On the latest My World podcast, WWE Hall of Famer Jeff Jarrett revealed his personal list of his top five favorite pay-per-view matches from his career. Jarrett noted that the list was difficult to narrow down, as he has “so many kinds of favorites for different reasons”.
Jarrett also listed several honorable mentions, including a three-way with AJ Styles and Raven in TNA, his Hair vs. Hair match with X-Pac at SummerSlam 1998, and winning the AAA Mega Championship from El Zorro at TripleMania 19.
5. vs. Kurt Angle (TNA Genesis 2009)
Jarrett selected this match for its personal significance, as he was returning to the ring after a long layoff as an executive.
“I had stepped out of the ring… I had something to prove myself in and when I was done, I did,” Jarrett said. “he angle slammed me off the stage. We both overshot the table, maybe one of the hardest bumps I ever took, because we went from the stage, missed the table, and it was flat on the concrete… Kurt has a unique sense of piecing matches together the timing and the stair step up to really get to a crescendo. He’s one of the best, very best ever do it” .
4. vs. Chyna (WWE No Mercy 1999)
Jarrett chose this match for its “historical significance” and the context surrounding it, including his contract status and getting paid by Vince McMahon before the match.
“The storyline, it goes without saying, I was the hottest heel in the company… Do you think Vince would have paid me had he not thought I earned it? I tell you hell no. Like, who are we joking… Vince absolutely was sure of that”.
He also commented on Chyna’s performance. “I’m going to say this as diplomatically or as humbly as I can… I’ve got to do my work here, and tell the story. We got to put all this together. She was great. She was in every position… she just didn’t have the skill set. She hadn’t trained for it. There was not enough reps. It wasn’t her position”.
3. vs. Diamond Dallas Page (WCW Spring Stampede 2000)
This match, which saw Jarrett win his first WCW World Heavyweight Championship, was one he considered for the top spot.
“This easily could have been number one… the lineage of the NWA slash, WCW… world title… to be crowned champion Conrad, it was a huge deal for me personally. And not just becoming world champion, but the positioning of knowing where the Turner brand… meant a lot from a family legacy, from a personal point of view, from one of my goals… I felt like we delivered in the match” .
2. vs. Sting (TNA Bound for Glory 2006)
This Title vs. Career match, which featured Kurt Angle as the special enforcer, was a major turning point for Jarrett both personally and professionally.
“I had a personal situation, you know, going on at home with Jill and her illness, and it was time for me to… step out of the ring… It meant a lot that Sting was working for us full time… he really invested in the company that I founded,” Jarrett said . “Nobody can sell things better than Sting. I’ll say that it just doesn’t hurt, and I say that it enhances… everything, my guitar, Sting’s persona, the excitement and the adrenaline in the match.”
1. vs. Shawn Michaels (WWE In Your House 2)
Jarrett named his Intercontinental Championship defense against Shawn Michaels in 1995 as his all-time favorite pay-per-view match.
“My all-time favorite match, yeah, because… if you go back an hour in this night, it’s a pay-per-view. And Vince let Double J do the singing part of his stick… Vince to kind of put that confidence in… WWE was down in 95 at this time… it was the building blocks that really laid the ground in so many ways, for the Attitude Era… athletically, I believe I was. Just getting into my prime. And you know, the fallout from this? There’s a lot of things, a lot of emotions, that go into this. But, yeah, it’s about number one” .
