[2000-03-15-WCW-Thunder] Jeff Jarrett vs Booker T

[soup23]

Jarrett cuts a promo. Yeah, I’m not interested either. Any dynamic he had with Debra is devoid when he presents in this manner as a big ladies man. Action here with Booker and Jarrett was good. I wish we could have had a long standing feud based on in ring action and not everything else. Harris Bros interfere for the predictable bullshit finish. This gave a good look at the potential of Booker and bell to bell, Jarrett still has stuff to offer. **1/2

[Loss]

This match was really good. Jarrett is so much less grating when he's wrestling and not talking. If he'd just drop the guitar from his matches and never speak again, he'd be a lot of fun around this time. Very good action, and I liked the false finish at the end with Booker getting the kickout after the belt shot.

[GSR]

Jarrett tells the audience to take a good long look because this is the last time they’ll see Jeff Jarrett ‘the United States heavyweight champion’, as next time they lay their eyes on him he’ll be walking out of Miami as the new WCW World champion. He then orders his female entourage to the back and his dressing room ‘where they belong’. Booker with a shoulderblock and an early cover, followed by a schoolboy for a two count. Leap frog, dropkick, a big clothesline and the opening is all Booker. A series of punches in the corner to Jarrett who tries a reverse atomic drop but to no avail and Booker with a superkick. Irish whip and Jarrett holds on to the ropes. Booker goes for an axe kick, Jarrett moves and he ends up crotching himself. A clubbing blow sends him tumbling to the outside, where Jeff drops him throat first onto the guard rail. He rams him face first into the ring steps before tossing him back in the ring. Crossbody off the top, but Booker uses Jarrett’s momentum to roll through for a two. Jarrett with a sleeper that Booker fights his way out of and manages to slap on one of his own. Double axe handle off the middle, but Booker catches and plants Jarrett with the ‘Book End’ for another two. Quality ax kick, spinebuster and Jarrett is just about able to kick out. Here comes the Harris Twins… Nick Patrick heads outside to try and send them back to the dressing room, and with him out the way, Jarrett clocks Booker with his U.S. title belt. Great near fall as Booker gets the shoulder up and Jarrett can’t believe it. The match gets ludicrous at this point. Booker nails one of the twins who is on the apron and gives a ‘Book End’ to the other in the ring. No idea where Nick Patrick has got to by now. Jarrett has hopped outside to get his guitar and tries to bring it back in the ring. Oh here’s Nick, he’s been following him! Patrick grabs the guitar and the Harris twins with a ‘H-Bomb’ to Booker behind his back (although he must’ve been blind not to see this). They get out of there, Jarrett with ‘The Stroke’ and he retains the U.S. title. They’re about to spray paint Booker post-match when Sid and his hideous looking offense makes the save. He twice fails to clothesline Jarrett over the ropes and one of the twins has to drag Jeff out of there instead.

 

These two worked really well and were having a good match together. It all went to pot when the Harris twins came to ringside though, and from a kayfabe sense, the finish was a joke. Are we really meant to believe Nick Patrick didn’t see any of their involvement? Not to mention Jarrett trying to bring a guitar in there. Why didn’t you just DQ him Nick? Hopefully we’ll get some interference free, straight up matches between them down the line.