Karen and Jeff Jarrett opened up on the most recent episode of Dark Side of the Ring about how their relationship became a serious turning point in TNA Wrestling and ultimately contributed to Jeff being pushed out of the corporate he founded.
Part two of the documentary’s two-part special focused on the growing power struggle between Jeff Jarrett and then-TNA President Dixie Carter. Based on the episode, Jeff’s relationship with Karen Jarrett — formerly Karen Angle and the ex-wife of Kurt Angle — became the spark that escalated tensions behind the scenes.
The documentary explained that Karen had separated from Kurt Angle but continued working with TNA and appeared on television alongside him during probably the most difficult periods of his life. After Karen and Kurt finalized their divorce in October 2008, she and Jeff Jarrett began a relationship roughly a 12 months later.
You’ll be able to try some highlights from the podcast below:
Karen on her marriage being over at that time: “I can assure you that Dixie Carter, Jeff Jarrett, Vince Russo all knew the truth of my marriage to Kurt Angle. It was over.”
Karen on her relationship with Jeff developing: “I wasn’t in search of anything; I just desired to live. Jeff was so energetic and so blissful. I loved being around him. There was just a great energy. We began to develop a friendship… this was never an affair. This was two people falling in love and bettering their lives.”
Jeff on the connection progressing: “After I knew that Kurt was seeing other people, I’m like, ‘Okay, let’s see where this goes.… I checked out it as, my personal life is my personal life and by business life is my business life. However the rumor and innuendo was so spun uncontrolled in that the sneaky, hiding around nonsense — it was just never within the equating.
“We hid it from nobody or no one inside TNA, outside of TNA, everyone knew. From Kurt to the creative team. Everyone knew. But then you already know, there’s Dixie Carter. She’s the just one who didn’t know. And I believe she was embarrassed when she did discover.”
Jeff on Carter using it to push him out: “I believe she’d been waiting for the moment. And when the time got here and I gave her the rope, she snatched it.”
Karen on Carter’s response to learning concerning the relationship: “Jeff Jarrett, the delusional optimist that all the time looks at things in a positive way, thought Dixie Carter would actually be blissful for him. Lost his wife, has three daughters that he has to handle. Found love a second time; how rare is that? But as an alternative, what did she do? She nuked his whole f**king life.”
Jeff on being faraway from the corporate: “I used to be given documents sent from Panda Energy that had me removed, and said that I used to be now not executive producer, now not the Head of Creative. I get — the lawyer calls, and ‘Hey Jeff, we’re going to send you home with pay. We just should let things subside,’ and all this sort of nonsense that I knew exactly what was happening.”
NOTE: If you could have any news suggestions or podcast recaps that you simply’d prefer to send in for us to post (full credit might be given to you), please email me at [email protected].