Jim Cornette saw one fan dismiss Jeff and Karen Jarrett’s side of the TNA story, and he was not about to let that slide.
The new season premiered Tuesday, July 7 at 9 p.m. on Vice with Jeff Jarrett & the Battle for TNA: Part 1. The episode focused on Jarrett’s early life in wrestling, the launch of Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, and the fight to keep the company alive during an era where WWE had the industry in a chokehold.
The episode featured Jeff Jarrett, Karen Jarrett, and others, but not everyone was interested in hearing that version of events. One fan said they skipped it after finding out Dixie Carter was not involved, adding that they had no interest in what they called Jeff and Karen’s “carny views.”
“I didn’t watch it. Truth be told, I decided not to the moment I heard Dixie Carter wanted no part of it. I have no interest in hearing Jeff and Karen Jarrett’s carny views.”
Jim Cornette caught that comment and fired back hard, especially at the way fans throw around old wrestling terms like they’ve been living inside the business for decades.
“Boy, the marks who “know everything” latch onto words they’ve just heard 15 minutes ago and won’t let go. I’ve heard gas station attendants in Des Moines say “carny” more in the last 2 years than any of the boys ever did, including ones that actually WORKED IN A CARNIVAL.”
That was the real flashpoint here. Cornette was not just defending the Jarretts. He was calling out a certain kind of online fan who uses insider language to sound smarter than the people who actually lived through the territory days.
The TNA documentary was always going to stir up arguments, especially with Dixie Carter not being part of the first episode. TNA’s history is messy, personal, and full of people who still see the same events very differently. But Cornette clearly had no patience for fans brushing off the Jarretts before even watching the episode.
For now, Jeff Jarrett & the Battle for TNA has already done exactly what a wrestling documentary like this is supposed to do: get people fighting over who really gets to tell the story. Cornette just made sure one fan’s take got a receipt.
Did Jim Cornette have a point, or was the fan right to be skeptical without Dixie Carter involved? Let us know in the comments.
