I’m a WWE legend whose WrestleMania match was pulled from the show while it was on air with minutes to spare

Jeff Jarrett revealed he missed out on the chance to perform at WrestleMania 10 after his proposed match was culled with minutes to spare – with the pay-per-view already on air. 

WrestleMania stands the test of time as one of the most iconic events in WWE history, the show emanating from New York City’s hallowed Madison Square Garden. 

It was the event that saw Bret ‘Hitman’ Hart claim the WWE Championship in the main event, having fallen to defeat at the hands of brother, Owen, at the show’s outset. 

Perhaps most of all, though, Mania 10 is remembered for the classic ladder match for the Intercontinental title between Razor Ramon and Shawn Michaels. 

The two put on an unforgettable showing of wrestling but did so by going over their originally allotted match time – forcing a backstage scramble to keep the show flowing, with the main event still to follow.

The ultimate casualty ended up being a ten-man tag team match involving Jarrett, who was set to team with IRS, The Headshrinkers and Rick Martel to face The Smoking Gunns, Tatanka, Sparky Plugg and The 1-2-3 Kid. 

That bout had been due to follow the ladder match, with all ten competitors ready and dressed backstage and primed for action. 

Jarrett – who once smashed a guitar over a guest’s head in a visit to the talkSPORT studios – explained in a 2023 interview that the call to axe their match altogether came only minutes after the ladder match ended.

“As the ladder match continued to build, it was great entertainment,” said the multi-time former Intercontinental champion.

“There were lots of moving parts backstage with producers and agents, and it was: ‘Are we on, are we off?’

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“We all stayed ready, even after the ladder match, but it was a minute-by-minute decision, and once they figured the math, they knew that it had to be cut.”

Asked exactly when they finally knew their fate for the evening, Jarrett added: “Within two or three minutes after the ladder match was over.

“When one match goes long, the entire card is adjusted, but within two or three minutes the decision was made.

“I have been around live television since I was 12 years old, and I had seen a lot of segments get cut – that’s just the nature of the beast.

“It did not surprise me at all. Sure, there’s disappointment involved in it, but it happens. 

“It didn’t take me long to digest: ladder match, or ten-man tag? It’s a pretty clear-cut answer.”

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Though WWE eventually staged the planned match on a later episode of Its weekly Monday Night Raw television show, Jarrett concedes it was never the same – and never could have been.

He quipped: “We all got paid exactly like we were to perform, so there’s no complaints there.

“You can’t recreate a WrestleMania moment. WrestleMania 10 took place at Madison Square Garden in front of a sold-out house.

“Shawn Michels and Razor Ramon stole the show, and rightly so. The fact we still talk about that today, hats off to them.”

Hart defeated Yokozuna in the final clash of the night to win the WWE title, the event proving to be a springboard for Owen’s career, who went on to win the King of the Ring tournament later that year.