My World w/ Jeff Jarrett - Bound For Glory 2008 [Show Notes] (Patreon)

Last week Jeff we discussed No Surrender, a big show and a pivotal time in TNA’s history and as we move into our look back at 15 years ago for TNA - the next show was the biggest in the company’s history up until that point - Bound for Glory IV. There’s so much going on in TNA at the time and it really felt like the company was at an upswing did it not?

With the upswing comes all the backstage nonsense and news and also a lot of talk after acquiring Mick Foley into the company - there’s a lot of talk about contract renewal’s and contract’s expiring - was this one of the more chaotic times in TNA?

Wade Keller would write this article in the Torch regarding the possible changes in TNA:

“With Mick Foley on board and Jeff Jarrett back in the mix on air, is TNA ready for a ratings uptick? If history is any indication, the answer is no. Nobody has been able to make a difference for TNA in the ratings. Not Team 3D. Not Christian Cage. Not Kurt Angle. Not Kevin Nash. Not Booker T.

All of the established name brand wrestlers have entered TNA with hopes of making a difference in the ratings and what followed was more of the same. An argument could be made that ratings would be substantially lower if not for the continual influx of nationally known names. It's got to be humbling, though, for one wrestler after another to join the team and hope to make a measurable difference, only to have none.

Mick Foley is a big name. His brand has been damaged in recent years by being portrayed by WWE as a novelty act but not a top tier legend. He regained some steam as co-host of Smackdown, with a good run on color commentary alongside Jim Ross. His joining Impact now, though, probably means less than one-fourth of what it would have meant had he signed with a TNA couple years back when he negotiated seriously with both TNA and WWE, but chose WWE.”

Do you think that is a fair assessment of the impact Mick Foley could’ve brought to TNA in 2005 compared to 2008?

What do you say to those that there was no real ratings mover in TNA’s history coming off all the signings of talent?

With having someone like Mick Foley in the company - does it open up new brand opportunities? Was Mick pushing to stay in the ring?

Wade would go on to say:

“The return of Jeff Jarrett at the same time is no coincidence. Granted, Jarrett's return was pencilled in for around this time for a long time before Foley became available, but Jarrett has conveniently insulated himself from looking bad. Had he returned on his own, without Foley, and ratings didn't move up, he'd be in the same boat as everyone else - not a draw on his own. But by returning to Impact just as Foley starts with TNA, and if ratings go up, Jarrett can share the credit. If ratings stay flat, Jarrett doesn't look all that bad because, hey, Foley didn't make a difference, either. So Jarrett is no worse off than Angle, Booker, Nash, Christian, and now Foley in terms of a ratings-changer.”

Man you are the smartest guy in wrestling aren’t you?

Was it too many people on top at this point in TNA? A lot of people that were from the “past” and relying on years past in storylines as well. Was it hard to have so many top guys so to speak?

Wade would close saying this:

“Jarrett's argument a few years ago for remaining on top of TNA even when fans were rejecting him and ratings were stagnant was that nobody else was available to fill main events. The only time the next generation will be ready is when TNA is forced to make it work. Until fans tune in to Impact and get a sense of a new era taking place, TNA Impact's audience may be limited to the 1.1 rating they tend to peak at.”

Do you think that was the max Impact could draw? Was that the peak and there was no room for growth?

You would be in the final segment of the first Impact after No Surrender - and it’s been almost two years since you appeared on the show. You walked out with your guitar and West would put over how special it is for you to see how far TNA has gone since starting it and Tenay said that you carried TNA on your book since its inception. Were you proud to be back on TV for the company?

You would discuss the history of TNA and you before calling out Sting. You would talk about how your father gave him his first break and that Sting was full of crap saying that AJ Styles & Samoa Joe are ungrateful. How much was this story just leaning into the reality of what was going on backstage?

Did you know at this point - the Main Event Mafia was the end game?

Finally Kurt Angle comes out and you talk about how Kurt was the guy who was handpicked to fill his role since he had to step away…and it was the worst decision you made in your life. What was the relationship like with you & Kurt at this point in time?

Kurt talks about how he carried the company - and not Joe or AJ and no one ever said thank you to him for saving the company. Is this a story you thought fans would get invested in?

This would build to Mick Foley appearing on the big screen in front of a TNA backdrop and says “I think what Jeff is trying to say is it’s real…it’s damn real. Bang Bang” as the show goes off the air. The rating ends up being a 1.1…no change from the week before. How frustrating is that?

Wade Keller would mention that the second hour would begin with a commercial break - and the fact that it’s a post-produced show is sloppy. What say you?

At the TV taping TNA wrestlers were handed a packet detailing the latest drug policy that TNA was putting in place. How did this come to be - why now - and what can you tell us about it?

You’ve been a wrestler and an executive - what is your stance on performance enhancing drugs in professional wrestling? Is it a body business or is it an entertainment business?

It’s reported that Kevin Nash renewed his contract with TNA even though he would tell everyone for the next few weeks - friends, media, etc - that it wasn’t true. How tough was it to negotiate with Kevin during this time frame? Is it hard to do business with friends in this nature?

It’s speculated that Nash vs. Joe may be the main event of Bound for Glory - but that was never the plan. Was there any talk of switching to that match at all that you remember?

There’s a light line in the Torch that says Karen & Kurt were filing for divorce. There’s talk that it’s a publicity stunt because apparently there was a film crew for a reality TV show following them around and that it was a story for the show. Jeff - we’ve touched and dabbled but we haven’t really gotten there as of yet. What were you aware of the Angles situation at this time - and where were you at with Karen?

The Steel Asylum is scheduled to return at Bound for Glory - taking place at the NOW Arena (well it is NOW…) outside of Chicago. Regarding that…how big a deal was it back then to run not far from what is now the central hotbed of professional wrestling?

From the Torch

“Bound for Glory has been chosen by TNA to be their annual WrestleMania, their biggest showcase event of the year. The price even has been raised to $34.95 (up from the usual $29.95) to signify that prestige. The host city of Chicago is a major market and also signifies it's a level above the typical monthly show. But it's the line-up that actually counts. TNA does build toward this event for months, so the line-up is not happenstance, but rather the culmination of more planning than usual.”

How does that all take place - is that between you & the cable companies? Was the plan to make BFG seem like WrestleMania?

A Cross the Line video short would air hyping the TNA knockouts division and various women would take digs at the WWE Divas division - stating that they don’t settle grudges with pillow fights and that’s for divas. Was it time to start taking shots at WWE for taking Gail Kim in your mind?

The TNA legends title is created and according to the production sheets it was planned to be launched for Bound for Glory…but it gets delayed. Was the original plan for Main Event Mafia to be launched at BFG and have Booker win the title on the show?

Sting has won TNA’s World Title each of the last two Bound for Glory’s…did it feel like this was always the move at TNA’s biggest show of the year?

Did it feel redundant or did anyone say…we’ve done this two years in a row?

Kurt goes on a media tour in England and lights a fire that it’s written in the dirt sheets that you were hot about.

“Angle said he continues to push for simplicity with TNA's booking. "I've spoken to the bookers, writers and owners of TNA and said: 'Listen. Wrestling is very simple, keep it simple.'" He said regarding the stips of the King of the Mountain match: "It's like holy shi--, it's too f---ing confusing." He said TNA can triple ratings by next year if they simplify their approach. "We call ourselves Total Nonstop Action Wrestling. We say: 'TNA - we are wrestling.' No we're not. We're f***ing gimmick matches. Then there are the run-ins".

You’re the owner of the company, with the top star you’re programmed with … and now you’re seeing him do media to help promote the company…do you call him? What’s the conversation?

You end up turning this into a storyline as you go out on Impact and cut a promo regarding this…why did you feel the need to make this part of what you were building at Bound for Glory?

Sheik Abdul Bashir is now X division champion and doing everything he can to piss off America - speaking about the presidential candidates and the such - and that he has nothing left to lose and he will put everything on the line to defend the title. There’s never a bad word spoken about Shawn Daivari in professional wrestling…how do you think Shawn did in this role and how successful he was at doing it?

There is a story being told with Shane Sewell’s transformation from referee to wrestler. Why was he someone you wanted to invest TV time in?

Also there’s a segment on Impact to bring up - this is directly from the Torch:

“-Tenay threw to a video package on a press conference regarding Matt Morgan's DNA being sent into space in digitized format. Jim Cornette, Don West, Tenay, Morgan, and two reps from Operation Immortality DNA space program were present at the podium in front of a TNA backdrop. Operation Immortality officially recognized Morgan "as the blue print that demonstrates the absolute potential of human genetics." He also added that if something happened to destroy the human race on Earth, his DNA would survive in space. Okay, so there will be tall muscular people to repopulate the human race, but will any of them be able to tie their shoes?”

Jeff - what are we doing here?

There are issues backstage with LAX. From the Torch

LAX left immediately after performing their in–ring segment at Tuesday’s TNA Impact tapings. The duo is upset over rumors that the creative team plans to break them up. Hernandez’s contract is up in December and he’s made it known that he plans to ask for double the pay the company is currently giving him. Meanwhile, Homicide’s contract is up early next year. Homicide and Hernandez enjoy teaming together and consider themselves a package deal. Oddly enough, the duo have told friends that they have yet to talk to anyone in WWE because they don’t want to deal with the politics. Given WWE’s attempt to cater to the Hispanic demographic and make a strong push into Mexico, one would think that LAX would be an act they’d be interested in.

It seems like LAX is unhappy a lot during this time period. Did it feel like they were never pleased with what was going on?

How do you deal with this type of thing?

Also from the Torch:

“Dixie Carter was backstage at the TNA tapings on Wednesday night. She rarely attends the second night of tapings in Orlando, so the assumption is that she was there to finalize the Kevin Nash contract negotiations. At one point in the day, she was spotted having what was described as a “very animated” conversation with Jeff Jarrett outside the studio. They spoke for roughly an hour outside away from other personnel and then headed inside where they continued their conversation for another hour.”

Jeff - I’m sure you don’t remember this exact conversation but it was obvious enough to be reported to the Torch. How many animated conversations did you have with Dixie that would stand out?

Sonjay Dutt & So Cal Val have this segment with the Love in guru with Val - how do you think they did in this scenario?

Impact ratings are not trending up - as the next week they’re down to a 1.07 rating. Was Spike working on you week to week on these ratings or were they patient with you?

The Mick Foley story begins with him coming out on Impact for his in ring debut…and a lot of the conversation is based around Vince McMahon. When Kurt Angle interrupts - they talk about Vince McMahon. Did this help anyone? Were you too focused on being inside to help get a story over?

The debut of Mick only draws a 1.00 rating - even down from the week before. How frustrating is it to feel like you’re not getting anywhere?

Billy Corgan’s Smashing Pumpkins contributed music for Bound for Glory - was that a relationship with Dixie or just Corgan always being a wrestling fan?

The go-home Impact features a rating of a .95…not exactly what you’re looking for right?

Let’s get to the pay-per-view - which you can watch as part of impact plus at impactwrestling.com/packages and use promo code Jeff!

The show draws 35,000 buys compared to 40,000 last year - but with the price increase that was an increase to the bottom line was it not?

Is that a disappointment to only go up 5,000 buys?

From the Observer:

“After spending months peaking everything for Bound for Glory, including the debut of Mick Foley, the return of Jeff Jarrett, plus a Sting heel turn that it appears only the people working for the company and people who read about the company are even aware has taken place, this has to be a feeling of frustration.

The idea of building a strangely put together adaptation of the 80s New Japan program New Leaders vs. Now Leaders (reprised in many forms since, most notably in WCW at the end of the promotion and last year in ECW with New Breed vs. Originals) has really been vague. Hopefully it will become more structured and mean something, because it has resulted in some good promos.”

What do you say to that? Is that what the story was based on?

“TNA seems stuck at a certain level. There is something about the TV format in Orlando that feels stale, and adding big names doesn’t change that, only making them feel secondary when they step into the new world. When TNA was growing on PPV and on television, the key seemed to be that TNA was the unknown place for the great wrestling, and that is no longer the case.”

Did you get the feeling it was stale or did you think with the Main Event Mafia about to come to life that it was about to get hot?

Was this Meltzer just not seeing into the future?

“Foley did a lot of comedy vignettes during the show. He was hanging in Jim Cornette’s office as Cornette had to do some business. The Beautiful People showed up and complained about the color of the M&Ms in the dressing room. That was a spoof on Van Halen having it in their contract in 1981 that they needed plenty of M&Ms in their dressing room but that all the brown M&Ms needed to be removed. Then Velvet Sky made fun of Foley having dandruff. Later, Raisha Saeed and Awesome Kong came out. Foley said something about what he thought and Saeed, doing her best Middle Eastern accent, said, “It doesn’t matter what you think.” Foley said that was gimmick infringement and he’s calling the Rock. Then Foley talked about Yerbel the Clown (from a 1998 episode of Raw where Foley brought the clown to cheer up Vince McMahon in the hospital).”

Was Mick allowed creative freedom and that’s why this happened the way it did?

A. Soujourner Bolt (formerly Josie) & Eric Young beat Christy Hemme & Lance Rock in the dark match. The company got some mainstream press in the Chicago Sun-Times as gossip columnist Elliot Harris managed the heels and wrote about it a few days later.

How does something like this come to be?

1. Jay Lethal won the Steel Asylum match to become the top contender for the X title over Chris Sabin, Alex Shelley, Shark Boy, Jay Lethal, Petey Williams, Sonjay Dutt, Jimmy Rave, Curry Man, Super Eric and Johnny Devine in 12:07.

This was a cage patterned after the AAA cage, which means the sides are like a regular cage, with a domed top and a hole in the ceiling. The rules are the first guy to climb out through the hole wins. Kind of weird because you are upside down when climbing the domed part leading to the opening. This was an opening spotfest and the crowd loved it. SoCal Val was at ringside with Sonjay Dutt. They spent how many months to build that story and boy has that gone nowhere. Fast paced filled with big moves like the Tower of Doom. The only problem is TNA does so many of these matches, and it’s like they always

have to get those same spots in. Lethal and Dutt were both climbing to the top and in punching each other, lost their grips and were hanging upside down in the cage by their legs and still throwing punches. Lethal got the better of it, and climbed through the hole to escape.

Observer ***1/4

Torch **¾

Do you think it went nowhere or do you think this was going to be the build for Lethal at this point forward?

2. Rhino & ODB & Rhaka Khan beat Kip James & Angelina Love & Velvet Sky in 6:15.

This was at least a major improvement on the TV tag match which set it up, mostly because Khan wasn’t in much, and when she was, they had her grab a hold instead of trying to do spots that involve movement. Curtis Granderson, a .300 hitting center fielder with the Detroit Tigers was shown at ringside hugging Rhino. We were then told Rhino is a Tigers season ticket holder. Khan at one point gave James a groin claw. Crowd was super into ODB. Still easily the worst match on the show, ending when Rhino pinned James after a gore.

Observer 1/2*

Torch *

This was what it was wasn’t it Jeff? Odd to have the association with a Detroit baseball player in Chicago wasn’t it?

3. Sheik Abdul Bashir pinned Consequences Creed in 9:18 to retain the X title.

Creed did a pro-USA promo before the match, but didn’t seem comfortable doing it. TNA used a local war hero, Sgt. David Cassara, wounded in Iraq and having undergone several lower body operations, as the ring announcer with the idea of building the “USA” chants for Bashir, which did work. It was cool because the guy got a thrill and crowd appreciated him and cheered him heavily. I wish they’d have done it for a different match because it came off sleazy as well, using an injured vet to get cheap heat for a mid-card match. Kind of sloppy early but overall decent. Creed did a flip dive early, as well as a press slam dropped into double knees later for a near fall. Finish saw Bashir do a rolling reverse cradle and grabbing onto the ropes for leverage for the pin.

Observer *3/4

Torch **¼

You can’t be shocked by these two having a great match and the way Xavier Woods is now - you always saw that in him didn’t you?

4. Taylor Wilde won a three-way to keep the Knockouts title over Awesome Kong and Roxxi in 5:11.

They had Kong taken out early, allowing Wilde and Roxxi to do some Lucha spots. Finish saw Kong take a bump out of the ring and Wilde pinned Roxxi after a German suplex. WWE now has better women’s title matches and this was the one thing left TNA had as its calling card ever since destroying the X division gimmick.

Observer *1/4

Torch *¾

Did you feel with losing Gail Kim you were falling behind the WWE? Did you need to revamp the division?

5. Robert Roode & James Storm retained the tag titles in a Monster’s Ball match over Matt Morgan & Abyss, Team 3-D and LAX in 20:20.

Steve McMichael was guest referee. Weapons matches are usually passe but not to this audience. They loved the match and they pulled out every stop. Match was much better than one would have expected. Too many big spots to recount, but among them were Bubba

stapling Abyss in the forehead, Morgan doing a plancha off the top to the floor on everyone and then finally, with Johnny Devine coming out, Team 3-D put a ton of lighter fluid on a table near the entrance way. Then they set the table on fire and threw Abyss off the stage. People loved the fire spot, but ever since it nearly ended Cibernetico’s career last year, I can’t see it being worth it. They had people with fire extinguishers to put it out but Abyss was on fire longer than was good for him. There was a spot where Storm put on his football helmet with the beer and challenged McMichael. That got an easy pop as Roode played quarterback and Storm played center. McMichael got down in a football stance, blew past Storm and clotheslined Roode. Wrestling fans remember him as this flop, but in Chicago, he’ll always be a local football legend from the 1985 Super Bowl winning team. Hernandez was supposed to open a bag of thumb tacks and put them on the table, but the bag was tied too tight. He kept trying and the fans started booing once they realized he was having trouble. McMichael came to the rescue and managed to untie it and open the bag. However, it was Hernandez who ended up getting a 3-D through the table. Bubba was going for the pin but Storm ran into the ring and spit beer in Bubba’s face and “stole the pin” by covering Hernandez.

Observer ***1/2

Torch ***¼

Jeff - fire, Steve Mcmichael, thumb tacks, chat me up!

6. Booker T won a three-way over A.J. Styles and Christian Cage in 13:05.

Good match, with Styles as the life of the match. Christian had Styles pinned but Booker stopped ref Shane Sewell from counting. Christian did an unprettier off the top rope on Styles. The idea in the dressing room probably sounded better than it looked, as when they were setting it up, you could see if was going to be difficult to make look good. Booker then came off the top rope with an ax kick on Christian to get the pin.

Observer ***1/4

Torch ***

It feels like everyone on the undercard is in a holding pattern until the Main Event Mafia is launched - but still these 3 in a match - can’t go wrong right?

7. Jeff Jarrett pinned Kurt Angle in 20:07 with Mick Foley as the ringside enforcer.

Jarrett was over from the start as the babyface with “Thank You Jeff” chants. Jarrett was in tears going to the ring and they showed in vignette form his three daughters. You couldn’t ask for a better performance from Jarrett at 41, and with two years out. Jarrett more than held up his end and it was the usual level Angle PPV match, although not as much with the working in and out of the ankle lock down the stretch. Jarrett did the A.J. Styles perfectly timed high dropkick (Jarrett used to do that spot in the Memphis days) followed by a pescado. The only negative is that the crowd and everyone at home pretty much knew this match couldn’t end until a spot that involved Foley. Angle missed a moonsault. Angle went for a clothesline but Jarrett moved, so Rudy Charles took it. This set up Foley taking over as ref. Jarrett used the stroke but Angle kicked out. Angle used a low blow and got a chair. He nailed Foley way too hard in the head with a chair. I know it’s Foley’s m.o. and it’s what made him, but you could do it harder to the back and do less damage. Foley didn’t even try to block it. Then he waffled Jarrett with a hard chair shot. Angle went to pin Jarrett but Foley pulled ref Rudy Charles out of the ring. He then came out and pulled out Mr. Socko. WWE may have trademarked that phrase because Mike Tenay was very careful not to call him Mr Socko, and he put the claw on Angle. Jarrett then hit Angle with a guitar shot for the pin.

Observer ***3/4

Torch ***½

Jeff - being back in the ring - with Kurt - and this special moment. How did it feel to be back and with Mick - the newest signing - being involved?

You can’t take anything away from Kurt’s in-ring…but how nervous were you to be back in there?

8. Sting beat Samoa Joe in 16:54 to win the TNA title.

Strong effort from both men. I thought it was Joe’s best match since the Angle match. Joe opened with an elbow suicida (tope into an elbow smash). They brawled in the crowd for several minutes. They did acknowledge that Earl Hebner could rule it a double count out but that it was such an important show that he wanted it settled in the ring. While brawling up the stairs, Joe came out of a luxury box and flew with a missile dropkick onto Sting, who was on the steps. There was no safe way to do that move and I have no idea what possessed Joe to do it, because he had to land with his back on steps. Even on a flat concrete surface, that was a bad bump, but on steps, it was insane because he easily could have broken his back.

Jeff - this is easily one of the most insane moments in a TNA match. When you saw it what did you think of it?

Sting did a crossbody off a deck. Sting was standing on the barricade when Joe scooped his leg and Sting was crotched. Joe nailed him with an Ole ole kick. When they finally got back in the ring, Joe was being booed and than Joe started working as the heel. Sting jumped off the ropes with a DDT. Joe used a power bomb into an STF and while holding the move, flipped off the crowd. As Joe held the STF, the crowd chanted, “Let’s Go Sting.” Well, it’s not like people didn’t say ahead of time that this Sting heel turn would turn Joe heel. Joe did his quick powerslam for a near fall. Then Sting used a muscle buster, but Joe popped right up in the Road Warrior/piledriver spot. Then Joe used Sting’s scorpion death drop, and Sting popped right up. Sting hit two Stinger splashes, but Joe caught him on the third one and slammed him down hard. Nash came out at this point. Sting grabbed the bat and Nash took the bat away from him. Nash hit Joe with the bat with a weak shot, and Sting used the scorpion death drop for the pin and title win.

Observer ***3/4

Torch ***1/4

Sting and Samoa Joe are still tearing it up in AEW - but with the wrinkle of Nash here - were you happy with it?

Do you think Joe failed as a champion - or was it necessary to put the belt on Sting here?

The final word from meltzer

Bound for Glory itself was a good show. The two matches that had to deliver both did. The crowd at the Sears Center in Chicago was awesome when it came to reactions, making even the bad matches easy to take. The crowd wasn’t miked well, but they were so loud that they overcame the production weakness. This felt like an ROH style crowd, heavily male 20-35 with the same type of chants, but with about six times as many people. They fell just shy of the company attendance mark, with 5,000 fans in an arena set up for about 8,000. At least based on our response, there is no indication this PPV did much better than usual numbers and nothing like Lockdown.

Were you happy or satisfied with the crowd and the attendance?

Looking back - thumbs up, thumbs down, thumbs in the middle?

Were you excited about where you were going next?

Next week we’re going to discuss the NWA’s 70th Anniversary Show! What you had to do with it, Cody Rhodes vs. Nick Aldis, Billy Corgan and so much more!