• Wrestling News & Wrestling Rumors – WWE & TNA

- Newsday.com interviewed Jeff Jarrett the other day, and he made a number of interesting comments.

On TNA’s ratings increase to a consistent 1.3 he mentioned, “I think if you look at our history – don’t really look at that week-to-week-to-week snapshot – if you look at where we started three years ago at a .7 or a .8, and we’ve grown to a 1.3. And it’s been a steady growth… It went from Saturday nights for one hour, to Thursday nights to one hour, to two hours. There’s momentum being built behind us. The addition of certain key members of the roster – On one side you’ve got probably the greatest conglomeration of a faction, if you want to call it that, the Main Event Mafia. Kurt Angle, every member of the Main Event Mafia has been a world champion and has a storied career. And on the other side you’ve got Mick Foley and myself and 3D. And so, I think the talent is there. You’ve got A.J. Styles and Samoa Joe who are in the mix and are youthful and young. You’ve got several other young pieces of talent. You’ve got the X Division. And also you have – We’re in the television-viewing season, so to speak. January, February, March – ratings are always higher. You’ve got American Idol. You’ve got ER. So I think it’s a combination of everything I’ve said and what you touched on, as well – the economic factors. And then, quite frankly, you’ve got to toot your own horn and wave your own flag. I think our television programs have been very, very, very compelling and every week it’s more and more of must-see TV.”

Despite this he agreed that ROH could end up being competition. “If you’re in the game on national, network television, for us to say it’s not competition, that’s just being blatantly arrogant. I think the facts sort of speak for themselves in that their distribution is just a fraction of what ours is, so you can’t really put it in the same game. Is it competition? Yes. Is there a wide tremendous gap? The reason we have to pull talent is contractual issues, not, “Oh boy, they’re on television.” Any exposure for your talent is good. But, from a contractual standpoint, the contracts are in place to keep the business in line, and that’s all that is.”

Interestingly he mentioned that he remains in contact with Vince McMahon. “I’ll say there’s a personal relationship with the entire McMahon family and Jeff Jarrett. As far as a working relationship – absolutely not. We’re competitors. But a personal relationship? Without a doubt. The entire McMahon family was very, very good to me during the passing of my wife, and that’s something I’ll never forget.”

- Along with a press release hyping the Lockdown PPV and the Eric Young versus Danny Bonaduce match, TNA mentioned that real life company president Dixie Carter will make her “debut pay-per-view appearance”. It is unsure if she’ll just address the crowd in a dumbed down segment or take on more of an active character role.

Although she hasn’t appeared on camera, she does make regular house show appearances thanking fans.