WWE Hall of Famer Jeff Jarrett, who is also All Elite Wrestling’s Director of Business Development, appeared on an episode of his “My World with Jeff Jarrett” podcast. In it, he discussed various topics, including if he was concerned in 2004 that Abyss would leave TNA for WWE.
Jarrett said, “Super concerned. And it goes on — during this time Bob Rider was, again, a man who wore a lot of hats. But Bob always had an issue when he tried to serve two masters. The easiest thing was to be good to the boys but, you know, be an office member. You can’t serve both masters, ultimately. Bob was very aware of everyone’s contract situations, and he let it lapse… His contract lapsed with us actually having — not even really having the ability to sit down and negotiate. So I was very concerned, irritated as hell at Bob Ryder, but wasn’t exactly sure how it was going to play out. And you have to remember that Abyss was a guy that — yeah, he was on our first show, but he went to Puerto Rico and when we came and got on board, he was figured in at the highest level from the day he returned from Puerto Rico. And man, when I tell you it’s hard for me to imagine, in a lot of ways, the success we had without Abyss. Because look, if the Abyss would have jumped right in right now and gone to WWE, there’s no doubt he’d still be exactly where he’s at today. Because he’s a thinking man. He thinks about it, he processes it. He doesn’t mind going back to the well, he doesn’t mind taking input. He doesn’t mind speaking up and saying, ‘No, what about this?’ He’s a team player, coachable, teachable, smart, thinks it through, knows the difference between a big man match and a little guy match and different blends and X Division, and tag matches, and main event matches versus — everything you need in a producer-slash-agent-slash-coach, if you will. But during this time, I was frustrated that we were going to lose a guy that we had put so much stock in. I don’t remember all the ins and outs. The thing that I remember the most was Bob, I don’t believe, was particularly being honest with the hand that was feeding him. And it wasn’t the first time.”
On whether Abyss made a mistake by not going to WWE:
“Here’s — and I probably told him something to this effect. That the way I saw and look, me and Abyss, have — we’ve laughed a s**tload together, we’ve cried together. He’s been with me in some dark moments. I can’t say enough — we give him a hard time, but I really can’t say enough good things about the guy. But, and I probably said it maybe not as blunt — maybe I would have. But I would have said something to the effect: ‘Abby, you’re going to go have a run with Undertaker, and you’re probably going to have a run with Kane. And if all goes according well, which I have no reason to believe that you won’t do fantastic business with both guys, then you’re going to get a run with [John] Cena. And then it’s going to be over, because they’re not replacing Taker, Kane. Cena is irreplaceable in his mark. Just, they’ve already got monsters there. And so I think you’re going to have a rocket attached to you. I have no idea where you will land after that. And so that’s the gamble you’re taking. The first two years are going to be a smashing success. I don’t know where it goes from there.’ And I, you know, probably said better than that, and I probably would say that to this day that it would be, what type of relationship could he have developed with Vince McMahon during this timeframe? I think it would have come down specifically to that.”
You can check out the complete podcast in the video below.
(H/T to 411Mania.com for transcribing the above quotes)
