My World with Jeff Jarrett - SummerSlam 1999 [Show Notes] (Patreon)

Today we’re going to be talking about SummerSlam 1999 Jeff! Our quest to cover your most memorable SummerSlam moments continues.

We touched on in your Holding Up Vince for Money episode...be sure to check it out in the archives...what you were doing in 1999 before you robbed Vince but today we’re going to discuss all things SummerSlam!

At Fully Loaded you defeat Edge back for the Intercontinental Title for your record setting (at the time) 5th title reign. Did you realize when you won the title back from Edge you had set a record and was it a big deal for you?

Titles have meant less and less during the years so does that weaken the standing for you?

The next night on Raw on July 26th at the Gund Arena in Cleveland, OH (16,340 for $404,159) you do one of the best all-time segments in Raw is War history. Check it out on the Peacock machine when you can...Season 7 Episode 30 (https://www.peacocktv.com/watch/asset/sports/wwe-monday-night-raw/5507859537976268112) . From Meltzer… “Jarrett & Debra came out, with them teasing dissension again backstage. They brought actor Ben Stiller, who plugged his movie "Mystery Men" again. Stiller was kissing Jarrett's ass like he was Larry King hosting an interview and being so patronizingly annoying until Jarrett asked him who his favorite wrestler was and he said he had two, the puppies. Jarrett beat him up and put him in the figure four. Stiller gets the best sell job award for a non-wrestler since the last time we saw Jason Sensation do an angle with Owen Hart. It was hilarious to watch him tapping out. The way I figure it, if you look at the question he was asked, that had to be the dumbest answer on so many levels to begin with so I had no sympathy for him getting beaten up and I loved "Something About Mary." D-Lo Brown made the save, hit Jarrett with a frog splash and carried Stiller out.”

Was there talk of splitting you & Debra up at this time or was it all to be a Vince Russo swerve?

What was Ben Stiller like and how did you end up in this role?

Was Ben easy to work with?

Do you know why the transition to feuding with D’Lo started here?

D’Lo is the European champion at the time. Was the thought of you two coming together to unify the titles?

The next night Raw is taped in Columbus, OH to air on August 2nd D’Lo beat you to win the Intercontinental Title after Debra’s attempt at stripping to distract him doesn’t work. Did you think this is too much hot potato with the title?

What did you think of working with D’Lo?

You work him on the next house show loop in Huntingdon and Baltimore before beating Gangrel in Providence. No one ever talks about David Heath much...do you have any Gangrel stories?

The reason you work Gangrel in Providence is that D’Lo Brown was loaned out by the WWF to the Curtis Comes Home show in Rostraver, PA to help benefit at the time WCW referee Mark Curtis...better known as Brian Hildebrand. Jeff cancer is near and dear to your heart after what happened with Jill and you worked briefly with Brian in WCW. What do you remember of Brian and also how wrestling companies were able to put aside their differences to work together and raise money for him here.

Jesse Ventura is announced as being special guest referee at SummerSlam as the Governor of Minnesota will be taking part of the main event. Jeff what is your history with Jesse “The Body” Ventura?

Back on the road with D’Lo at the Meadowlands on July 31st, then down to Doswell, Virginia for a sold show at an amusement park. Jeff explain to our audience what a sold show is and why it was so important for promoters?

Washington, DC with D’Lo on August 6th draws 15,356. What are your payoffs like at this point?

To Detroit at the Joe Louis Arena for a live Sunday Night Heat back when they did those things. Val Venis and D’Lo for the IC title ends when you as a guest commentator attack D’Lo. Did you find doing guest commentary easy and do you have Vince in your ear while doing it?

An interesting note in the Observer comes out on 8/16/99 from your favorite fiction writer: “Austin also reportedly refused to work TV matches against either Billy Gunn or Jeff Jarrett, feeling neither were over enough to deserve the rub.”

This comes after Debra doesn’t go out on the road when Austin is banged up and misses some house shows. We’re going to cover this way more in depth later on this year but what are your feelings on Debra missing shows just because Austin did?

The WWF announces they are going public. What are you guys told about regarding this and we know you’ll get stock options from you robbing Vince but is there anything offered to the talent when it’s announced?

You & your family have been in wrestling forever...did you think you’d ever see the day a wrestling promotion would be publicly traded and on Wall Street?

John Boyd, also known as Lord Jonathan Boyd passed away on August 7th. I bring this up Jeff because you were a part of his last run in Memphis when he was teaming with “Bigfoot” and they worked against you & Billy Travis. What can you tell our listeners about John Boyd?

Chris Jericho is about to debut at the next Raw. You worked, according to my research, one match with him in WCW during your time there. Were you excited for Jericho to join the roster or are you thinking how there is another guy coming in for a spot?

In Chicago at the Rosemont Horizon (it’s the All-State Arena then too but not to me!) there’s a vignette where D’Lo Brown & Mark Henry are working out in the woods and Henry has to “go to the bathroom” in the woods you attack D’Lo and you run his head into a tree and hit him with a garbage can. Where was this done at and what do you remember of this?

Debra doesn’t seem happy with you at this point and again you’re not happy with her as she fails to distract Val Venis in a singles match later on the show and instead distracts you and he pins you in 1:23. How much of this is fiction creeping into reality?

Venis leaves with Debra after the match. Was that supposed to go anywhere?

The next night Jeff...THE NEXT NIGHT...you’re in Milwaukee at the Bradley Center in front of 14,178 for a Sunday Night Heat/Raw is War taping. For Sunday Night Heat on 8/15/99...YOU GET PINNED BY MEAT WITH THE MEAT GRINDER. Yup. You lose to Shawn Stasiak. From Meltzer: “Meat beat Jarrett, when Debra's distraction backfired again. Brown was involved in the finish leaving with Debra when Jarrett got mad.”

When you’re presented with losing to Stasiak...and you’ve called yourself a model employee...how do you take this?

Going back to what we talked about and how you were made to feel in your contract negotiations...is this something else that gets stuck in your craw while all this is going on?

Back on the road you’re 2nd from the top in Fort Wayne, IN, Columbia, SC, opening in St. Louis, 3rd from the top in Peoria all against D’Lo before having 6 days off and heading to Winnipeg on the eve of SummerSlam to lose to Val Venis 2nd from the top. How are you feeling about the creative going into SummerSlam?

Do you already know the finish and where you’re going with it?

Well we’re here Jeff. Summerslam 1999 at the Target Center. What is the security presence like at this show with Governor Jesse Ventura being there?

From Meltzer…

“1. Jeff Jarrett won the IC and European titles from D-Lo Brown in 7:28. They heavily teased a Jarrett/Debra break-up including Jarrett ordering Debra to leave. Debra came back with Brown. Jarrett worked on Brown's left shoulder early on including doing the old Midnight Express divorce court on it off the middle ropes. Brown came back with a power bomb, but collapsed rather than make the pin. After Brown missed a somersault splash off the top, Jarrett grabbed the guitar. A noticeably slimmed down Mark Henry ran in and took the guitar from Jarrett, but instead turned on Brown and clocked him with it and Jarrett scored the pin. Jarrett, Debra and Henry all left together. **¼”

Watching this back on Peacock...which I’m sure you did right Jeff...what did you think of the match?

Do you think the story of Debra unfolded how it should’ve or was there anything you would’ve changed?

Any hesitation of putting Mark Henry with you? What was the thinking behind it? Did you need a heater?

Are you happy with your standing when this is all over as a double champion or did it really not mean anything knowing you were gonna turn the belt over to Mark the next night at Raw? Was that always the plan?

What do you think of titles changing hands in the way it did when you gave it to Mark?

At the end of this show...any idea you were going to be out of the WWF in almost 2 months?

The next night not only do you give the title to Mark Henry but Miss Kitty debuts as another part of your entourage. Did you know this was coming and were you a fan of it?

From Meltzer… “I saw Sunshine and Precious turn Chris Adams and Jimmy Garvin into big draws, and Jarrett must remember it as well. Maybe some day they'll find an angle that gets this guy over.”

Sheesh Jeff.

Right after this Chyna signs a contract for a IC title match against you and we’re off to the races there but that’s a story for another day.