During a recent episode of his “My World with Jeff Jarrett” podcast, Jeff Jarrett commented on the way TNA handled Kazuchika Okada’s time on the roster, why they didn’t have a clear vision for him, and more. You can check out some highlights from the podcast below:
On TNA’s handling of Kazuchika Okada during his run with the company: “I’m so glad I had no part of it, but it is certainly right up there at the top [of one of the biggest misses in TNA history]. What’s crazy is here’s where I got so frustrated, and I had these conversations with Dallas that ‘I can’t touch this, this is a Dixie Carter on down. You guys have the numbers. Hey, Janice, you have the numbers.’ Look at the money and the revenue that was created by the New Japan relationship when Kurt [Angle] wrestled Yuji Nagata, when Team 3D went over there. I mean, year after year, deal after deal, it’s not a ‘hey, maybe,’ it’s not a hypothetical or rumor and innuendo, it’s ‘here’s real money’ and we’re in 2010 or 2011 and they have transported someone – look, did I say I knew Okada was gonna be Okada? No, I didn’t know that. But he’s young and the relationship is great, and if they say he’s good, he’s good. If they say he’s good and they’re paying to relocate this young man halfway around the world and he’s living here, I’m not saying he’s the main event of Impact, but give the guy some respect and surround him – put him in a tag team or do something with him. Dixie and team acted like he was a damn nuisance. It’s unbelievable the lack of – I don’t even wanna say vision, just the lack of awareness that hey guys, let’s do something because of the value of the relationship. They had no interest in it. They were all of a part of it and aware of it. Multiple times it was discussed.”
On TNA not having a clear vision with its booking and the company’s stance on its relationship with NJPW: “What do you think about the phrase ‘audience of one?’ I’m going the other way with it – who was [TNA management] writing TV for? I think Hulk was writing for Hulk. I think Dixie was writing for whoever she talked to last. I think Vince [Russo] was writing ‘bro, we’ve gotta get ratings.’ I’m not discounting any of it. Eric [Bischoff] was like ‘story, structure, compelling.’ So, I think the culture that was created, and again, I’m not pointing fingers – there was no audience of one is what I’m saying. There was no clear-cut vision. I’m over here in Nashville doing international and live events, and that was my in to tell Dallas, ‘Hey guys, I’m in charge of creating revenue internationally. We built this New Japan relationship up, and we are making money. And now you guys are decimating it just because you don’t even want to pay attention to it.’ That’s the real reality. There was no audience of one.”
(h/t – 411 Wrestling)
