off Hermie's chitlin circuit (though in fairness he's responsible for the northeast shows, so it hasn't been a terrible deal). But why aren't they pushing the hell out of the 2 hour special on the primetime debut? Kurt Angle's face should be all over TV (and Christian's too, since he's in the money match for that show).

[luke-o 0]

I would have thought Spike would be plugging the hell out of that show. Im surprised there not.

 

In the UK, you only know Impact is on the wrestling channel if you watch it. Saying that, Sky Sports dont do adverts for WWE but that still pulls in the ratings, probably because its an established program.

 

Kurt Angle's face should be all over TV (and Christian's too, since he's in the money match for that show).

 

As well as Sting. And they should show some of the homegrown stars being awesome (joe in particular)

[Star Ocean 3 0]

Is he blaming MNF for rating remaining stagnent? Thats the most absurd excuse for the rating issue I've ever heard.

 

Overall, decent little piece there though - good to see Jarrett acknowledge that the success or lack thereof of certain sports programming resides in heavy advertising. TNA NEEDS to learn this - they need a team that handles just advertising for them and they need to spend it in the right places - above and beyond commercials on Spike TV.

 

He didn't blame football, he said they have good ratings because it's actutally advertised.

[FroGG_NeaL 0]

I would have thought Spike would be plugging the hell out of that show. Im surprised there not.

 

In the UK, you only know Impact is on the wrestling channel if you watch it. Saying that, Sky Sports dont do adverts for WWE but that still pulls in the ratings, probably because its an established program.

 

Kurt Angle's face should be all over TV (and Christian's too, since he's in the money match for that show).

 

As well as Sting. And they should show some of the homegrown stars being awesome (joe in particular)

 

 

And LAX, AJ and Daniels.

[luke-o 0]

But as far as i can gather, there not even doing that?

[Hunter's Torn Quad 0]

Meltzer mentioned a good example of this on WOL last night. A number of the TNA wrestlers went to a World Series game in Detroit, where BFG was, and almost all of them got recognized by people. The problem was it was off of what they had done in WCW. Nobody knew about TNA or even that TNA was having a PPV in Detroit that weekend.

 

Mike Tenay told a similar story just prior to TNA getting on Spike, about he had recently been recognized in the airport and got asked what he was up to since leaving WCW and how it told him that nobody knew about TNA.

 

It's not an old problem but it's one that, for some reason, TNA are slow on pulling the trigger to do anything about. There is not one good reason they couldn't have blanketed Detroit with advertising, of any kind, to tell people that Kurt Angle was going to be at a PPV in the area. Or that there would be a PPV.

[Dobbs 3K 0]

Yeah, they do need to take a page out of WWE's book on that one. We may get sick of it, but when WWE has a PPV, you definitely know about it, one way or another.

[TheFranchise 0]

Certainly goes out of his way to name drop The Rock.

[luke-o 0]

Yeah i thought that too.

[BruiserKC 0]

I've always been a fan of Jarrett in the ring...going back to his days in Memphis. He might not be the best businessman at times when it comes to the product, but he's no dummy. He makes some solid points, even though a lot of folks might automatically refer to him as full of it because they don't like what he does in the ring and behind the scenes with office politics.

 

The most interesting thing I pulled away from this was his take on how they're in the walking stage. Everyone seems to be so gung-ho about TNA needs to compete with WWE now, etc. I think part of this was the reason WCW went in the toilet so spectacularly as it did. Just build up slowly, do your own thing and this way they stay under Vince's radar.

[Guest Coffey]

You know, at the last PPV, Bound For Glory, my friends and I actually had a discussion about how Jarrett, despite not any of us really liking him, looked, physically, like he was in the best shape of his life.

[luke-o 0]

Thats true, at least he hasnt fallen off the wagon like some stars in his age, like Raven and Hall.

[UseTheSledgehammerUh 0]

"we can't get ratings but at least we didn't lose THAT many!"

 

Brilliant.

 

"controversy built the wrestling business!"

 

TNA should just announce shocking things instead of having logical storylines and matches, I guess.

[Dobbs 3K 0]

That seems like it's been a pattern for quite a while now. They're relying on surprises (Angle, Sting, Christian, Scott Steiner, etc) to get people excited quite a bit. At some point, people will have to get interested because of the matchups and storylines, and not "Well, someone big is supposed to show up and it's supposed to change the industry."