5 facts you should know about WWE SummerSlam guest referee Jeff Jarrett: Once held up Vince McMahon, member of legendary faction, and more
The Street Profits vs. The Usos is one of the most entertaining rivalries in WWE today. The two teams had a stellar bout at Money in the Bank. Unfortunately, the finish of the match was mired in controversy.
The Usos picked up the win despite Montez Ford's shoulder being up when the referee counted to three. Due to the controversial end to the bout, the two teams will have a rematch at WWE SummerSlam. This time, however, there will be a major change.
A special guest referee has been assigned to the bout at SummerSlam to make sure there isn't a mistake made similar to the one at Money in the Bank. The guest referee stipulation was first teased by Kayla Braxton on SmackDown last week. On this week's edition of the blue brand, Adam Pearce revealed that the referee for the WWE SummerSlam bout will be Jeff Jarrett.
Nobody expected the former Intercontinental Champion to be the one wearing stripes at the event, but the decision for him to appear at The Biggest Party Of The Summer makes sense. He has a wealth of experience in the industry and the country music gimmick made Nashville his hometown.
Still, Jeff hasn't been an active competitor in WWE for over two decades. While he's a legend, there are some fans who may not know much about the Hall of Famer going into SummerSlam. He's had a long career filled with controversy, struggles, and a lot of success.
Below are 5 facts you should know about SummerSlam guest referee Jeff Jarrett.
#5. Jeff Jarrett once held up WWE and Vince McMahon to get paid
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In 1999, Jeff Jarrett was arguably at the highest point of his career. However, he didn't believe he was getting paid enough based on his work and card position. As a result, he decided he'd sign with WCW. Due to a mistake by management, Jeff's contract expired while he was still the Intercontinental Champion.
He was set to drop the title to Chyna at No Mercy 1999. Some feared he'd leave the promotion with the belt, but he chose to do business and came to the event. However, he refused to compete without first being paid upfront for his recent work. Jeff feared that if he left, he'd lose leverage and end up getting underpaid.
While the long-standing belief by those in and out of the industry is that Jeff held Vince McMahon up, he sees the events differently. Jeff discussed the incident on his My World Podcast, saying:
"Vince didn’t have to pay me, the night of the Chyna match. He’s the promoter, he’s the boss. You know, “Jeff held Vince up!” Really?! With a thirty-eight or a forty-five? I mean, come on, that’s so preposterous! But he gave me the check, I went… I tried to give my effort, as much as is humanly in me, each evening. And I did it that night as well. And the storyline that had been built was marvelous. But, getting that opportunity, Vince, we hugged that night when I left. So, burying the hatchet, in my mind, I never thought that."
He lost to Chyna on the pay-per-view and dropped the title before going to WCW.
#4. WWE SummerSlam referee Double J is a former WCW Champion
Upon joining World Championship Wrestling in 1999, 'Double J' Jeff Jarrett immediately found success within the company. He was immediately in the mix at the top of the card, working with the likes of Bret Hart, Booker T, Buff Bagwell, Sting, and others.
Just six months into his time with the company, Jeff won the big one. At WCW Spring Stampede 1999, he defeated WCW Champion Diamond Dallas Page to win his first major world championship.
Jarrett would go on to win the WCW World Heavyweight Championship three more times before the company closed its doors in 2001. He was one of the very top stars of the promotion in the final two years of its existence. Over two decades later, Double J will be refereeing a championship bout at WWE SummerSlam.
#3. Vince McMahon once fired Jeff Jarrett on-air
On March 26, 2001, Vince McMahon revealed to the world that he had bought World Championship Wrestling.
While live on Monday Night RAW, Vince discussed some of his plans for the company. While the interviews were done by the Mr. McMahon character, lines were certainly blurred at various points. One key example of reality creeping into the promo was when Vince publicly fired Jarrett while he was at WCW Nito. He told RAW viewers that Double J was "gone".
Interestingly, Jeff believed at the time that Vince publicly firing him was to build towards an angle. He said the following during an episode of his My World podcast:
“If you were to hear that back as a thirty-something-year-old in my, okay, we’ll call it ego, it takes ego to go around this,” Jarrett said. “I thought and maybe carried that with me, ‘Vince is gonna shoot an angle with me.’ It’s all about money. When I heard that he went through all this [buying WCW], who’d he pick out? I mean, who did he pick?”
Jeff believed that Vince McMahon choosing to mention him by name on RAW would lead to an angle, but that storyline never came. The Hall of Famer has often stated that he had delusional optimism throughout his career, and that may very well be an example of it. Still, after being fired on air, Jeff refereeing at WWE SummerSlam is very neat.
#2. He was once a member of the legendary Four Horsemen
The Four Horsemen is one of the most iconic factions in professional wrestling history. While the group has had many varying lineups, the core members best remembered for being in the faction are likely Ric Flair, Arn Anderson, Tully Blanchard, JJ Dillon, and Ole Anderson.
It may surprise some fans to learn that Jeff Jarrett was also part of the legendary stable. Jeff first joined the group after being signed by WCW in 1996. He immediately had animosity with other members, especially Steve "Mongo" McMichael.
Jarrett was kicked out of the group by mid-1997, and just a few months later he returned to WWE. Still, as short as his run with the faction was, he will always be known as one of the Four Horsemen. With that said, due to the short time in the unit, it is unlikely that this achievement will be mentioned when he appears at WWE SummerSlam.
#1. Jeff Jarrett helped create TNA Wrestling
"You're getting your foot back in a game to have some exposure."
With fewer opportunities to showcase talents in America, TNA provided an opportunity for wrestlers to stay in the game.
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After Double J was publicly fired by Vince McMahon, he needed a new way to survive in the wrestling business. Both WCW and ECW were no longer in business and, as a result, Jeff and his father Jerry Jarrett created TNA Wrestling.
Jerry is a legendary promoter in professional wrestling known best for his time running shows in the Memphis territory. Together, the two hoped to make a true alternative to WWE.
The father-son duo were ultimately successful. While they struggled financially and eventually lost ownership, their creation still exists today as Impact Wrestling. During Jeff's time with the company, he won world titles, main-evented many events, and helped give jobs to hundreds of wrestlers. Jeff went from running the opposition to being an integral part of WWE SummerSlam.
Jeff Jarrett has had an incredible career. His story is unlike that of any other superstar in wrestling history. Never afraid to be controversial, Jeff will go down in history as much for incidents that happened behind the scenes as he will for his wrestling. It will be interesting to see how he fares as a special guest referee at WWE SummerSlam.
Speaking of WWE SummerSlam, click here for 5 directions for Asuka heading into the major event.