10 Wrestling Matches We Didn’t Know Changed EVERYTHING

2. Jeff Jarrett Vs. Chyna - WWF No Mercy 1999

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WWE.com

An improbable triumph of a comedy spectacle in itself, the Good Housekeeping match also had massive repercussions on the pro wrestling industry.

Using the audacious, potentially damaging finish as leverage ahead of his impending exit from the WWF, Jarrett asked for the hundreds of thousands of dollars that he was due per his agreement. In fact, per the November 15, 1999 Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Jarrett successfully negotiated "a higher number, significantly so, than he would have eventually received under normal circumstances."

This obviously pissed Vince McMahon off, so much so that the WWF doctored footage of Jeff Jarrett into the RAW/Nitro simulcast - he wasn't physically present in Panama City - purely so that he could make an example of him. With WCW "Capital G, double O, double N, double E, gone", and faced with a WWF that would rather convolutedly bury than re-sign him, Jarrett was left with no mainstream options in which to make significant money.

And so, the persona non grata of dying mainstream US wrestling sought to create his own competition by founding TNA. In the process, he introduced a raft of generation-defining performers and created several indelible moments of utter, f*ck-brained hilarity.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!