“That caught me off guard” - former WWE official reacts to Jeff Jarrett's SummerSlam inclusion
Jeff Jarrett will be making an appearance at WWE SummerSlam on July 30th. The premium live event will air from Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee.
Double-J was rehired by WWE earlier this year after being released by the promotion in April 2021. Previously a producer, Jarrett now serves as the Senior Vice President of Live Events for WWE.
His return to WWE has mainly been behind the scenes, but the six-time Intercontinental Champion is now returning to the squared circle. On last week's edition of SmackDown, Jarrett was revealed to be the special guest referee for the Undisputed Tag Team Championship match at SummerSlam.
Former WWE referee Jimmy Korderas spoke about Jarrett being named referee for the title match on his latest "Reffin Rant" on Twitter. Jimmy stated that he was hoping for Sami Zayn, but admitted that Jeff Jarrett as the referee will at least keep the fans guessing:
“A lot of people say, ‘Wow, that caught me off guard,’ exactly … I was kind of hoping for Sami Zayn, because that would have made it a lot [more] interesting, but at the same time, now it’s keeping us guessing." (H/T: Wrestling Inc)
#StaySafeIn today's #ReffinRant going to try & keep a more positive tone this week. 😁 #StaySafe https://t.co/Afll6L2lvB
Why did WWE choose Jeff Jarrett as the referee?
Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer noted that the Jarrett family has 55 years of history with pro wrestling in Nashville and there are still a lot of seats to fill for the event. Korderas echoed the same and added that he likes how the fans have no clue whether Double J will call the match down the middle or not:
"Not only did they pick someone who is big in Tennessee and Nashville, because that’s his home state and he was a big-time star … But is he going to side, is he going to stay neutral? Is he going to do the dirty work for Vince McMahon? We don’t know, they’re keeping us guessing and that’s what I like most about it. Looking forward to seeing Double J in stripes.” (H/T: Wrestling Inc)
.@RealJeffJarrett will be the Special Guest Referee for The @WWEUsos’ Unified WWE Tag Team Title Rematch against The #StreetProfits at #SummerSlam. #SmackDown https://t.co/Brp7gNCao0
While Jeff Jarrett makes sense because SummerSlam is in Nashville, Sami Zayn may have been the more interesting choice given that he is an Honorary Uce in The Bloodline.
Do you think Sami Zayn would have been a better choice as the special guest referee at WWE SummerSlam? Let us know in the comment section below!