Jeff Jarrett Talks About TNA HOF, Russo, Cornette, Mantel

Jeff Jarrett recently spoke to The RCWR Show about TNA Impact Wrestling's Hall of Fame and working with Jim Cornette, Vince Russo and Dutch Mantel (Zeb Colter) in TNA.

The RCWR Show: You know, something that’s been a hot topic among hardcore TNA fans over the years has been you and your father (Jerry Jarrett) getting inducted in the TNA Hall of Fame. Ever since it came to fruition back in 2012, fans have been waiting patiently to hear you and your father’s names announced. Now with all due respect to Sting, Kurt Angle, and Team 3D, many including ourselves have noted that there wouldn’t be a TNA without you and your father and guys like AJ Styles, Christopher Daniels, Frankie Kazarian, and Bobby Roode, just to name a few. In the past, your wife Karen has taken to Twitter and she’s actually retweeted anyone who advocated for you being in the TNA Hall of Fame. Two-part question for you. In your eyes, will the TNA Hall of Fame’s legitimacy always be questionable if you and your father aren’t inducted and number two, how much would it mean to you to be acknowledged by TNA and placed in their Hall of Fame? After all, you and your father founded the company.

Jeff Jarrett: Well, the short answer is like I said, about this time last year, I closed the chapter on this book of TNA wrestling. I moved on very excited, have zero regrets about my time there, very grateful and blessed and thankful for my 12 years there. But it was time for me and my family to move on. And so you know, the powers that be at TNA, they choose who they want to choose and more power to them and if that’s their decision and if they believe that’s truly what’s best for TNA business and TNA entertainment, God bless ‘em. I moved on and let that sleeping dog lie.

The RCWR Show: With regards to Vince Russo, Jim Cornette, and Dutch Mantel, (aka WWE’s Zeb Colter), according to Cornette and Russo, Jim and Dutch did not get along with Russo. How were you able to make it all work and why do you think TNA was so successful during what many had described for that time period being in turmoil?

Jeff Jarrett: The wrestling business has many, many many different philosophies and Dutch has said it on a number of times that he didn’t have anything personally. There was nothing personal that he had a difference with Vince, but on a professional level and a philosophical level, they were on the opposite ends of the spectrum. I wanted to bring different though processes, different minds, different creative thoughts and visions, all in a room and leave that room with one direction. And we were successful, or I was successful some of the time, not all the time. Jim and Dutch, you know, they got a lifetime of experience with multiple different styles and territories and you know? Jim from the Crocketts, my father’s territory, Dutch from Puerto Rico andall across US. Vince (Russo) came from New York and he only worked for the WWF and then WCW for a brief stint so they come from different backgrounds, different mindsets, and so you know, I don’t know if I’m specifically answering the guy’s question, but me, I like to take a little bit of everybody’s thought processes and meld it into one cohesive vision.

The RCWR Show: If the opportunity presented itself would you be willing to work with Vince Russo again? I believe right now Russo is doing some stuff for a promotion now in the UK. I think it’s Pro Wrestling United Kingdom.

Jeff Jarrett: So at this time, I’m not discussing any of those personnel matters again. I’m not going to change the focus. But I’m happy for Vince, let Vince go do his thing. At Global Force, we’re focused on what we’re doing right now. I don’t foresee that happening in the future.