Currently Elias carries the banner for the guitar swinging wrestler. The Honky Tonk Man may have been the first but the best at whacking a man with a stringed instrument was Jeff Jarrett. The third-generation wrestler is now headed to the WWE Hall of Fame. Jarrett has over 30 years in the business and his accomplishments in the ring and behind scenes are definitely deserving of this honor.
Son of legendary Tennessee promoter Jerry Jarrett, the younger Jarrett broke into the business working for his father. Double J started as a referee and made his in-ring debut as a wrestler in 1986. While employed by his dad’s CWA promotion Jarrett got some experience wrestling in the AWA. After Jerry purchased World Class from Fritz Von Erich he merged his 2 companies and created the USWA.
Jeff became a star in the USWA and was able to capture the world title on multiple occasions and also was a multiple time tag team champion. During that time Jarrett wrestled all over the world honing his skills. In 1992 through the Jarrett family relationship with Vince McMahon he was able to start working with the WWF.
Jeff Jarrett is one of the most interesting figures of the Monday Night War era. Jeff spent significant time with both WWF and WCW on a few occasions. In 1992 as a part of a USWA and WWF cross promotion Jarrett did some house show appearances for the company. When he made his TV debut the heel Double J “Country Singer” appeared. Jeff had successful mid-card run in the WWF winning the Intercontinental Championship in 1995 from fellow Hall of Famer Razor Ramon.
Jarrett would eventually drop the belt to Shawn Michaels later that year. After taking a break to do a run in USWA, Jarrett came back to the WWF for short stint but left due to a contract dispute. Jarrett then headed down south to WCW.
Jeff was part of one of the stranger runs of the Four Horsemen. I am sure if ask Ric Flair he will say it never happened. He was later kicked out of the group and feuded with member Mongo McMichael and even had McMicheal’s wife on his side. Jarrett would leave WCW after October in 1997 when his contract expired.
Jeff returned to the WWF during the peak of the Monday Night Wars and had his most successful run with the company. Reprising his country singer gimmick he had a lot of matches and feuds that ended with him whacking someone with his guitar. Had won the Tag Team Titles with Owen Hart and had a few IC Title reigns. He even won the European Title briefly uniting both mid card belts. During this time, he was reunited with his friend from WCW, Debra. She was his manager/valet and was instrumental in a lot of his wins.
Jarrett was part of an historic feud when he feuded with Chyna over the Intercontinental belt in 1999. The feud saw Jeff be extremely sexist and take out his frustrations against various female members of the WWF roster and legends. As his contract was ending Jarrett was scheduled to drop the belt to Chyna in October of 1999 at No Mercy.
Jarrett’s contract expired prior to the event. Now what happened after that is the stuff of wrestling legend. The great rumor is that Jeff held Vince McMahon up for 300,000 dollars to drop the belt to Chyna. Whether true or not, Jeff and Vince’s relationship had not been the same since.
After the WWE PPV the following Monday Jarrett appeared on Monday Nitro. He then was part of one of the worst ever incarnations of the NWO. The Vince Russo led WCW gave Jarrett the most successful run of his career at the time.
He actually became a 4-Time World Champion in WCW and was there until the company closed in 2001. When the WWF bought the company Vince McMahon fired Jeff on live TV.
After the demise of WCW, Jeff followed in his father’s footsteps and became a promoter. Starting Total Non-Stop Action Wrestling (TNA) out Tennessee. The company still exist as Impact Wrestling but in its heyday from 2002 to 2014 the company rose as one of the few legitimate competing wrestling companies in the country. With their run on Spike TV company saw the rise of careers of AJ Styles, Samoa Joe, Christopher Daniels, a young CM Punk among others.
Jeff’s induction into the WWE Hall of Fame proves that time heals all wounds in wrestling. The McMahon and Jarrett family friendship has been mended and Jeff is strutting into the Hall of Fame.
Written By
Keith B. Holt
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