Was Jarrett really ever over in WCW with his persona? I know he was really pushed though. There seems to be a divide on him amongst fans but I never really hated the guy like you might some heels...I just thought him to be so boring that I got up to make a sandwich when he came on. Complete indifference. At least when Honky Tonk Man held the guitar he could pull it off because the guy he had an interesting personality. JJ was just garbage personality wise but a decent worker.
Vince really makes you shake your head with some of the ideas he would come up with. What in his mind thought he could just slap any package on a technically great wrestler and it would sell?? Bret would have looked SO ridiculous in a 2 bit cowboy outfit walking to the ring. He would have felt like the biggest clown in the world!
The old man actually wanted Bret to come to the ring on a horse; a different one each week, as they would requisition one in each town for that show. George Scott allegedly sprouted wood as he excitedly explained this big plan to a "pre-Hart Foundation" Bret in '84.
Vince spoke at some college in '99 when WWF was insanely popular with the momentum of the Attitude Era in full swing. He entertained questions from the audience when someone asked him which wrestler he thought would have done better. At first, he dodged the question by saying he was pleasantly surprised at the longevity of The Undertaker character. But, he did eventually offer a follow-up response saying he was disappointed the Jeff Jarret character didn't do better.
It didn't sound like any sour grapes. It wasn't a slam on Jeff. Vince could have easily buried Jarrett, who'd just left for WCW. However, Vince did make a point to very publicly "fire" Jeff on the last episode of
Nitro a few short years later. Granted, he was in character at the time, so it's hard to know how if or how much he enjoyed making that little announcement.
I think indifference is an accurate term to describe what many fans felt towards Jarrett. He didn't have "X-PAC heat," but his character was never very engaging. He was always cooperative, professional, and safe to work with, but that doesn't get you over with fans. He received a bigger push in TNA, but remember that he and his Dad started and owned the company.
I don't know how over he is now, because I honestly pay little attention to what goes on in either company.