In a recent episode of his podcast, “My World”, Jeff Jarrett, a member of the WWE Hall of Fame, commented on WWE’s controversial choice to put Booker T and Buff Bagwell in the spotlight for the main event of RAW in Tacoma, WA, in July 2001.
This match disrupted the WWE’s original plan for Nitro to replace RAW on Monday nights and for RAW to command the Thursday night slot previously held by SmackDown.
Highlighted moments from the podcast include:
Discussing WWE’s problematic decision to cast Booker T against Buff Bagwell for the main event, Jarrett questioned: “How could they ever expect that any WCW talent would be remotely received in a babyface role under any circumstances? That was the first question. The second was: I understand there were budget constraints, but none of the top guys came over.”
Discussing the choice of location for the match, Jarrett said: “Layer upon layer of this doesn’t make sense, like you said. Atlanta was the obvious choice. Wouldn’t you say this was a pretty big mistake?”
Reflecting on the difference in the styles between WWE and WCW, Jarrett explained: “Buff didn’t know how to work the WWF style. Having worked with him at WCW, I saw this firsthand… There’s a definite WWF style, with more storytelling and pauses to let the drama sink in. Little nuances make the difference. Whether WCW-style or WWF-style, it’s playing different defense in basketball.”
The discussion sheds new light on the controversial decision and gives an insider perspective on the impact it had on the trajectory of WWE. Check out the full podcast episode to hear more of Jarrett’s insights.