"His own worst enemy" - Jeff Jarrett on former WWE Superstar who failed to live up to the hype

Jeff Jarrett believes Ahmed Johnson was “his own worst enemy” during his three-year spell in WWE between 1995 and 1998.

Johnson became the first African-American holder of a WWE singles title when he won the Intercontinental Championship from Goldust in 1996. Earlier that year, he defeated Jarrett at the Royal Rumble and feuded with the Hall of Famer at live events.

Speaking on his My World podcast, Jarrett said claims from Johnson that he may have been racist are “such nonsense.” The 54-year-old added that his former on-screen rival should have taken responsibility for failing to reach his potential:

“I thought that I had the same relationship with Ahmed that basically everybody else did. Here’s a guy, million dollar look, checks all the boxes, could make a fortune in this industry, but he’s gonna be his own worst enemy until he’s not. And if that is gonna change, it’s entirely up to him,” said Jarrett. [47:56-48:18]

Former WWE commentator and executive Jim Ross said on his Grilling JR podcast in 2021 that discussions once took place about Johnson becoming world champion. At the time, WWE’s higher-ups had concerns about the one-time Intercontinental Champion’s inexperience in the wrestling business.

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Jeff Jarrett did not have a problem with Ahmed Johnson

Ahmed Johnson did not get along with his fellow Nation of Domination members during his brief stint with the group in 1997. Nation member The Godfather claimed on the It’s My Wrestling Podcast last year that Johnson did not listen to their advice.

Jeff Jarrett went on to say that he never had issues with the former WWE Superstar behind the scenes when they worked together:

“I kind of got the feeling that he felt that way about everybody… I didn’t see him having good relationships with anybody, and I’m not knocking him per se. My perception of it all was I never thought he singled me out, like, ‘Hey, I don’t like Double J.’ Never. That’s my delusions, maybe, but I never thought that.” [48:53-49:26]

In Jarrett’s opinion, Johnson likely developed an entitled attitude due to the immediate success he achieved in WWE. He also believes his Royal Rumble 1996 opponent never fully understood the wrestling business.

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Please credit Jeff Jarrett’s My World podcast and give a H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling for the transcription if you use quotes from this article.