Jeff Jarrett just pulled back the curtain on a wild TNA story involving Dixie Carter and Goldberg, and he made it pretty clear he never bought into the idea that Bill Goldberg was actually coming in.
During the Dark Side of the Ring Season 7 Q&A in New York City on July 6, 2026, Chris Jericho told a story about using a 2007 TNA meeting as leverage while WWE was not giving him the money he wanted. Jericho said he met with Jarrett and Carter at a Cheesecake Factory in Tampa, made sure the meeting got out, and WWE came back with the number he was looking for.
That is when Jarrett explained that he understood what Jericho was doing. From Jarrett’s view, that was just talent playing the game. He said if TNA could have actually signed Jericho, it would have been a massive win.
“I don’t have this kind of recall, but my gut tells me we leave that lunch, Dixie would say, ‘Well, what do you think?’ And my natural response would be, ‘Dixie, if we can get him, it’s a freaking grand slam. Let’s hope we can get him,’ all that kind of stuff.”
Jarrett said he knew Jericho was a talent using another option to increase his value. The problem, in his view, was that Dixie Carter did not always understand that game the same way.
“And probably in my gut, I go, ‘Okay, I get it. I’m a talent. I totally understand that mentality.’ Bless her heart, she didn’t, because she had a lunch — that’s ’07, maybe two years, three years — she had a lunch with Goldberg.”
That got a reaction from the room, and someone asked if the Goldberg meeting also happened at Cheesecake Factory. Jarrett shut that down and said he was not even invited to that one, because it happened during the Hogan years.
“No, I was not invited. That’s why it was during the Hogan years. And I remember her saying, ‘Yep, I think we can get Bill.’ And I’m thinking to myself, ‘You don’t have a clue.’”
Jarrett then made it clear he believed Goldberg was doing the same kind of business move Jericho had described. He saw it as Goldberg playing both sides, while Dixie thought TNA had a real shot.
“Yeah, I knew that he was playing two sides, but yeah, that’s a cool story.”
Goldberg never ended up signing with TNA, and Jarrett’s story makes it sound like he saw that coming from a mile away. Dixie Carter may have thought she had a chance to bring in one of wrestling’s biggest names, but Jarrett believed Goldberg was using TNA as leverage, not as a serious landing spot.
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What do you think about Dixie Carter believing she could have landed Goldberg? How do you think it would have played out? Please share your thoughts and feedback in the comment section below.
