"Thanks for mentioning us!" - WWE Legend's sarcastic response to Vince McMahon's competitive streak
Former WWE star Jeff Jarrett, recently responded to Vince McMahon's interview in 2009, where the latter spoke about IMPACT Wrestling.
Jeff co-founded IMPACT Wrestling in 2002 along with his father and retired wrestler, Jerry Jarrett. Before this, he was associated with Mr. McMahon's company, donning a musician's gimmick and carrying a guitar to the ring, which he would often use against his opponents.
In March 2009, Mr. McMahon had an interview with the Hollywood Reporter during the promotion of WrestleMania 25. When asked about his concerns about Jarrett's promotion being a competitor, Vince McMahon stated that IMPACT (then known as TNA) pertained to a TV-14 audience, whereas the latter was PG.
“My concern with TNA is not in terms of competition. My concern with TNA is that they are TV-14, and we are PG. They have to change with the times. I think some of the things they do on television are reprehensible, but it is a TV-14 rating. That’s the only bone I have to pick with them.”
On a recent episode of My World with Jeff Jarrett podcast, co-hosted by Conrad Thompson, the Hall of Famer stated that Vince McMahon has an aggressive approach to his competitors.
"You gotta love that no matter what, if Vince talks about his competition, he's gonna go right for the jugular, no matter what. I get it, but reprehensible, probably because of the blood with Mick [Foley] at Lockdown if we're kind of timestamping that comment. But TNA being reprehensible? You know what my response to that was? 'Thanks for mentioning us, Vince!'” (00:23 - 00:53)
Check out the clip below:
"If he talks about his competition, he's gonna go right for the jugular, no matter what."
Anytime you get acknowledged by the competition, it's not necessarily a bad thing, pal!
#MyWorld: SACRIFICE 2009 is available for ad-free access exclusively on AdFreeShows.com https://t.co/SdBXv4RCBl
Vince McMahon and Jeff Jarrett have seemingly extended an olive branch
While IMPACT Wrestling was a strong competitor to WWE in the early 2000s, Jeff Jarrett and Mr. McMahon have since patched things up.
In January this year, Mickie James competed at the Royal Rumble as the reigning IMPACT Knockouts World Champion. In a Sportskeeda Exclusive, the Hall of Famer stated that he was impressed with WWE's decision to go ahead with the monumental occasion.
"When Mickie came down, and you know, I'd go back to my prior comments. I believe the streaming generation that we're currently in, people are very aware of all the different emotions. I tip my cap to the WWE for allowing that, recognizing that," said Jeff Jarrett.
In her Sportskeeda interview, Mickie James also mentioned that Vince McMahon apologized to her for the previous treatment from the company following her release last year.
Alongside IMPACT, there is another prominent rival for WWE in the form of AEW. Within a few years of All Elite Wrestling's inception, its president, Tony Khan, is going head-to-head with Vince McMahon in terms of matches and storylines. The latter is yet to comment on his new rival publicly.
While using quotes from this article, please add a H/T to Sportskeeda for the transcription and credit My World with Jeff Jarrett podcast.