On a recent edition of his “My World” podcast, WWE Hall of Famer Jeff Jarrett discussed his relationship with Sting, The Icon’s WrestleMania 31 loss to Triple H in 2015, and more.
You can check out some highlights from the podcast below:
On meeting Sting for the first time: “I mean, meeting him, it was a, ‘Hello,’ and I’m sure my dad probably either gave me the eyes, or I’d gotten the eyes enough to, ‘All right, go back to your room.’ To talk business, I mean it’s just how it was. He didn’t talk business around family. It’s just the culture. So I mean, that was a ‘Hello,’ and then I go back to playing basketball and all that kind of stuff.
“And so they started in the territory. And it wasn’t until the summer of ’86, I started in April of ’86. You know, they were in and out of Tennessee very quick. It’s just, it’s amazing — and look, my dad likes to tell the story that he gave Warrior and Sting their start. Because his self-deprecating humor, he’s also the one that fired them both. He fired them both. And then here’s — the ascension of those two guys in the business, they were both on top in the industry, Sting in WCW, Warrior in WWF, within 24 months of getting fired in Memphis. Think about that, Conrad. It’s pretty amazing.”
On his favorite version of Sting: “When he went into the Crow, and — you know, I don’t obviously know the stats like you or others will. But we’re talking about, ‘Gotta put 18,000 or close to it this weekend.’ WCW’s live event business was red hot at this time. nWo had formed a year or so before this. They put tickets on sale, they sold out. It was really really hot. This — I think the Crow character was maybe peak fandom that was probably the most successful. So my businessman goes, ‘Oh, it’s simple, Conrad. I’ll take this one. It’s that.’
“I personally, as a kid who was young in the business and was watching — I mean, I VCR’d TBS on Saturday nights in my first couple years of the business because I was doing Memphis TV on Saturday morning and Nashville Saturday night, so I still wanted to watch their show. I love Surfer Sting as I call it my personal fandom. The Joker deal, that thing, he made that his own. To me, it was highly entertaining. And as far as a sports entertainment perspective, I think those were Sting’s best sports entertainment promos. He felt that character, that was his idea. That’s all Stinger, he made it his own. And I thought about the sports entertainment aspect, it was dynamite.
“My personal favorite is this last run. It is to me, so unexpected. Again, I did some things with him and we’ll get to it. When he was not actively wrestling, he was for lack of a better word, put out to pasture in WWE. His wrestling career was over. And so me sitting at home and being the wrestling junkie that I am, and hearing ‘Oh, Sting, is that…? I gotta watch.’ And him debuting on dynamite. I — yeah. I was so damn happy for him. Because I’m just like — Okay, this for sure, is the beginning of the end, but he’s gonna go out — I had no idea we’d end up this way. But this version is my favorite.”
On Sting’s WrestleMania 31 loss to Triple H: “My gut reaction, and almost the same when Taker lost the Streak. Almost exactly in my gut, I said, ‘Who got in Vince’s ear? Somebody got in his ear. Somebody got his ear.’ It doesn’t feel like a promoter mentality that — again, it’s not a Raw, it’s not a TV show. It’s the big one. Not just the WWE, but professional wrestling in and of itself — consumer confidence is built on the protagonists winning the money match. And it didn’t happen. I thought somebody got his ear.”
In a recent episode of his “My World” podcast, WWE Hall of Famer Jeff Jarrett opened up about his relationship with wrestling legend Sting, as well as Sting’s WrestleMania 31 loss to Triple H in 2015. Jarrett shared some interesting insights and memories from his time working with Sting, shedding light on the iconic wrestler’s career and impact on the industry.
Jarrett first discussed meeting Sting for the first time, recalling that it was a brief encounter due to the professional culture of not discussing business matters around family. Despite this, Jarrett acknowledged the significance of meeting such a legendary figure in the wrestling world.
He then delved into his favorite version of Sting, highlighting the period when Sting adopted the Crow persona. Jarrett praised this version of Sting, noting that it coincided with a time when WCW’s live event business was thriving. The nWo had formed, and tickets were selling out, making it a highly successful period for Sting and WCW. Jarrett also expressed his personal fondness for the Surfer Sting character, which he enjoyed watching during his early years in the business.
Moving on to Sting’s last run in the industry, Jarrett expressed his surprise and excitement when he heard that Sting would be debuting in AEW (All Elite Wrestling). He admitted that he believed Sting’s wrestling career was over when he joined WWE, so seeing him return to the ring was unexpected but thrilling for him as a wrestling fan. Jarrett commended Sting for his ability to reinvent himself and make an impact even after being perceived as retired.
One topic that Jarrett touched upon was Sting’s loss to Triple H at WrestleMania 31. He shared his gut reaction to the outcome, comparing it to The Undertaker’s loss of “The Streak.” Jarrett felt that someone must have influenced Vince McMahon’s decision, as it went against the traditional promoter mentality of having the protagonist win the marquee match. He believed that consumer confidence in professional wrestling is built on seeing the heroes triumph, and Sting’s loss was unexpected and disappointing to him.
Overall, Jeff Jarrett’s discussion on his podcast provided fans with a deeper understanding of his relationship with Sting and shed light on various aspects of the wrestling legend’s career. From their initial meeting to his favorite versions of Sting and his thoughts on significant moments like WrestleMania 31, Jarrett’s insights offered a unique perspective on one of the industry’s most iconic figures.