AEW's Jeff Jarrett Recalls Macho Man Randy Savage's Concerns About Joining TNA

A fact not heavily touted by TNA Wrestling is that the promotion featured the final match of "Macho Man" Randy Savage. After a legendary career in WWE and WCW, Savage last wrestled in 2000 on "WCW Thunder" before going on a four-year hiatus from in-ring action. 

Savage fought in the co-main event at TNA's Turning Point 2004 PPV, a time remembered by company co-founder Jeff Jarrett on "My World."

"Randy wanted to do something with us and it's one of those things that, yeah, he had worked with Jeff, but this is the Jarretts' deal, and, 'Hey, man, there's some buzz on this.' '[Savage] They're gonna take care of me. I'm not gonna go back to [WWE],' 'We're the only alternative,'" Jarrett recalled. "Then he got there and, oh boy ... there's some drama."

Jarrett stated that the legendary star was a little paranoid about featuring in TNA, with him previously claiming that Savage wanted to make a mark in movies and the rap world. There was justifiable wariness to be working in a program again with Kevin Nash and Scott Hall, both of whom had backstage influence in WWE and WCW, causing concern for history to repeat itself.

"Not everything kind of jived with him and so I think he had mixed emotions once he got on board," Jarrett continued about Savage joining TNA. "If he's paranoid about everything, that's including himself. I think he was super paranoid about how he would be perceived post-WCW. Randy was a big believer in perception and how the 'Macho Man' was perceived worldwide, and he didn't want to tarnish it and I got that."

Savage teamed with Jeff Hardy and AJ Styles at Turning Point, defeating The Kings of Wrestling [Jeff Jarrett, Kevin Nash, and Scott Hall] with Savage getting the pinfall on Jarrett.

If you use any quotes from this article, please credit "My World" with a H/T to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.