Jeff Jarrett isn’t playing nice when it comes to TNA getting rid of the six-sided ring, and he made it clear he believes that move was a major turning point for the worse.
While speaking with Chris Van Vliet, Jarrett looked back at the six-sided ring and why it mattered so much to TNA’s identity. The ring wasn’t just some visual trick. It was one of the easiest ways for TNA to instantly separate itself from WWE. Jarrett said he first saw the six-sided ring in Mexico after Antonio Peña brought him in. Once he saw it, he knew TNA had to use it.
“Antonio Pena brought me down to Mexico… I can remember showing up for one of the big shows and there sats the six-sided ring.”
Jarrett said the timing was perfect because TNA was looking for ways to stand out. MMA was also heating up at the time, and the different shape gave TNA a look that felt more dangerous and unique.
“I just looked at the six-sided ring and said, ‘Okay, this is going to differentiate us from the WWE. It’s going to differentiate us from every other promotion.’”
The ring became one of TNA’s most recognizable trademarks, but that changed during the Hulk Hogan, Eric Bischoff, and Dixie Carter era. Fans were furious when TNA switched back to a traditional four-sided ring, and Jarrett said he wasn’t even directly told by the people in charge that the change was happening.
“I can remember that I did not hear from Dixie or Eric or Hulk. Nobody told me, ‘Hey, Jeff, this is the direction we’re going. You’re coming to Orlando.’ Just, ‘Hey, FYI.’”
Jarrett said he found out through a back channel, but he also felt trapped. If he warned them they were making a mistake, it would have looked like he was only protecting something from his own era.
“No, I’d gotten a back channel. And I just went and this is kind of you talk about like maybe a misunderstood part in that I knew that if I would have gone to Dixie or Hulk or Eric or anybody and said, ‘Hey guys, you’re really screwing up here.’ I would not take the six-sider away from the fans. It would have been self-serving. It would have been perceived as self-serving.”
Once the Impact Zone crowd started chanting for the six-sided ring, Jarrett said it would have looked even worse for him to jump in and say he told them so. Still, he remembers exactly what he thought that night.
“And then when they chanted, you know, then it’s even worse for me to say, ‘Yep, told you so, you idiots.’ But it was one of those things. But I can remember being in the Impact Zone that night and going, ‘This is just the beginning of Hogan and Dixie destroying the brand.’”
That’s a heavy shot, but Jarrett didn’t sound like he was saying it just to stir the pot. To him, the six-sided ring was part of TNA’s DNA. Taking it away wasn’t just a ring change. It was a sign that the company was moving away from what made fans care in the first place.
TNA eventually brought the name back, but the six-sided ring remains a major debate among fans. Some still see it as one of the company’s coolest visuals ever, while others believe the four-sided ring is better for wrestlers and long-term presentation. Jarrett clearly knows where he stands.
What do you think about Jeff Jarrett saying Hulk Hogan and Dixie Carter started destroying TNA’s brand by removing the six-sided ring? Should TNA bring it back full-time, or is the four-sided ring the better move now? Please share your thoughts and feedback in the comments section below.
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