In 1999, Jeff Jarrett allegedly held Vince McMahon up for money after his contract had expired. WWE had let Jarrett's contract expire despite him being Intercontinental Champion. Jarrett was scheduled to face, and lose to, Chyna at No Mercy. But with no contract signed, Jarrett wanted to be paid.
According to Chyna and Hardcore Holly in their autobiographies, Jarrett held up McMahon for around $300,000.
Speaking to TalkSPORT, Jarrett gave his side of the story.
“Here’s what everybody misses. The real crux of the story is that I was a talent in 1999 and, quote-en-quote, I held Vince [McMahon] up for money, is that what you’re alluding to? But when you really drill that down and you really think about this – employee and employer. If he didn’t want to pay me, he didn’t have to pay me a cent," said Jarrett. “And what was I going to do? Go sue him? He could tie me up in court – not for months, but for years – and I would have spent all the money I was owed and then some had he chosen not to pay me."
He continued, “So, the fact of the matter is, and to this day in conversation, look, I tried. And that was my whole point. Let’s make this easy for everybody. Pay me everything that you’ve owed me in the past. Because at that time, there was bonuses, it was October and I was owed for September, August, July, probably June and I think we did a pay-per-view over here called Rebellion, so I had a lot of money in the pipeline coming. I said let’s approximate on the payoffs. I’ve got all these house show runs I was on. Let’s come up with a number and let me get out of your hair. I’m obviously not re-signing the offer, and that’s a whole other set of circumstances [laughs]. You go your way and I’ll go my way. It made it easy on everybody.”
Jarrett suggested things were cordial with him and McMahon. Jarrrett left WWE for WCW and was fired on-screen by McMahon when WWE purchased WCW in 2001. Jarrett now works as a producer for WWE.
