Jeff Jarrett

Jeff Jarrett
Born	(1967-04-14) April 14, 1967 Nashville, Tennessee, United States
Professional wrestling career
Ring name(s)	Jeff Jarrett
Billed height	5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)
Billed weight
Trained by	Jerry Jarrett Tojo Yamamoto
Debut	April 1986

Jeffrey Leonard "Jeff" Jarrett (born April 14, 1967) is an American professional wrestler. A 12 time world heavyweight champion, Jarrett wrestled for World Championship Wrestling (WCW) and the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) throughout the 1990s. In 2002, Jarrett co-founded the professional wrestling promotion Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA). In addition to wrestling for TNA, Jarrett is the Vice President of TNA Entertainment.

Career

Born in Hendersonville, Tennessee, Jarrett became involved with wrestling at an early age, working for his father's Continental Wrestling Association (CWA) and training as a wrestler under his father and Tojo Yamamoto. Jarrett made his in-ring debut at the age of 19 in April 1986 when jobber Tony Falk attempted to end his lengthy losing streak by challenging Jarrett, then a referee, to a match. Jarrett accepted the challenge, wrestling Falk to a ten-minute draw. Jarrett is a third-generation wrestler; his father wrestled, as did his maternal grandfather, Eddie Marlin, while his paternal grandmother, Christine, was employed by a wrestling promotion.

In 1989, Jerry Jarrett purchased the Texan World Class Championship Wrestling promotion and merged it with the CWA to created the United States Wrestling Association (USWA). Over the following years, Jeffrey Jarrett won the USWA (Southern) Heavyweight Championship on 10 occasions and the USWA Tag Team Championship on 15 occasions.

Jeffrey Jarrett wrestled on the independent circuit for seven years, appearing in Japan and Puerto Rico. In 1993, he was hired by the World Wrestling Federation.

World Wrestling Federation (1993-1996)

Jarrett debuted in the World Wrestling Federation under the character of "Double J" Jeff Jarrett, a country music singer who intended to elevate his singing career through his exposure as a wrestler. Jarrett's character would strut to the ring wearing flashing "Double J" hats and ring attire, and punctuated his interviews with the phrase "ain't I great?". He ended his interviews by distinctly spelling out his name ("That's J-E-Double-F, J-A Double-R, E Double-T!").

Jarrett made his pay-per-view debut in January 1994 at the 1994 Royal Rumble. Later in the year, he was joined by an assistant, The Roadie. In 1995, Jarrett won the WWF Intercontinental Championship on three occasions, feuding with Bob Holly and Razor Ramon. At In Your House 2: The Lumberjacks on July 23, 1995, Jarrett and Sawyer Brown performed the song "With My Baby Tonight". Jarrett subsequently left the WWF for several months and returned to the United States Wrestling Association. He returned to the WWF in late 1995, feuding with Ahmed Johnson. Jarrett lost to Johnson by disqualification at the 1996 Royal Rumble and left the WWF shortly thereafter due to a contract dispute. Later that year, The Roadie revealed that he had in fact sung "With My Baby Tonight" and that Jarrett had been lip-synching.

World Championship Wrestling (1996-1997)

In October 1996, Jarrett was hired by World Championship Wrestling (WCW), signing a one year contract. Upon debuting in WCW, Jarrett became a "free agent" in the rivalry between the Four Horsemen and the New World Order. After defeating Chris Benoit at Starrcade 1996, Jarrett was inducted into the Four Horsemen. On June 9, 1997, Jarrett defeated Dean Malenko to win the WCW United States Heavyweight Championship.

In mid-1996, Jarrett left the Four Horsemen and began feuding with Four Horsemen member Steve McMichael. Despite aligning himself with McMichael's ex-wife, Debra McMichael, Jarrett lost the WCW United States Heavyweight Championship to McMichael on August 21, 1997. In October 1997, Jarrett's contract expired and he opted to return to the World Wrestling Federation, despite the dominance of WCW in the ongoing Monday Night Wars.

World Wrestling Federation (1997-1999)

Jarrett returned to the World Wrestling Federation on the October 20, 1997 episode of Monday Night Raw, delivering a speech in which he criticised both WCW President Eric Bischoff and WWF Chairman Vince McMahon. After briefly feuding with The Undertaker, Jarrett defeated Barry Windham to win the vacant NWA North American Heavyweight Championship. In early 1998, Jarrett joined forces with Jim Cornette and his stable of "invading" National Wrestling Alliance wrestlers, and began defending the NWA North American Heavyweight Championship on WWF television. In March 1998, Jarrett left Cornette's stable, and Cornette stripped him of the title and awarded it to Windham.

Jarrett went on to reprise his country music singer gimmick, introducing Tennessee Lee as his manager and the tag team Southern Justice as his bodyguards. He developed a habit of breaking an acoustic guitar over the heads of his opponents. At Unforgiven 1998 on April 26, 1998, Jarrett once again sang alongside Sawyer Brown. In August 1998, Jarrett abandoned his country singer gimmick and dismissed Lee. He and Southern Justice began feuding with D-Generation X, with Jarrett losing to D-X member X-Pac in a hair versus hair match at SummerSlam 1998 on August 30, 1998. Jarrett's long hair was subsequently cut short by D-X and ring announcer Howard Finkel, who had himself been shaved bald by Jarrett and Southern Lee shortly before SummerSlam. Jarrett and Southern Justice were defeated by D-X at Breakdown in September 1998, and the trio separated shortly thereafter.

Jarrett briefly feuded with Al Snow before reuniting with Debra McMichael, who had left WCW for the WWF, and forming a tag team with Owen Hart. Jarrett and Hart won the WWF World Tag Team Championship from Ken Shamrock and Big Boss Man, successfully defending the titles at WrestleMania XV before losing to Kane and X-Pac. After Hart was killed in a stunt that went wrong at Over the Edge 1999, Jarrett defeated Test using Hart's signature hold, the sharpshooter, on the RAW is Owen tribute show. In mid-1999, Jarrett won and lost the WWF Intercontinental Championship on two more occasions.

In the months that followed, Jarrett became increasingly abusive towards Debra. At SummerSlam 1999 on August 22, 1999, Jarrett challenged D'Lo Brown for both the WWF European Championship and the WWF Intercontinental Championship, with Debra accompanying Brown to the ring following an argument with Jarrett. Brown lost the bout after both Mark Henry and Debra turned on him, making Jarrett the second ever "Euro-Continental Champion". On the following episode of RAW, Jarrett rewarded Debra and Henry by giving Debra an assistant, Miss Kitty, and Henry the European Championship.

In late 1999, Jarrett began feuding with Chyna over the Intercontinental Championship. In the course of the feud, Jarrett became somewhat misogynistic, attacking numerous females, including both wrestlers and actress Cindy Margolis, and executing the figure four leglock on them. Jarrett eventually abandoned Debra in favor of Miss Kitty after he and Debra were defeated by Stephanie McMahon and Test in a mixed tag team match. He later also turned on Miss Kitty after she lost a match that Jarrett had inserted her into in his place.

Jarrett left the WWF in October 1999, one week after WWF head writer Vince Russo resigned from the WWF in order to join WCW. Due to an oversight by then-WWF Executive Vice President of Talent Relations Jim Ross, Jarrett's contract expired on October 16, 1999, one day before his scheduled bout with Chyna at No Mercy 1999. Jarrett wrestled at No Mercy nonetheless, losing the Intercontinental Championship to Chyna. Chyna later alleged that Jarrett and Russo had colluded in order to delay Jarrett's title defence until after Jarrett's contract had expired, and that Jarrett had subsequently blackmailed WWF Chairman Vince McMahon for slightly under $250,000 USD in order to wrestle without a contract. In 2006, Jarrett asserted that he had been paid only what he was owed by the WWF.

World Championship Wrestling (1999-2001)

Jarrett returned to WCW on the October 18, 1999 episode of WCW Monday Nitro, attacking Buff Bagwell and proclaiming himself the "Chosen One" of WCW. Jarrett took part in a tournament for the vacant WCW World Heavyweight Championship, winning his first three matches with the assistance of Creative Control. At Mayhem 1999, he was eliminated from the tournament after losing his quarter-final match to Chris Benoit following interference from Dustin Rhodes. At Starrcade 1999, Jarrett defeated Rhodes in a bunkhouse brawl, then unsuccessfully challenged Benoit for the WCW United States Heavyweight Championship in a ladder match. On the following episode of Monday Nitro, Jarrett defeated Benoit in a rematch. In the same evening, Jarrett reformed the New World Order with Bret Hart, Kevin Nash and Scott Hall, with the foursome calling themselves the "NWO 2000".

In early 2000, Jarrett feuded with WCW Commissioner Terry Funk, who forced him to wrestle three veterans - George Steele, Tito Santana and Jimmy Snuka - in a single night. Jarrett was stripped of the United States Heavyweight Championship after suffering a concussion during his bout with Snuka, but the title was returned to him by Kevin Nash after Nash became WCW Commissioner. In order to help him retain the title, Jarrett drafted the Harris Brothers into the NWO 2000. In the following months, Jarrett repeatedly challenged Sid Vicious for the WCW World Heavyweight Championship, in the process clashing with Nash and winning the position of WCW Commissioner for himself. Following the retirement of Hart, the New World Order quietly disbanded.

In April 2000, WCW was "rebooted" by Eric Bischoff and Vince Russo, with all titles vacated as a result. Bischoff and Russo also created the New Blood, a stable of younger wrestlers who feuded with the Millionaires Club, made up of the older members of the WCW roster. Jarrett joined the New Blood, and at Spring Stampede 2000 on April 16, 2000, he defeated Millionaires Club member Diamond Dallas Page to win the vacant WCW World Heavyweight Championship. Page regained the title on April 24, and on April 25, the title was contested in a tag team bout pitting Jarrett and Bischoff against Page and actor David Arquette. Arquette won the WCW World Heavyweight Championship after pinning Bischoff. At Slamboree 2000 on May 7, 2000, Jarrett defeated Page and Arquette in a three way triple cage match to win his second WCW World Heavyweight Championship.

In May 2000, Jarrett won and lost the WCW World Heavyweight Championship on two further occasions, on both occasions regaining the title from Ric Flair. Jarrett feuded with Nash and Hulk Hogan throughout June 2000, and on July 9, 2000 at Bash at the Beach 2000, he faced Hogan with WCW World Heavyweight Championship on the line. The match ended swiftly after Jarrett immediately laid down, allowing Hogan to rest a boot on his chest and win the title, with Hogan commenting, "That's why this company is in the damn shape it's in - because of bullshit like this." Vince Russo subsequently came to the ring delivered an interview in which he accused Hogan of politicking and claimed that Hogan had used his creative control to refuse to lose to Jarrett. Russo then stated that, while Hogan was free to keep the title belt he had just won (the "Hulk Hogan Memorial Belt"), Jarrett would wrestle Booker T for the official WCW World Heavyweight Championship later that night. Booker T won the resultant match, and Hogan did not appear with WCW again. It is disputed whether the situation was a shoot, a work, or some combination of the two.

In the following months, Jarrett briefly feuded with Booker T, Mike Awesome, Sting, Buff Bagwell and Ric Flair. In late 2000, he joined forces with the Harris Brothers once more, with the trio defeating the Filthy Animals at Starrcade 2000 on December 17. In the same evening, Jarrett aligned himself with WCW World Heavyweight Champion Scott Steiner by helping Steiner defeat Sid. In 2001, Jarrett and Steiner became members of the Magnificent Seven, a large stable headed by Flair. Flair and Jarrett feuded with Dusty Rhodes and Dustin Rhodes until March 2001, when WCW was purchased by the WWF.

World Wrestling All-Stars (2001-2003)

In late 2001, Jarrett wrestled in World Wrestling All-Stars in Australia and Europe. Jarrett won the first WWA World Heavyweight Championship, but was later stripped of the title. Jarrett returned to the WWA during his first NWA World Heavyweight Championship reign; he defeated Sting for the WWA World Heavyweight Championship at the final WWA event on May 25, 2003, unifying the two titles.

Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (2002-)

In June 2002, Jarrett and his father created a limited liability company, J Sports and Entertainment, and opened a new professional wrestling promotion, Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA). TNA aired in a weekly pay-per-view format until May 2004, when the promotion negotiated a television deal with Fox Sports Net and began broadcasting TNA Impact!. In November 2004, TNA began airing monthly pay-per-views instead of weekly pay-per-views, and in October 2005 Impact! moved to Spike TV. Panda Energy acquired a controlling interest in TNA in 2002, although Jarrett remained a minority owner.

On the inaugural TNA pay-per-view on June, 2002, Jarrett took part in a Gauntlet for the Gold with the NWA World Heavyweight Championship on the line, but was eliminated by country music singer Toby Keith. In the following months, Jarrett feuded with Scott Hall. Brian Lawler and BG James. On November 20, 2002, Jarrett defeated Ron Killings to win the NWA World Heavyweight Championship with the assistance of Vince Russo. After Jarrett refused to join Russo's Sports Entertainment Xtreme (SEX) stable, Russo directed the members of SEX, including the debuting Raven, against Jarrett. The rivalry continued until February 2003, when Russo lost interest in SEX. In the following months, Jarrett feuded with the remaining members of SEX, then began feuding with Raven and The Gathering. On June 11, 2003, Jarrett faced Raven and A.J. Styles in a three-way match for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship. After Raven was eliminated from the match after being attacked by the debuting Shane Douglas, Styles pinned Jarrett to win the title after the returning Vince Russo struck Jarrett with a guitar.

In early 2005, Jarrett formed a dominant stable known as Planet Jarrett with Monty Brown, The Outlaw and, later, Rhino. Jarrett also uses the phrase "Planet Jarrett" to refer to TNA as a whole, reflecting his real-life stake in the company and his prominent role within the promotion.

Jarrett won his fourth NWA World Heavyweight Champion on September 15, 2005, defeating Raven at a Border City Wrestling event.He lost the title to Rhino at Bound For Glory 2005 on October 23, but regained it on the November 3 episode of Impact!. Jarrett's reign lasted until Against All Odds 2006 on February 12, 2006, when he was defeated by Christian Cage. In the following months, Jarrett feuded with Sting, who had declared that Jarrett was a "cancer" on TNA. In the course of the feud, Scott Steiner debuted in TNA as an ally of Jarrett.

At Slammiversary 2006 on June 18, Jarrett won his sixth NWA World Heavyweight Championship in a King of the Mountain match when referee Earl Hebner tipped over a ladder that Christian Cage and Sting were simultaneously climbing. He retained the title in a bout with Sting at Hard Justice 2006 after Christian Cage turned on Sting, hitting him with one of Jarrett's guitars. After a polygraph proved that Jarrett had cheated to win the NWA World Heavyweight Championship, Director of Authority Jim Cornette forced Jarrett to wrestle Samoa Joe in a "fan's revenge" lumberjack match at No Surrender 2006, with Joe winning the match. At Bound for Glory 2006 on October 22, Sting defeated Jarrett for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship after no-selling a guitar shot. On the following episode of Impact!, Jarrett announced in a pre-taped interview that he was leaving TNA indefinitely. For the following six months, Jarrett did not appear on TNA television, instead focusing on his role as Vice President of TNA Entertainment.

Jarrett returned to TNA television on the April 12, 2007 episode of Impact!, aligning himself with several of his former enemies by helping Samoa Joe defeat A.J. Styles. On April 15, 2007 at Lockdown 2007, Jarrett, Kurt Angle, Rhino, Samoa Joe and Sting defeated Team Cage in a Lethal Lockdown match.

Wrestling facts

• Finishing and signature moves
  • El Kabong (Guitar broken over the opponent's head)
  • Stroke (Forward Russian legsweep)
  • Super Stroke (Second rope forward Russian legsweep)
  • Figure four leglock
  • Alabama slam
  • Dropkick
  • Snap suplex
  • Sleeper hold

• Managers

Baby Doll Don Callis Jim Cornette Miss Kitty Debra Ric Flair Mr. Fuji

Jackie Gayda Ronald Gossett April Hunter Gail Kim Tennessee Lee The Roadie

• Nicknames
  • The Chosen One
  • Double J
  • The King of the Mountain
  • Simply Irresistible

Championships and accomplishments

• American Wrestling Association
  • AWA Southern Tag Team Championship (4 times) – with Billy Travis (3) and Pat Tanaka (1)
  • 1986 AWA Rookie of the Year
• Continental Wrestling Association
  • CWA Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
  • CWA International Tag Team Championship (2 time) - with Pat Tanaka (1) and Paul Diamond (1)
• National Wrestling Alliance
• National
  • NWA North American Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
• Regional
  • NWA Cyberspace Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
• Total Nonstop Action Wrestling
  • NWA World Heavyweight Championship (6 times)
• United States Wrestling Association
  • USWA Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
  • USWA Southern Heavyweight Championship (9 times)
  • USWA Tag Team Championship (15 times) - with Matt Borne (2), Jeff Gaylord (2), Cody Michaels (1), Jerry Lawler (4), Robert Fuller (4), and Brian Christopher (2)
• World Championship Wrestling
  • WCW United States Heavyweight Championship (3 times)
  • WCW World Heavyweight Championship (4 times)
• World Class Wrestling Association
  • WCWA Tag Team Championship (3 times) - with Kerry Von Erich (1), Mil Mascaras (1), and Matt Borne (1)
• World Series Wrestling
  • WSW Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
• World Wrestling All-Stars
  • WWA World Heavyweight Championship (2 times) – Second reign unifying title with NWA World Heavyweight Championship
• World Wrestling Federation
  • WWF European Championship (1 time)
  • WWF Intercontinental Championship (6 times)
  • WWF World Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Owen Hart
• Wrestling Observer Newsletter
  • 1992 Feud of the Year (with Jerry Lawler, versus The Moondogs)
  • 2005 Most Overrated Wrestler

Personal life

Jarrett was married to Jill, with whom he had three daughters. Jill was diagnosed with cancer in the late 1990s, and died on May 23, 2007 at the age of 37.

External links

• TNA profile
• Jeff Jarrett at IMDb