Well I finally got to the end of this epic review, crying baby and broken laptop regardless! The first 3 discs of TNA’s Jeff Jarrett – King of the Mountain release showcased TNA and Jarrett from its inception through to 2006, and this disc nicely finishes the set up covering major Jarrett matches from 2006 through to Bound for Glory 2008.

If you need a reminder of those first 3 discs, you can read my reviews at the following links:
- Part One
- Part Two
- Part Three

So far, the in-ring action has been solid, with a couple of glaring exceptions, although the matches have highlighted the repetitive nature of TNA’s booking, with run-ins and guitar shots in particular blighting match after match. That being said, I am continuing with the Run-in Counter after each match to try to give an indication of how annoying the outside interference gets, and also will still not be reviewing the excellent documentary section of the DVD, instead giving it a A+ recommendation, and leaving it up to the reader to buy the DVD and decide how good that content is. On with the matches…

King of the Mountain Match for the NWA Title: Christian Cage © vs. Jeff Jarrett vs. Ron Killings vs. Sting vs. Abyss (w/ James Mitchell)

Despite the fact that the overall star quotient in this match is higher than the previous KOTM match on this set, I actually prefer the earlier effort. Everyone does work hard here, especially Abyss of all people, but the stupid finish, involving Earl Hebner, and leading to the Title being briefly held up by Jim Cornette, is really not the sort of thing that TNA should be booking in their PPV main events. I mean the match is already overbooked as it is due to the nature of the rules, and the already spotty style of the match is further buggered up by a run-in from Larry Lzbysko of all people.

Jarrett is not really a stand out player in the match, and I think this must have been from the time when TNA’s crowd was just pissed off with his overexposure on the top position in the company, as his winning of the match attracts negative heat, and not in a good way.

Run-in Counter
Larry Zbysko

Jeff Jarrett vs. Samoa Joe

This is a non-title match where Jarrett is Champion. That Joe was unbeaten, and Jarrett was already involved in heavy build up to a big match with Sting at Bound for Glory the next month should kind of give the result here.

In one of the more interesting sounding TNA gimmicks, this is a Fans’ Revenge match, with fans apparently actually being taken from the audience prior to the event and being given rehearsed spots to do as lumberjacks with straps. This is Joe at the peak of his powers, and while the match isn’t as good as some of his X Division classics (probably due to Jarrett’s offence not being as progressive as Daniels or Styles), the end result is still a damn good brawl. The fans are incorporated into the story told as well as can be expected, and Jarrett, playing the crafty heel character, takes a beating from both Joe and the fans, with the strap lashings being particularly nasty.

Joe takes the win with the muscle buster, and some history is made for TNA in the match’s aftermath, as Jim Cornette announces both TNA’s national US cable debut, and then follows up with announcing Kurt Angle’s upcoming debut. No run-ins here, apart from some of the fans illegally entering the ring.

Run-in Counter
None!

Jeff Jarrett vs. Sting

This was from Bound for Glory a month later. Kurt Angle is the special referee/enforcer, and the match puts Jarrett’s Title against Sting’s career. This is kind of strange, as I would of thought in the blow off match to TNA’s biggest career of the year would feature a more dominant performance from the lead babyface in Sting, but apparently not.

The match is fine and perfectly technically sound, telling a decent story, but Jarrett dominates literally three quarters of the match, and it just isn’t what I wanted to see here. Of course Kurt gets involved and is really over with the crowd; his interaction with Jarrett sets up a match that didn’t happen until two years later due to Jarrett’s personal circumstances. Sting’s no selling of the guitar got a big pop from the crowd (and from me, given the number of guitar shots that have occurred during the rest of this DVD set) and nicely sets up him winning the title, but the match was really spoiled for me by Jarrett being in control for the whole time, when he really should have been dominated for at least a lengthy period at the beginning of the match.

Run-in Counter
Kurt Angle (well he should have just been the referee!)

Christian Cage/AJ Styles/Abyss/Tyson Tomko/Scott Steiner vs. Kurt Angle/Sting/Rhino/Samoa Joe/Jeff Jarrett

This is another Lethal Lockdown match, this time from 2007. My problems with this match type remain (namely the degeneration of the match into mindless weapon spots post roof-drop, and the over reliance on a dangerous stunt bump that had no relevance on he end of the match. These problems are still very much in evidence here, with Styles’s reckless fall off the cage roof doing nothing but take audience attention away from the ring where the end of the match is soon to take place.

The lead up to this match (which is also shown here) featured the genesis of the face Jarrett character that we have today, as he returned from a long sabbatical to ally with his former enemies, who then had serious trust issues with him. Harley Race is the ringside enforcer here, but does little of note aside from decking Jim Mitchell at ringside. Of the participants, Scott Steiner enters the best performance, bringing the crowd to life with his powerful offence, and really dazzling with a top rope Frankensteiner which no one thought him capable of doing anymore (Prior to this I last saw him hit it on Booker T at WCW Spring Stampede 1999. Jarrett has a major part in this match, and the storyline of whether his team mates can trust him runs throughout, and plays into the finish, where Jarrett teases hitting Sting with his guitar, before laying out Abyss instead, and scoring the pin for his team, thus gaining a number one contendership for the TNA Belt, which to my knowledge he didn’t use in that particular run with the promotion.

Again no run-ins here, as the multi-man action really didn’t need any, and TNA bookers saw sense here for once.

Run-in Counter
None

Jeff Jarrett vs. Kurt Angle

This was something of a dream match for TNA fans, and really had that big match atmosphere going into it. The crowd support this theory, as they are right into both guys, and special enforcer Mick Foley. While there haven’t been many run-ins on this disc so far, there does seem to be an over-abundance of special enforcers/referees here, although I guess there wasn’t much else they could do with Foley at this point.

In comparison to their rematch, this is much more of a straight up wrestling match until the finishing sequence, and is all the better for it. In fact I would go out on a limb and day that this is Jarrett’s best singles non-gimmicked match since his tour de force with Shawn Michaels at In Your House 2 in 1995. Jarrett looks reinvigorated here, and his act as a face is totally refreshing. He keeps up with Angle and pretty much matches him move for move. True the finish, involving a sick chair shot to Foley (you would have thought he knew better by now but…), and the obligatory guitar shot, is a bit unnecessary, but overall having Jarrett win the final portion of the main show, and having a stellar match to boot is the right way for the show to finish.

Following the main feature there are several bonus matches, from Jim Cornette’s collection, featuring very early footage of Jarrett’s career. These matches are:

David Johnson/Jim Jameson vs. Bill Dundee/Buddy Landell

Jeff is the referee here (and not in a ‘special’ fashion as shown earlier on the DVD. This is Jarrett’s first televised appearance, and he is built like Jeff Hardy circa 1997. Apart from the significance of Jarrett’s initial appearance, there’s not much else to say about this match, as it’s a basic squash. The names go over and proceed to smack JJ around, leading to his Dad making the save.

Tony Falk vs. Jeff Jarrett

Again, a nothing match here, with the veteran Falk dominating in what I think was only Jarrett’s second match. These matches are given some relevance/context in that Jeff and friends talked about them in the documentary part of the main feature. Jarrett gets the surprise win with a fluke sunset flip pin, and then gets beaten up some more by Sir William and Landell.

Jeff Jarrett vs. Hector Guerrero

This is about a year and a half after the last match, and Jarrett is now able to have a decent little match with future TNA Spanish commentator. Guerrero’s offence is actually pretty good for the time here, and mixes well with Jarrett’s style. Jarrett gets himself disqualified by throwing powder into Hector’s face in a finish that doesn’t make any sense given Jarrett’s face rookie character at the time.

Jeff Jarrett vs. Jerry Lawler

This is another year later, and has the potential to be really good, given Jarrett’s steady improvement and Lawler’s 1980s reputation as a carrier of all different sorts of workers to good matches in the Memphis style. Jarrett is still wrestling as a light heavyweight, incorporating flashy moves like a flying head scissors into his arsenal, and Lawler enters a typically good performance. Given that these two went on to work together probably hundreds of times, including an apparent hour long match in 1995/96 that I remember reading about in Powerslam back in the day, this match is probably a good idea of a highlight of their matches, albeit far too short. Lawler wins with another annoying finish, pinning Jarrett following a ref bump and run-in by Dundee.

Jeff Jarrett and Bill Dundee vs. Cactus Jack and Gary Young

Jarrett and Dundee are now allies, and Foley looks positively anorexic here compared to his condition now. As you would expect, this is a brawl, and ends far too quickly after just a few minutes action in a double disqualification. Apart from the novelty of seeing Foley and Jarrett in their formative years, there really isn’t much too this match.

In conclusion, it can certainly be said that TNA’s Jeff Jarrett set offers an exhaustive look at JJ. At literally half a day(!) long, it’s definitely not one to watch in one sitting if you value your sanity.

The matches are mostly solid, although I don’t think some of them warranted inclusion and could have been replaced with better content i.e. swap the Hacksaw Duggan and the Jarrett’s Army Gauntlet match for the Jarrett vs. Jay Lethal match in 2006 on Impact, and Jarrett vs. Robert Roode from Sacrifice in 2007.

The matches show also really highlight the repetitive nature of TNA’s booking, with run-ins and guitar shots in almost every match. The documentary portion of the release is very, very good, and it’s just refreshing to see one that isn’t from WWE’s point of view. True Jarrett and pals have an agenda, but so does everybody else, and as long as you bear that in mind, there is no real problem here.

The Memphis footage, is pretty interesting from a historical point, is probably not as good as I thought it would be, although the availability of footage not in Cornette’s library (no Jarrett/Lawler vs. Moondogs from 1992?) may be an issue here.

An easy recommendation though, just don’t try to watch it all in one go!

James Mustoe
james@ifight365.com