PWI’s Mike Johnson reports the following on Jeff Jarrett’s status with TNA and his relationship with Karen Angle:
Jarrett is romantically involved with Karen Angle, as a caller (who claimed he was a former employee of TNA) on the Bubba the Love Sponge Show claimed last week. They aren’t living together, which is something the caller got wrong.
Johnson’s sources tell him that Kurt Angle has been aware of the relationship since he and Jarrett were feuding last fall.
Jarrett wasn’t forced in to the sabbatical he’s taking from TNA by Dixie Carter; he made the decision to take time off himself.
The recent drama flared up because of a custody battle between the Angles. Before that, Jarrett and Angle were able to work together. Jarrett plans to take time off until the situation resolves itself.
None of Johnson’s sources believe that Angle’s trying to use the situation to take over TNA creative. They also say that there’s no push to change the creative team or direction of the show right now, so any dreams of Heyman or Sapolsky booking TNA appear to be squashed right there.
Finally, some of Johnson’s sources believe that the call to “Bubba” that started the whole thing was “staged to out the issues”. Johnson’s not sure why someone would do that either.
UPDATE: In the new issue of Figure 4 Weekly, Bryan Alvarez says that Dixie Carter sent Jarrett home from Sunday’s PPV, and that Jeff had to be written out by Vince Russo and Dutch Mantel of several backstage segments at the PPV (as well as the next few TV tapings), including the Styles and Beer Money pep talk. Bryan also says that Angle’s contract with TNA is up in the next three months, and notes that he has been talking more positively about WWE and Vince McMahon lately. There are mixed thoughts as to whether or not WWE would in fact pursue him, however.
