My World with Jeff Jarrett - Austin 3:16 [Show Notes] (Patreon)

Today on My World with Hall of Famer Jeff Jarrett we’re going to be discussing another Hall of Famer...and that person is “Stone Cold” Steve Austin.

Your relationship with Steve Austin begins with his training in Texas with Chris Adams. Is that correct?

Mick Foley talked about how he would sit in the rafters and watch Chris Adams’ training sessions at the Sportatorium and notice Austin immediately.  Was that the same for you?

What are you doing in Texas at that time?

Did you get a chance to work Steve in Texas at any point in time?

So Steve wrote in his book, “So I was getting paychecks from Jerry Jarrett, but I wasn’t getting them as often as I would have liked...But I thought I was doing a good job in the ring and finally asked Jerry when he was going to book me full time. He (Jerry) said, “Hell, Steve, I think you’re ready now.”

What was your opinion of Steve at that point in time as a worker?

He starts full time for the first time in his career in Memphis for your dad. Did you think he was ready?

He’s working as Steve Williams at this point before Dutch Mantel renames him Steve Austin. When you’re talking about how a guy who drew more money than almost anyone in the Attitude era and the course of his career is changed in just this little bit of chance...does that resonate on your father’s impact on this business?

So our boy Bruce told this story on Wooo! Nation...so it’s time to finally confirm or deny it. Steve was seen backstage after a show staring in disbelief at how small his paycheck was money wise and you walked up to him, slapped him on the back, and said, “Keep on staring at it, boy. It ain’t going to make it no bigger!”

Tell me Jeff. Did it happen? Do you remember it? Is there any regret about it?

You two are working together a lot as he’s coming up in Memphis including a couple matches with AdFreeShows’ own Tom Prichard. Was it important for you to work with someone young and green in your role at the time?

You guys even did a Thunderdome match … listen to this lineup … Bill Dundee, Danny Davis, Eddie Gilbert, Jeff Jarrett & Robert Fuller against Eric Embry, Steve Austin, The Texas Hangmen & Dr. Tom Prichard. What are your memories of this?

What is your relationship like with Steve after this? He’s not long to be in Memphis before Dusty Rhodes gives him the call to bring him to WCW. Did you think he was ready?

It’s funny because you guys never really crossed paths again in the business until 1995 when he debuts for the World Wrestling Federation as the Ringmaster. What happens when you come across Steve again? He’s just coming in as a low to mid card guy...you’re both heels so you’re not going to work across from each other but still...is it awkward?

I’m not saying you could call that Steve Austin would light the business on fire but did you see him ever being a top guy?

You leave the WWF...again...and Steve Austin begins his rise. Were you surprised at the success Steve has while you’re in WCW?

So you’re negotiating your return to the World Wrestling Federation in 1997. Steve is on his rise...who are you talking to regarding future programs and the plans for you? JR? Vince? Bruce?

Were you promised a program with Steve?

OK Jeff...let’s talk about your return to the company and in specific...your promo mentioning Steve. Vince Russo has talked ad nauseam about this subject while you & Steve have really been quiet regarding this.

It’s October 20th, 1997 on Monday Night Raw and you walk out and deliver a promo that is very well remembered. You “shoot on” Eric Bischoff, Vince McMahon … and… well...

and then you say this,

“Now here’s a guy who’s lowered himself to shaving his head and coming out here every week not once or twice but ten or fifteen times and saying the word ass. That’s right. Saying the word ass just to get a reaction. Just to get noticed. Stone Cold, you will always be the Ringmaster. And as far as your blasphemous merchandise, that offends me. Austin 3:16 offends me because what you’re doing is ripping off the Bible to put money in your pockets!”

Russo would write in a blog post when those were still a thing, “"The day of his return, I wrote an in-ring promo for Jeff, as I wrote all his in-ring promos. Jeff was just one of those guys that liked you to write his verbiage for him.

"After giving him his words, Jeff read through the promo and came back to me. Upon his return, he said everything was good, but that he was going to add one little thing.”

Let’s just unpack all of this first. You like having your promos written and by Vince Russo? What was your relationship like with Russo before this?

Vince Russo is the one who wrote the verbiage for what you said about Bischoff & McMahon?

The words regarding Austin using the Bible...were they your true feelings? Did you feel that he was using the bible for profit?

Did you clear the lines about Austin with ANYONE?

You close the promo and you walk backstage. Do you think you killed it? Are you happy with your performance?

So you walk through the curtain. Vince Russo would write, “Steve was on the other side of the curtain waiting for him when he came back. Steve was freakin’ furious; I mean, his bald head was BLOOD RED.

“As soon as Jeff came to the back, Steve was verbally all over him, holding nothing back. He told Jeff that he was messin’ with his livelihood and that he didn’t appreciate that. Jeff back-peddled like I’ve never seen anyone back-peddled before or since. It was literally the heel backing off the baby—but this was not scripted.”

So is this how it went down? Steve came you at hot in gorilla? Did you talk to anyone else before Steve or was he really standing there and waiting for you?

Did you back peddle like Russo said you did?

Did Austin tell you about messing with his money?

What goes on afterwards? Does anyone talk to him? Who talks to you regarding everything?

Austin then cuts a promo supposedly on Russo and talks about how he had to live on boiled potatoes while working for your dad in Memphis! Did you ever know that?

Does Russo ever tell you Austin cuts a promo on him?

Russo also says this in his blog post which...I mean I have to bring it up. “Steve Austin harbored a lot of resentment towards the Jarrett family due to the way he was treated in Memphis. While Steve could only afford potatoes, Jeff was catered to as the booker’s son. Jerry had a huge mansion in Hendersonville, Tennessee, and both of them lived a good life, while Steve was getting around on forty bucks a night.”

Look I’m sure you got a lot of heat being the son of the promoter. But man that’s some cold shit.

What’s your next step after this? Are you guys cordial with each other? We know wrestling etiquette is you come in...shake everyones hands...say hello...are you guys able to do that?

Do you ever attempt to squash the heat? Is there a sitdown?

Do you ever talk to Vince about this?

Not long after you debut you’re re-packaged with Jim Cornette and you win the NWA North American Title over Barry Windham. Right after you win Steve Austin comes out and stuns you...mocks your strut...gives you the middle fingers and walks away. How is this put together...do you have any issues with it...walk me through it Jeff.

Is it ridiculous that he refuses to work with you...cut a promo on you...and then literally you’re basically cut off at the knees coming in 2 months afterwards and you get a newly introduced title in the jumpstart of an angle and then boom.

So you guys share a locker room for 6 months and then Vince Russo decides let’s stir the pot again. He pitches an idea that he thinks Austin will go for. The idea is that Austin will come out randomly and stun you and Russo thinks by pitching it this way he can’t say no. He was wrong. From Russo’s blog:

“"When we arrived at TV, Steve pulled me in a room and read me the riot act–citing everything he had told me–verbatim—six months prior. Steve hadn’t forgotten one word of our conversation—NOT ONE. After apologizing–because he was right and I was wrong—I changed the show on the spot to meet Steve’s wishes."

Now … look … I get Russo trying to circle back to it because there’s money to be made between you two and both are you are amazing workers who could probably gel well together in the ring. Did Vince tell you about this idea? Did you think Steve would go for it? Would you had even gone for it?

Austin also talked about this in an interview, “"Then we get to the Gund Arena, and they said, ‘Okay, Steve, we want you to work a match with Jeff Jarrett.’ I said, ‘What? You want me to work with who?’ They said, ‘Jeff Jarrett.’ I said- I think Vince Russo was telling me this- I said, ‘Alright, come here.’ So we walked into McMahon’s room, it might have been me, Vince, Jim Ross, and about five other people.

"I said, ‘F this.’ M, S, F. Those were the best damn cussing jobs. I said, ‘I told you son of b****es that I never wanted to work with the guy. And now you’re gonna make me come here and play the bad guy?"

Steve has now shot down working with you twice. Steve gets a pass from a lot of people for this even though Shawn Michaels gets a stigma, I mean really the whole Kliq, of saying they won’t work with some people and no one really talks about Austin the same way. Why do you think that is?

Steve has talked in interviews that he didn’t like your work. From an interview on “Get in the Ring” radio… “"Jarrett wasn’t physical enough — he didn’t hit the ropes hard enough. And it wasn’t a case of me being able to bring him up, more a case of him bringing me down because of how hot I was. I’m not out there UFC shoot fighting, but Jesus Christ, lay some stuff in on me, bust my mouth, whatever.

"That’s the way I did it when I was feeding comebacks on DX and all those guys. I mean, guys would be walking backstage with busted lips and noses, loose teeth. I was throwing sledgehammers in there, and people were going crazy — that’s just the way it was.

"He can’t hit the ropes hard enough to bust an egg; I had a violent, physical work style. I mean, Jesus, you want to work with me, bring it!"

Do you think this was about your ring style?

Do you take that as an insult? That you weren’t physical enough? I mean...it’s supposed to be a work isn’t it?

Did anyone ever tell you about that with your work?

Debra McMichael is a major player in this story is she not?

Your relationship with Debra on screen from WCW comes over when she’s brought in to be put with you. How do you remember this being put together and did you have anything to do with her coming in?

Debra debuts on October 19th, 1998. Not trying to open about their business but when do you know about Debra and Steve beginning their relationship?

You’ve already said on this podcast that you were aware at some point your on-screen relationship with Debra would end once they were together. Why is that?

Does your relationship with Steve change when him & Debra start dating?

So the exact same scenario Vince Russo proposed begins in late 1999. You’re calling out Steve Austin and he’s coming out and hitting you with stunners. It comes to a head on July 26th where two names … according to the Observer … are proposed to work with Steve… you and Billy Gunn. Austin shoots down Billy Gunn saying it can be something it can be built to instead of just throwing on Raw in a cold match. But regarding you Jeff...from the Observer… “Jarrett is another story.  Austin did nix a planned program with Jarrett with Austin believing Jarrett isn't over enough to where it would make sense for a guy in his position to work with him.  The feeling within the company is that if Jarrett were to get over to the level the company wants him to be, that Austin might consider working with him at that point although there are other mitigating factors.  There is apparently personal animosity regarding Jarrett cutting a promo criticizing Austin's 3:16 moniker that was taken seriously and he apparently has told people that he doesn't want to be the person who picks Jarrett up to a level he hasn't been able to attain.  Even more, Austin, who is together in real life with Debra, complained that he didn't want a wrestling angle to interfere with his real-life and didn't want to be in the position of not being able to hang around in places with Debra because the two would be feuding on television.”

Do you buy that?

Do you think he could’ve ever gotten over it to work with you?

You leave the WWF as we’ve discussed in the archives later on in 1999 and then you open TNA. I have to ask...did you ever get a chance to approach...mend...something with Steve?

Ever any talk about bringing Steve to TNA?

What is your relationship like now with Steve if there is any?

Do you think you could two could sit down and have a conversation?