There’s no quit in Jeff Jarrett on TNA Impact
I want to preface this entry by saying that I like Jeff Jarrett as a performer. While there are many “smart” fans who think he’s overrated and that his pushes have been more about politics than ability, I actually think he gets a bad rap. Jarrett has always been a good worker, and while he has never been a huge box office draw, he is a star.
With that being said, however, Jarrett gave those who criticize him for using his position as TNA founder to excessively push himself plenty of ammunition on Thursday night’s episode of Impact.
In the tag team main event that pitted Jarrett and A.J. Styles against TNA world champion Kurt Angle and Samoa Joe, Angle had Jarrett trapped in the ankle lock while Styles was incapacitated. Jarrett was in the hold for a long time, but instead of tapping out, he “blacked out from the pain.”
Come on, Jeff. I understand that main-event-level babyfaces need to be protected, but there’s no shame in tapping out to Angle. Even Hulk Hogan and Shawn Michaels have done it. What Jarrett doesn’t realize is that by booking himself to look superhuman, he’s actually making his character less sympathetic and himself less likable.
The “blacked out from the pain” gimmick has been used in the past by guys such as Dusty Rhodes (when he was the booker) in the 1980s and “Stone Cold” Steve Austin in the 1990s, but in those days there was more of a stigma to submitting. A top babyface would never give up. Because of the MMA influence on pro wrestling over the past decade, however, top guys tapping out has become more acceptable because it adds a sense of realism and is not viewed as such a sign of weakness.
Other thoughts on Thursday’s show:
I suppose Mick Foley is doing a babyface turn, but with TNA you can never be sure. I was enjoying Foley’s heel character. …
It was pretty funny when Angle asked Foley what his security guys Rocco and Sally Boy were going to do to protect him, and Foley said, “Probably nothing.” Then Angle said, “Get ’em, Scotty,” and Scott Steiner took them out with his lead pipe in about two seconds. …
During that opening segment when the MEM attacked Foley and Jarrett came out to make the save, I didn’t see anyone lay a hand on either Jarrett or Samoa Joe, yet they were both bleeding from the head. I think a piece of the guitar caught Jarrett when he smashed it over Foley’s head, but I have no idea how Joe got cut. …
I know that logic rarely applies to Abyss’ story lines (or any in TNA, for that matter), but did Dr. Stevie actually say that he had been treating Abyss for 10 years? TNA already has acknowledged Stevie Richards’ wrestling past, so are we to believe that he was treating Abyss in his free time while he was leading The Right to Censor in WWE? …
The TNA creative team must have been watching a lot of Rocky movies lately. Foley “wrestled” a Sylvester Stallone cardboard cutout in May, and Angle quoted a line from the movie on Thursday’s show. I thought Abyss was going to deliver another Rocky line, but he put a clever spin on it instead. He told Lauren: “I never asked you to stop being a woman, so I don’t want you to ask me to stop being a monster.” …
By the way, when do you think Lauren will turn on Abyss and start making out with Stevie? …
I swear I think the writers were intentionally trying to make Mike Tenay look silly by saying juvenile things that seemed totally out of character. When ODB was grabbing her breasts outside the ring during Cody Deaner’s match, Tenay said it was like a baseball coach giving signals: “One bounce of the boobs means swing away, two bounces and a grope means hit and run.” He later talked to Don West about “sexting.” Good lord. …
Speaking of Deaner, I’m so glad the talented Amazing Red didn’t have to put him over. …
Tara was wearing a t-shirt that said “Tara Rizing.” I hope she has more success with that moniker than Paul Levesque did in WCW 15 years ago. …
When Tara put her tarantula on an unconscious Velvet Sky, how many people were wishing that they were a tarantula? Actually, after seeing Torrie Wilson with snakes and giant cockroaches on her face on I’m a Celebrity … Get Me Out of Here, a spider crawling on someone’s stomach doesn’t seem all that scary. …
Why are Jay Lethal and Consequences Creed always the guys getting beaten up when a top star is on a rampage? I could possibly see it with Creed, but Lethal deserves better. …
I had to laugh when Sharmell said “Did I stutter?” to Matt Morgan. It would have been even funnier if Morgan had been scripted to say that line. …
Sharmell and Sojourner Bolt are friends? When did that happen? …
TNA is not doing a good job of making Jesse Neal a likable character. Given his story, it seems like the easiest thing in the world to do, but no one is going to care when Rhino turns on him. Hey, maybe it’s all a swerve and Neal is going to turn on Rhino instead. Actually, no one will care about that either. …
What’s the story with this Mike Davis guy, TNA’s head of security?
Comments
i finnaly got to watch a full wrestling shopw this week without turning the channel so i anm happy. i have to agree with u Jarrett is highly underated as a perfermer and i think that is partly because WWE did bot book him properly but on the other hand before Sting & Angle came he was way to highlighted in the beginning of TNA I loved the fact for the majority of the first year he did not put the belt on himself but then when he did their was no getting it off of him when he had the talent around to carry the company like AJ, Raven, etc. I don't know what their doing with jay either it seems like always in the beginning the X division wrestlers were more popular than the others so its like the company trys to punish them for being successful its horriblr to watch every week MCMG & Lethal jobbing to everyone.
Posted by: frank from dundalk | July 3, 2009 5:02 PM
Jesse Neal is the most ridiculous looking wrestler I have ever seen.
Posted by: Andy | July 3, 2009 5:39 PM
Kevin - I've blacked out before but the difference was , I was feeling no pain .
Posted by: the artist formerly known as jack in hebron | July 3, 2009 5:42 PM
There used to be a jobber on the old Georgia Championship Wrestling show named Mike Davis,I think he even held the NWA light-heavyweight strap for a period,around the time when the "Dirty White Boy" (Len Denton I think) contended for the same title.But he certainly wasnt mostly bald and didnt have gray hair,so I dont know if theres any connection.
Seems kinda silly to put a spider on somebody who's out cold.You are not gonna get much funny reaction from the knockked-out person.But I thought Awesome Kong's take on it was,well,awesome! She looked totally freaked and I dont think she was acting.
RESPONSE FROM KE: I remember a guy named Mike Davis who wrestled for World Class and Global Championship Wrestling in the 1980s and 90s, but he died in 2001.
Posted by: Bill | July 3, 2009 6:45 PM
It looked to me like the cut that Samoa Joe suffered was while Mick Foley was being attacked. Looked like Scott Steiner caught him by accident with the pipe.
Posted by: dave1105 | July 3, 2009 9:25 PM
Mike Davis probably trained under Shane Sewell. Is he even still in TNA? I haven't seen you mention his name on the blog lately, and I haven't watched Impact in a while because it got so silly.
RESPONSE FROM KE: Sewell was released.
Posted by: Steve G. | July 3, 2009 9:28 PM
I heard WWE picked up Sewell
RESPONSE FROM KE: He worked FCW (WWE's developmental territory) as a ref.
Posted by: Jerry | July 4, 2009 12:37 AM
If Jarrett was fighting with his company on the line as part of the match stipulation, I can see the "blackout" finish. Otherwise I agree.
Will be interesting to see where Sting goes from here. He has burned bridges with Daniels and AJ, but I see a reconciliation coming. I think Morgan will join them too when the MEM doesn't make him a member; otherwise look for Beer Money to step up to the plate.
TNA needs Paul Heyman! More Steiner too.
Posted by: Flair | July 4, 2009 9:18 AM
Poor Jay Lethal.
Posted by: shone jones | July 4, 2009 4:34 PM
I don't know about anybody else that reads your blog, but I got your stuttering reference back when Matt Morgan had a haarrdd tiimmme saying things in WWE, lol!
Posted by: Jim Hayes | July 4, 2009 5:51 PM
I think the best interests of the companies (TNA and WWE) would be for Jarrett and HHH to take on significantly lesser roles. But as was the case with Greg Gagne in the NWA, two decades ago, that isn't likely to happen. They will occasionally put someone over but they clearly want to remain at or near the top of the card and in the spotlight.
To me, Jarrett isn't a particularly interesting or entertaining character although he is perhaps a sympathetic and consistent performer. And his family has done a lot for the wrestling business over the years.
HHH's pattern is similarly well established: he's reliable and well connected but rather predictable.
Both companies would do well to lessen the importance of the family connections and elevate some of the younger (and unrelated) talent. Things risk becoming, or perhaps more accurately, remaining predicable and stagnant.
HHH's quick work of MVP a couple of weeks ago is an illustration of the problem.
Posted by: Mark | July 5, 2009 6:12 PM
JJ is SUPER JARRET! Jeff (un)intentionally buried Christian Cage, AJ Styles and Samoa Joe by staying alive for as long as he did while being in Angle's hold. Not taping out, too boot, really make the finish of the very first Joe vs Angle match look silly. TNA is getting better, but man, JJ really gets the "Douche of the Week" award.
Posted by: Ultimate Toronto | July 5, 2009 10:58 PM