On September 24th, 2006, one of wrestling’s most unique matches took place in a fan’s revenge Lumberjack match. As TNA presented No Surrender 2006, the match aired at the iMPACT Zone in Orlando, Florida.
The unique billing of the main event was unlike what wrestling had come to know when it came to Lumberjack matches.
The ‘fans’ revenge Lumberjack match’ between Samoa Joe and Jeff Jarrett featured 18 fans surrounding the ring, equipped with leather straps. Interestingly enough, it is one of two of the most unique matches on the card. That match, however, is for another day.
Fans Revenge Lumberjack Match – Samoa Joe vs. Jeff Jarrett.
Jeff Jarrett’s NWA World Championship is not on the line in this match. Jarrett is worried about Sting though, so he sends Eric Young to find Sting.
Jarrett also worried about the fans whipping him leather straps, so he has multiple layers of shirts on. Jarrett tries to go on offense early, but Joe is having none of it.
Samoa Joe tries to throw Jarrett to the floor, but he hangs on and rolls back into the ring before Jarrett can get whipped with a leather strap. Jarrett starts losing shirts, and Samoa Joe hits the STJoe on Jarrett.
Jarrett rolls to the floor and the fans take advantage, whip Jarrett with leather straps so Jarrett gets right back into the ring.
Jarrett knocks Samoa Joe to the floor, but the fans don’t go after Sonia Joe and whip him with leather straps. Jarrett goes out to the floor to bring Samoa Joe back into the ring, and the fans whip Jarrett again with leather straps.
Jarrett did get a hold of one of the leather straps and whipped Samoa Joe with it. Jarrett continues to use the leather strap as a weapon on Samoa Joe. Jarrett goes to the top rope and hits a cross body block, goes for a pinfall and gets a two count.
Since that didn’t work he tries a crossbody block from the mat and gets another two count. Jarrett tries a turn-around cross body from the second rope, but Samoa Joe casually avoids it.
Samoa Joe comes back with the inverted atomic drop, kick to the face, and a senton. Samoa Joe takes off Jarrett’s t-shirts and unleashes some chops. He backdrops Jarrett to the floor, and the fans whip him some more.
Back in the ring, a fan tosses Samoa Joe a leather strap, and he whips Jarrett with it. Jarrett comes back with a dropkick to the face.
Samoa Joe comes back with the snap powerslam for a two count. Jarrett gets a rollup for a two count. Jarrett uses his discarded t-shirts to choke Samoa Joe. Jarrett tries tying Samoa Joe to the ropes but Samoa Joe won’t let him.
Instead, Samoa Joe ties Jarrett to the top rope and invites the fans to come in the ring and take free shots at Jarrett’s back.
Referees stop the fans, but Jarrett is able to grab the guitar. Samoa puts on the Choke before he can use it though, and Jarrett reaches the ropes.
The ref gets distracted, and Jarrett hits the Stroke right onto the guitar but Samoa Joe kicks out! Samoa Joe comes back and wins a slap exchange but misses a knee in the corner.
Jarrett sets him up top and tries the Super Stroke, Samoa Joe avoids it and hits a big kick to Jarrett’s face. Samoa Joe with the Muscle Buster to Jarrett goes for a pinfall gets the 1-2-3!
Winner: the Fans Revenge Lumberjack Match, Samoa Joe.
In reflecting on the match, one of the more memorable visuals was Jarrett showing up in multiple shirts to protect himself from the straps. It became part of the match’s psychology.
As Joe peeled off Jarrett’s layers, it wasn’t just physical—it was symbolic, exposing Jarrett to the “fans” and the punishment.
This encouraged fans to get more involved as the match went on. The crowd whipped Jarrett’s back at ringside when Jarrett was outside the ring. Joe managed to entice the fans to act.
While it was risky to inviting fans into the ring, it became less so once Jarrett was tied to the top rope. This allowed them to strap him further.
While the match itself is remembered for various moments with the fans it is what came afterwards in the career of one man in particular.
It acted as a stepping stone for Samoa Joe: It added to his credibility and built toward his eventual matches with Sting and others. Joe’s clean win over Jarrett is often pointed to as one of the moments where TNA showed it could push new stars.
It also acted as an example of a gimmick match done with relatively modest resources: TNA in 2006 wasn’t WWE. This match showed creativity: using fans (with risk but sold properly), surprise elements (Jarrett’s layers, fans entering), and delivering a finish (Muscle Buster) that felt decisive.
The match also created a bit of a template for extreme fan participation: Many promotions since have toyed with allowing fans or crowd members to be more directly involved (especially in strap matches, fans-with-objects setups).
This “Fans’ Revenge” match is often cited (positively or negatively) in conversations about how far fan interaction should go.
The critical lessons that came from this match included the pacing as important as the concept. The build, payoff, and avoiding lag in the middle. Also, maintaining Jarrett’s heel credibility despite the loss was smart; it prevented him from being devalued entirely.
Fans’ Revenge Lumberjack Match
The “Fan’s Revenge” Lumberjack Match at No Surrender 2006 is an interesting case: part spectacle, part storytelling strategy, part risk.
It’s not always rated among TNA’s greatest matches, but its importance lies more in what it represented than in its perfection.
It showed TNA trying something different. It gave Samoa Joe a meaningful win over a major star under unusual circumstances. It created memorable visuals (Jarrett layers, fans with straps) that have stuck in fan memory.
For fans studying TNA’s mid-2000s booking, it’s a useful example of both ambition and the challenges of blending gimmick with wrestling substance
