WWE Hall of Famer Jeff Jarrett, who is currently working for the company as an agent, recently did an interview with TalkSport where he spoke about his dispute with Vince McMahon in 1999.
WWE had let Jarrett’s contract run-down while he was still their intercontinental champion.
There have been reports since that time that Jarrett “held up” McMahon for big money on the day of the No Mercy pay-per-view where he was scheduled to defend his title against Chyna.
This is where Jarrett figured out a way to have McMahon pay him the figure in order for him to drop the title to Chyna that night. Chyna and Hardcore Holly have claimed that the figure was around $300,000 at the time.
Jarrett had the chance to give his side of the story and clear the air.
“Here’s what everybody misses. The real crux of the story is that I was a talent in 1999 and, quote-en-quote, I held Vince [McMahon] up for money, is that what you’re alluding to? But when you really drill that down and you really think about this – employee and employer. If he didn’t want to pay me, he didn’t have to pay me a cent.
“And what was I going to do? Go sue him? He could tie me up in court – not for months, but for years – and I would have spent all the money I was owed and then some had he chosen not to pay me.
“So, the fact of the matter is, and to this day in conversation, look, I tried. And that was my whole point. Let’s make this easy for everybody. Pay me everything that you’ve owed me in the past. Because at that time, there was bonuses, it was October and I was owed for September, August, July, probably June and I think we did a pay-per-view over here called Rebellion, so I had a lot of money in the pipeline coming.
“I said let’s approximate on the payoffs. I’ve got all these house show runs I was on. Let’s come up with a number and let me get out of your hair. I’m obviously not re-signing the offer, and that’s a whole other set of circumstances [laughs]. You go your way and I’ll go my way. It made it easy on everybody.”
