On a recent episode of the “My World” podcast on AdFreeShows.com, Jeff Jarrett and Conrad Thompson covered WCW New Blood 2000. Jarrett wrestled Booker T for the WCW World Heavyweight Championship on that show. They also talked about the fallout from the Bash at the Beach show with Hulk Hogan leaving the company, Ernest “The Cat” Miller, Jimmy Jart, Judy Bagwell (Buff Bagwell’s mom) on a forklift, ref bumps, and more.
Here are some highlights:
Jeff Jarrett gave his reasoning why Mike Graham said Jarrett never drew any money in the business:
“Well, I guess this is the time to tell the story behind the story. My father has had several mentors, but do you know who his favorite mentor was? Eddie Graham. Do you know who knew that more than anybody? Mike Graham. Eddie really liked my old man. They had a really good relationship. It was a father/son relationship. My dad’s dad went off to war. He didn’t get killed. He came back to the United States but didn’t come home, so my father grew up without a father figure. Roy Welch was the old promoter in town who was Nick Gulas’ partner, but Eddie really became like a father figure, and Mike knew that. Mike was never really a fan of my father. I’m well aware, and I’m going to be diplomatic about this, I’m well aware of mental health issues, but let’s just say Eddie had mental health issues. He took his life, and Mike took his own life. I can’t speak for them, but they had a lot of baggage. That goes pretty deep. Mike did the hang around backstage at TNA multiple times and wasn’t hired. I was with Mike in the WCW days when he was a producer/agent. I could tell something was there that, let’s just say, that was a well known, unspoken issue, that Mike’s father and mine had a professional relationship. Mike knew very well that my dad became a successful territory promoter, and a lot of the tricks of the trade he learned from Mike’s dad, and their territory went away. There’s a real deep side to that, so when that GIF or whatever you want to say, that comment came out, I got it. I was way on the outside. I was at TNA and rocking and rolling over there, and Mike created a great soundbite and great visual, but I’ve always had compassion because knowing his upbringing in the last years of his life, specifically as the years went on, him coming and wanting to be a part ot TNA, and we didn’t have a spot for him, and I don’t know what happened with WWE, I never got upset. I had compassion for him, but that’s the story behind the story. It still makes for a good GIF, I’ll say that.”
Jarrett talking about hearing Nitro and Thunder starting to be taped on the same night:
“I heard that Thunder, and that chatter was from some TV folks because I think they were trying to run some numbers, but when I heard that was coming down the pike, I was like, ok, Thunder is not a B show currently. It’s like a C or a D show. Now all of a sudden, it’s a Z show. It’s like, you gotta be kidding me. I get the cost cutting deal. In my eyes, that took another date out of my pocket because I got the downside and I got paid per appearance. My contract was affected more than most. I was not a fan of it at all. We’re going to do the same amount of work, but in one day with disgruntled fans. It was a mess. Another nail. Didn’t know it at the time, but it was certainly another nail in the coffin.”
Jarrett on the Bash at the Beach controversy and Booker T winning the World Title:
“When I look back, and I don’t want to get too deep into this, but the role of Booker winning his first World Title under these circumstances, and knowing now that it created 4 or 5 years of litigation, me laying down, Hogan putting his foot on me, and all that mess and junk, and knowing that we turned a real black eye negative, just disastrous type of chess moves, but we turned that around, and me and Booker went out and literally gave the fans something to cheer about, that’s one of my favorite matches of all-time.”
If you use any portion of the quotes from this article please credit “My World with Jeff Jarrett” with a h/t to WrestlingNews.co for the transcription.
