On a recent “Grilling JR” podcast, Jim Ross, renowned wrestling commentator, hashed out the circumstances of Jeff Jarrett’s departure from WWE in October 1999. The crux of his move, Ross explained, lay in the expiration of Jarrett’s contract and his subsequent inclination towards joining WCW.
Jarrett’s contract officially came to an end on October 16, 1999, just prior to his scheduled match against Chyna at No Mercy. Jarrett showcased resolute insistence on being justly paid for his previous appearances at events, making it certain before giving up the Intercontinental Title to Chyna. Back then, Ross was in charge of Talent Relations.
Key points from the discussion on the podcast are highlighted here:
Discussing the complications leading to Jarrett’s departure, Ross conveyed, “The Jeff Jarrett situation was peculiar. Contrary to what some people might presume, there’s no bad blood between Jeff Jarrett and myself. We get along just fine. It was simply business and the decisions he thought were best for him. There was a significant financial outcome, but it was an uncomfortable situation.”
Speaking about Jarrett’s performance, Ross further elaborated, “Jarrett remains an exceptional performer. He is among the best in-ring performers AEW has today. His departure was simply the outcome of unfortunate timing and decisions.”
He also touched upon Jarrett’s aspirations, stating, “He had ambitions of earning more money. Part of it was about satisfying his ego, and part of it about his desire to increase his earnings.”
Ross shared his personal experiences, saying, “In this whole scenario, I was made the fall guy, though some of the blame indeed does lie with me. However, the entire situation was something of a crisis, yet it was an avoidable one. We navigated through it, but it didn’t bode well for the locker room.”
You can watch the entire discussion in the video below.