My World with Jeff Jarrett - Holding Up Vince [Show Notes] (Patreon)

This is an exciting debut of our brand new show, My World with Jeff Jarrett!

We’re gonna jump right into one of the biggest topics and stories about your career. The time you held up Vince McMahon!

Let’s set up the stage Jeff. You moved back to the WWF from WCW back in 1997 and let’s be honest you weren’t doing much until you caught fire hitting people with guitars and while Vince Russo was at the height of his writing duties under Vince McMahon. How hands on were you with Russo in terms of your character?

We all know the story we’re going to get to at the end of this. You “holding up” Vince McMahon for money. Was there something that happened during your first run in the WWF or during this run that made you think you may not get your money? Issues with house show money or pay-per-view money?

Back in 1998 Debra McMichael comes over from WCW and joins you. As you progress in 1999 there’s a lot going on with you in the WWF. Your tag team partner and one of your best friends, Owen Hart, dies tragically at Over the Edge.

We’re definitely going to get into more on Owen in a couple of weeks but how much of a toll did that impact what happened later on?

Coming out of Over the Edge you start to get more of a singles push where you’re a bit more of the focal point compared to Debra and her “puppies”...you win the Intercontiental Title from Godfather on Raw is War, did it go through your mind this is your chance to continue your way up the top of the card?

You win the IC title...but you’re left off the King of the Ring pay-per-view that year. Why do you think that is?

From the Observer…”Jarrett was pressured, convinced, whatever, to take a pay cut to a $250,000 base, which he obviously resented, although with the WWF booming, he actually was on line to earn probably more than even his previous $350,000 base this year.”

Did the WWF really come to you...at the peak of business really in 1999...to cut your pay?

You’re becoming one of the most over acts in the “midcard” as this amazing heel. You’re part of one of the most talked about “hidden” moments in WWF history. Edge replaces Ken Shamrock at the Skydome in late July one day before a pay-per-view to face you for the Intercontiental Title...and he wins it! The rumor and innuendo at the time was that Edge had no idea this was going to happen. What’s the truth?

The next night at Fully Loaded in Buffalo you get the title back by beating Edge. Did you have any issues with doing this?

In August you drop the title to D’Lo Brown who is now the European & IC champion. This is to build to SummerSlam where you’ll face him for both titles and win with Mark Henry’s help.

These are some big matches on some big shows. What is your pay like for all these?

Miss Kitty is added to your stable. What did you think of Stacy Carter and adding her to your character?

September 9th, 1999 Eric Bischoff is removed from power by Turner and Bill Busch is put in charge of World Championship Wrestling. Do you feel at this point your ability to leave the WWF and head to WCW is easier considering the way you left WCW and Bischoff in 1997?

How are your contract renewal negotiations going with Jim Ross and the WWF around this point? Is your father involved at this point in your career or is it just you & Jim?

From the Observer…”In recent weeks, Russo’s relationship with Austin had deteriorated. Russo himself categorized Austin as the hardest person to work with in the company, feeling that since Austin’s popularity skyrocketed after working hard for so many years in the business, that he was deathly afraid his popularity would fall back to the same level just as quickly. The major heat of late was Russo booking Austin in a program to elevate Jeff Jarrett, and Austin turning it down feeling such a program with a guy who wasn’t over at a main event level would diminish his popularity. McMahon sided with Austin in this dispute.”

Is Russo telling you that Austin turned down a program with you because you weren’t at his level?

Is that part of your motivation that you’ve gone the farthest you can in this company and with one of your main proponents on the writing staff leaving that you may lose your spot and your value decreases?

You begin your program with Chyna for the IC title. Are you thinking when this program starts you’re leaving the WWF? Do you think McMahon started this program thinking you were leaving and on your way out to get you to put her over before you go?

Chyna said after the fact that because of your traditional wrestling background that you weren’t interested in putting over a woman. Any issues at any point in time with the thought process of putting Chyna over?

The storyline with you & Chyna is really all about you becoming misogynistic including attacking Cindy Margolis, Mae Young & Moolah among others. Did you like the direction of your character or was this one of your motivations to leave?

Russo at the time is negotiating to leave for WCW after the added workload of SmackDown and supposedly Vince McMahon balking at an increase in pay. How much are you talking to Russo about his workload and did you know Russo at the time was talking to WCW?

At Unforgiven Debra turns on you and hits you with a guitar to give Chyna the win and the IC Title...but Dr. Tom Prichard comes out and reverses the decision to give you back your title. The rumor and innuendo is that Steve Austin had requested to get Debra away from you because they were dating in real life and it was starting to become public. What did you think of that decision?

Everyone heads over to the UK for the Rebellion pay-per-view. You cut a promo offering $1000 pounds to any woman who can prove your point that women belong in the kitchen...and then you put the figure four on...this random woman from the front row? Jeff...who is this woman and was she anyone?

You work twice pinning D’Lo Brown and losing via DQ to Chyna. It is on the trip home from this pay-per-view that it’s known that Vince Russo and Ed Ferrera are leaving for WCW. Did you know ahead of time? Did Russo clue you in that he was leaving?

How much did Vince Russo leaving impact your decision to leave the WWF?

There’s a story at the time that with Russo and Ferrera leaving and in their attempt to take a bunch of the office staff that they felt was loyal to them that a lot of people were offered new contracts with non-compete clauses. How do all these people get contracts and the current WWF Intercontinental Champion is still unsigned?

When do you realize your contract expires on October 16th and the No Mercy show is on October 17th? Did you bring this up at any point to anyone?

There is no word of your contract expiring in the dirt sheets or on the internet. How does that happen back then or do you think the Russo/Ferrera move helped you slide under the radar?

Have you had any conversation with Vince McMahon at this point or is it all through Jim Ross?

On October 11th you make your final appearance on Raw is War until the famous simulcast...which we will cover next week!

You get involved in the Steve Austin & Jim Ross vs Triple H & Chyna match when you hit Chyna in the head with a toaster and put Chyna in a laundry bin and then wheel her off a ledge in the building. Whole lot to unpack here. The guy you’re negotiating with for your new contract in the WWF is having his first ever match in the WWF. Steve Austin, who’s pretty much flat out refusing to work with you is the biggest star in the company. Triple H...biggest heel in the company at this point is teaming with the person you’re feuding with who is also a babyface in your program. What do you remember about this TV and did you know at this time this was your last Raw?

The next night in BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA is your final SmackDown taping. Your only spot on the show is a promo where Debra comes out and announces she will be in Chyna’s corner. What do you remember about this TV the most?

Jeff tell us how as a talent you’re paid by the WWF at this point in time? How much of a delay is the pay and what was it based off of?

What are your negotiations like with WCW in the run up to the pay-per-view? Who are you negotiating with? When do you strike a deal?

Bruce Prichard & Jim Ross have both said that JR had a verbal commitment from Jerry Jarrett regarding your contract. What say you?

JR said you were going to out-earn your downside guarantee that you were offered at the time. Did you feel that way?

It’s reported in the Observer that you spoke with Vince McMahon on October 15th and that both you & Vince agreed that the issue here was Jim Ross. What was this conversation like and is this when you asked for all the money you were owed?

The last day of your WWF contract is October 16th and you work a house show and win over the Godfather. What is the backstage atmosphere like? Do the boys know much of anything? Is anyone coming up to you in terms of agents, etc asking if you’re going to be there tomorrow?

From the Observer…”Jarrett was asking for $400,000 and $450,000 guaranteed downside over two years to stay, which is apparently what he got from WCW and what Titan ultimately matched (roughly the same pay category as Jericho was getting), but not until after Russo left and probably not until the realization that he had the IC title and could have embarrassed them by leaving without doing the job, after seemingly not being interested in him at anywhere near that price. By then he'd already really made his decision to go with Russo, who needed his own political allies in the dressing room in shark infested waters.”

How accurate is this in terms of what you were asking for? When Titan “matched” as Meltzer says was it too little, too late? When did Titan match?

Going into the pay-per-view...was the plan always for Chyna to beat you? Did that change at any point in time because of your contract situation”?

Well Jeff we’re here. No Mercy 1999 at the Gund Arena in Cleveland, OH. There’s a story about Marc Carrano from this stadium right? While we’re on the subject what do you think of Carrano being let go from the company with what happened with Mickie James?

You’re literally walking into the Arena the Intercontinental Champion and unsigned. You were with the company when Bret Hart was screwed at Survivor Series...did you have any fears regarding that type of scenario playing out or any fear for your physical well being?

Bob Holly wrote this in his book…”He walked into the arena for the PPV without his gear and went straight to Vince. Backstage, we all could hear the yelling in Vince’s office. Jeff was demanding that Vince pay him all the money he was owed from previous events and the money for the match he was going to do that night or he wasn’t going to go to the ring. Shane, Vince’s son, was really vocal — he was cussing Jeff out and was ready to beat the shit out of him. Jeff is a mild-mannered guy who wouldn’t fight anybody, so he just sat there and held his ground.”

So walk us through the day Jeff. From Bob Holly’s account you walk right in and it all begins. Is this how it happened?

Was Shane the only one who came up to you upset about the circumstances at hand?

How concerned were you that you wouldn’t get all the money that you were owed?

The rumor and innuendo has always said it was $300,000. That was all the past money you were looking for correct? Did you attempt to break it down and say you were owed $250,000 and you wanted another $50,000 to drop the title tonight for example? Did you ask for a specific number for dropping the title that night compared to past monies due?

What else did you get out of the deal? The WWF is literally going public on the stock exchange the next day...did you grab anything out of that?

Jim Ross has said in his book that he thought you conducted business poorly. What do you say to that?

Do you feel Jim misrepresented your negotiations with him to Vince?

Do you think because of Jim’s close connection to Austin and Austin’s refusal to work with you it played a factor in your negotiations?

JR said on Grilling JR that you were attempting to put yourself at the same level as Austin. Do you feel that way?

Did you ever get the feeling that WWF actually wanted you back?

From Bob Holly again: “Vince said he’d make sure Jarrett was paid, but Jeff said he wanted the money wired into his account immediately before he brought his bag and the IC belt in. Otherwise he was getting on a plane and going home. I thought it was wrong to do that. I sort of understand where he was coming from because it sometimes took up to six months to get our checks from a PPV. He was owed a lot of money and I guess he was worried that Vince wouldn’t pay him. Even so, you don’t hold somebody up like that. Management had spent so much money building up that match as one of the main events that they couldn’t turn it around. They had to deliver Jarrett vs Chyna, and since Jarrett was the IC champ going in, he had Vince over a barrel. When Jarrett confirmed with his wife that the money — over $300,000 — had arrived in his account, he brought his bag in, got dressed, and stayed away from everybody. Road Dogg, being the loyal friend he is, stayed by Jeff’s side.”

Bob has always had his own opinion but I don’t blame you for wanting to make sure the money is in the account. What is that situation like and waiting for it and how uncomfortable are you doing this...or are you even uncomfortable at all?

Did anyone besides Road Dogg come up to you quietly to give you praise regarding the situation or do you think the office already put out a narrative to the talent regarding what you were doing?

Anybody come up to you and give you shit about it? Anybody avoid you that you remember?

Here’s the Observer’s write up from your match: “4. Chyna won the IC title from the departing Jeff Jarrett in 8:37 of what was billed as a Good Housekeeping match, which was a street fight with household appliances. They had advertised Debra as being in Chyna's corner and Debra never appeared on the show. It was mainly weapon shots, but the build of the match was good, the timing was good and it had crowd heat. Jarrett did a hell of a job in his final appearance. Mainly Chyna used weapons such as a garbage can and toilet seat. She stuffed a banana in his mouth. Chyna jumped off the apron through a table when Jarrett moved. Jarrett whipped Chyna with a fish causing Lawler to make the fish smell jokes. Jarrett hit her with garbage can shots. Chyna took a Harley Race bump over the top rope to the floor. Jarrett went to throw flour, but she kicked his hand and got flour in his face. Actually both were covered in flour. Miss Kitty was making a concoction with milk, flour and eggs but wound up wearing it. Jarrett got the figure four but Chyna made the ropes. Chyna used a low blow and salad tongs to the groin. After yet another garbage can shot, Chyna threw two pies in Jarrett's face. Jarrett catapulted her into Teddy Long, then hit her with the title belt and got the pin. Jarrett appeared to be the winner which must have shocked a lot of people. Long then ordered the match re-started since a championship belt is not a household appliance. After the match re-started, Jarrett put the figure four on Long, allowing Chyna to crack him with a guitar shot for the pin just 13 seconds after the restart. Like a guitar is a household appliance. ***¼”

How was it putting this match together? What do you remember the most about it? Who came up with the finish with the restart?

From Holly’s book: “Before his match, Jeff took his bag, set it by the door of the arena, and went to the ring. He did his job and put Chyna over in a match that involved lots of household objects, including a big bag of flour. He came back, covered in that flour, walked past everybody, didn’t say a word, grabbed his bag, and was gone. He went straight to the airport looking the way he looked. He got on a plane, flew home, and was back on WCW Nitro the next night.”

Bob said you talked to no one after but Bruce says you shook everyone’s hands before leaving. What’s the real story?

Any heated conversations with Jim Ross at the show?

Chyna in her book said that you & Russo planned this on your way out and that McMahon wanted you to drop the title to her the month previous but Russo convinced Vince to hold off and Russo left with you still as champion. What do you say to people who think that?

Did you feel relief or anxiousness about starting the next chapter?

You’ve returned to the WWE since then which most assumed would never happen. Have you and Vince ever discussed this since?