Jeffrey Nero Hardy (born August 31, 1977) is an American
professional wrestler. He is signed to
Total Nonstop Action Wrestling
Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (abbreviated as TNA Wrestling or TNA) is an American professional wrestling promotion based in Nashville, Tennessee. It is a subsidiary of Anthem Sports & Entertainment, a Canadian media company owned by busines ...
(TNA) and also appears on partner promotion
WWE on its
NXT brand.
He is regarded as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time as well as one of the most daring high flyers and risktakers throughout his career. Together with his brother
Matt Hardy
Matthew Moore Hardy (born September 23, 1974) is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler and actor. He is signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA), where he a former List of TNA World Tag Team Champions, three time TNA Wor ...
, the tag team
The Hardy Boyz
The Hardy Boyz are an American professional wrestling tag team consisting of brothers Jeff Hardy, Jeff and Matt Hardy. They are both signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA), where they are former three time TNA Tag Team Championship, TNA ...
are widely regarded as one of the major teams that revived tag team wrestling during the
Attitude Era and one of the greatest tag teams in professional wrestling history.
Born and raised in
Cameron, North Carolina
Cameron is a town in Moore County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 244 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, down from 285 in 2010 United States census, 2010.
History
Cameron grew up around a plank road that was follow ...
, Hardy started his career as a youth performing in the Trampoline Wrestling Federation, which he started alongside his brother Matt Hardy. Eventually, that would transition into the
Organization of Modern Extreme Grappling Arts (OMEGA) as they became older.
As a tag team, the Hardy Boyz worked as
enhancement talents for the
World Wrestling Federation (WWF) from 1994, and were signed to full-time contracts in 1998.
They gained notoriety in the
tag team
Tag team wrestling is a type of professional wrestling in which matches are contested between teams of multiple wrestlers. Tag teams may be made up of wrestlers who normally wrestle in singles competition, but more commonly are made of establis ...
division, partly due to their participation in
Tables, Ladders and Chairs matches.
With the addition of
Lita, the team became known as Team Xtreme and continued to rise in popularity. After splitting up as a team in 2002, Jeff's popularity as a singles wrestler began to grow. However, the brothers still teamed up sporadically in the years afterward, and together they have held twenty-one
world tag team championship
In professional wrestling, a championship or title is a recognition promoted by professional wrestling organizations. Championship reigns are determined by professional wrestling matches, in which competitors are involved in predetermined rival ...
s between WWE, TNA, ROH and other promotions.
Hardy had great success in his singles career, capturing his first of six
world championships, the
WWE Championship
The WWE Championship, also referred to as the Undisputed WWE Championship since April 2024, is a men's professional wrestling world heavyweight championship created and promoted by the American promotion WWE, defended on the SmackDown bran ...
, in 2008, and going on to hold WWE's
World Heavyweight Championship twice and the
TNA World Heavyweight Championship
The TNA World Championship is a professional wrestling world championship created and promoted by Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA). It is the promotion's principal championship. Like most professional wrestling championships, the title is won ...
three times. Within WWF/WWE, he has also won the
Intercontinental Championship five times, the
Hardcore Championship three times and the
European,
Light Heavyweight
Light heavyweight is a weight class in combat sports.
Boxing
Professional
In professional boxing, the division is above and up to , falling between super middleweight and cruiserweight (boxing), cruiserweight.
The light heavyweight class has ...
, and
United States Championships once each. Having won the required championships, he is the 18th
Triple Crown Champion and 9th
Grand Slam Champion in WWE history (one of five men to complete both WWE Grand Slam formats, and one of two to win all original Grand Slam titles). He has headlined numerous
pay-per-view
Pay-per-view (PPV) is a type of pay television or webcast service that enables a viewer to pay to watch individual events via private telecast.
Events can be purchased through a multichannel television platform using their electronic program ...
events for
WWE and
TNA, including TNA's flagship event,
Bound for Glory, on two occasions. Readers of ''
Pro Wrestling Illustrated
''Pro Wrestling Illustrated'' (''PWI'') is an American professional wrestling magazine that was founded in 1979 by publisher Stanley Weston. ''PWI'' is headquartered in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, and published by Kappa Publishing Group. The maga ...
'' named him "
Most Popular Wrestler of the Year" on two occasions.
Outside of professional wrestling, Hardy is involved in
motocross
Motocross is a form of off-road motorcycle racing held on enclosed off-road circuits. The sport evolved from motorcycle trials competitions held in the United Kingdom.
History
Motocross first evolved in Britain from motorcycle trials competi ...
, as well as artistic endeavors, particularly music and painting. He is currently a member of the band
PeroxWhy?Gen, with whom he tours and has released three studio albums and four extended plays. In 2003, Hardy, along with his brother Matt, co-wrote an autobiographical book of memoirs titled ''The Hardy Boyz''. Their book was a
New York Times Best Seller
''The New York Times'' Best Seller list is widely considered the preeminent list of best-selling books in the United States. John Bear, ''The #1 New York Times Best Seller: intriguing facts about the 484 books that have been #1 New York Times ...
.
Early life
Jeff Nero Hardy
is the son of Gilbert and Ruby Moore Hardy, and the younger brother of
Matt Hardy
Matthew Moore Hardy (born September 23, 1974) is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler and actor. He is signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA), where he a former List of TNA World Tag Team Champions, three time TNA Wor ...
.
Their mother died of brain cancer
A brain tumor (sometimes referred to as brain cancer) occurs when a group of cells within the brain turn cancerous and grow out of control, creating a mass. There are two main types of tumors: malignant (cancerous) tumors and benign (non-cance ...
in 1987, when Jeff Hardy was ten.
He developed an interest in motocross at age 12 and got his first bike, a Yamaha YZ-80.[ Hardy, Hardy, and Krugman: p. 11.] He had his first race when he was in the ninth grade
Ninth grade (also 9th grade or grade 9) is the ninth or tenth Educational stage, year of Formal education, formal or compulsory education in some countries. It is generally part of middle school or secondary school depending on country. Students i ...
.[ Hardy, Hardy, and Krugman: p. 12.] Hardy played baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball sport played between two team sport, teams of nine players each, taking turns batting (baseball), batting and Fielding (baseball), fielding. The game occurs over the course of several Pitch ...
when he was young, but had to stop after he crashed during a motocross race, injuring his arm. He also played football
Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...
during high school as a fullback and linebacker
Linebacker (LB) is a playing position in gridiron football. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and typically line up three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage and so back up the defensive linemen. They play closer to the line ...
. He briefly competed in amateur wrestling
Amateur wrestling is a variant of wrestling practiced at Olympic Games, Olympic, Collegiate wrestling, collegiate, Scholastic wrestling, scholastic, and other levels. There are two international wrestling styles performed at the Olympic Games, fr ...
in high school. He had to stop playing football in high school, after he was ordered to pick between professional wrestling
Professional wrestling, often shortened to either pro wrestling or wrestling,The term "wrestling" is most often widely used to specifically refer to modern scripted professional wrestling, though it is also used to refer to Real life, real- ...
and football, and he chose wrestling. Hardy's favorite subjects in school were U.S. history and art, which he did for extra credit.
Professional wrestling career
Early career (1993–1998)
Hardy, along with his brother Matt
Matt may refer to:
*Matt (name), people with the given name ''Matt'' or Matthew, meaning "gift from God", or the surname Matt
*In British English, of a surface: having a non-glossy finish, see gloss (material appearance)
*Matt, Switzerland, a mu ...
and friends, started their own federation, the Trampoline Wrestling Federation (TWF) and mimicked the moves they saw on television.[ Later on, the TWF went under several names, eventually being integrated into a county fair in ]North Carolina
North Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, South Carolina to the south, Georgia (U.S. stat ...
. The brothers and their friends then began to work for other independent companies. They drove all over the East Coast of the United States, working for companies such as ACW and other small promotions.
Before arriving in the WWF, Jeff and Matt formed their own wrestling promotion, the Organization of Modern Extreme Grappling Arts (OMEGA) with Thomas Simpson. The promotion was a more successful version of the original TWF and included talent such as both Hardy brothers, Shannon Moore
Shannon Moore (born July 27, 1979) is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is best known for his work with World Championship Wrestling (WCW) between 1999 and 2001 and with WWE, World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) for ...
, Gregory Helms, Joey Matthews, and Steve Corino, among others. In OMEGA, each of the brothers portrayed several characters; Hardy portrayed such characters as Willow the Wisp, Iceman, Mean Jimmy Jack Tomkins, and The Masked Mountain. While there, Hardy held the New Frontier Championship (NFC) as a singles competitor and the Tag Team Championship with Matt. The promotion folded in April 1998 when they signed contracts with the WWF.
World Wrestling Federation/World Wrestling Entertainment (1994–2003)
Early years (1994–1998)
Hardy cites Hulk Hogan
Terry Gene Bollea (; born August 11, 1953), better known by his ring name Hulk Hogan, is an American retired Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE as a brand ambassador. Known for his flamboyance and massive physiq ...
, The Ultimate Warrior
Warrior (born James Brian Hellwig; June 16, 1959 – April 8, 2014) was an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler, Bodybuilding, bodybuilder and Motivational speaker, motivational speaker. Best known by his ring name The Ultima ...
, Sting, and Shawn Michaels
Shawn Michaels (born Michael Shawn Hickenbottom on July 22, 1965) is an American retired professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE, where he is the Senior Vice President of Talent Development, Creative, and oversees the creative aspects of th ...
as his childhood inspirations to wrestle. He started on World Wrestling Federation (WWF) television as a jobber. His first WWF match was against Razor Ramon on May 23, 1994, in Youngstown, Ohio
Youngstown is a city in Mahoning County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. It is the List of municipalities in Ohio, 11th-most populous city in Ohio with a population of 60,068 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. The Mahoning ...
, with Randy Savage
Randy Mario Poffo (November 15, 1952 – May 20, 2011), better known by his ring name "Macho Man" Randy Savage, was an American professional wrestler and professional baseball player, best known for his time in the World Wrestling Federation ( ...
mentioning on commentary, "Welcome to the big time". His ringname that night, Keith Davis, was the name of Razor's scheduled jobber, who backed out on short notice. Gary Sabaugh, who had brought Hardy in a group along with Davis, suggested him to agent Tony Garea, who agreed after Hardy claimed he was 18 (he was in fact, only 16). The next day, he wrestled under his real name against The 1–2–3 Kid, and the match aired on the June 25, 1994, episode of '' Superstars''. Later on faced against King Kong Bundy and Jim Neidhart, Owen Hart and Triple H
Paul Michael Levesque (; born July 27, 1969), also known by the ring name Triple H, is an American business executive and former professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE, where he serves as its chief content officer.
Levesque began his wres ...
. Hardy defeated Razor Ramon by countout on WWF Superstars January 13, 1996 (taped December 19, 1995) when Goldust's handler distracted Razor and Razor chased after him. In 1996, he would be teamed with his brother, Matt and occasionally wrestled as a jobber as late as May 1998 (including a match against Rob Van Dam
Robert Szatkowski (born December 18, 1970) better known by his ring name Rob Van Dam (frequently abbreviated to RVD) is an American professional wrestler. Known for his unique ring style—which includes his variety of kicks, acrobatic movemen ...
during the ECW "invasion" storyline that had Hardy billed as being from Virginia
Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States between the East Coast of the United States ...
instead of Cameron, North Carolina
Cameron is a town in Moore County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 244 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, down from 285 in 2010 United States census, 2010.
History
Cameron grew up around a plank road that was follow ...
)[
]
The Hardy Boyz (1998–2002)
The Hardy brothers eventually caught the eyes of the World Wrestling Federation (WWF). After being signed to a contract in 1998,[ they were trained by Dory Funk Jr. in his Funkin' Dojo with other notable wrestlers such as ]Kurt Angle
Kurt Steven Angle (born December 9, 1968) is an American retired professional wrestler and amateur wrestling, amateur wrestler. He first earned recognition for winning a Wrestling at the 1996 Summer Olympics – Men's freestyle 100 kg, gold me ...
, Christian
A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a Monotheism, monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the wo ...
, Test
Test(s), testing, or TEST may refer to:
* Test (assessment), an educational assessment intended to measure the respondents' knowledge or other abilities
Arts and entertainment
* ''Test'' (2013 film), an American film
* ''Test'' (2014 film) ...
, and A-Train. When the team was finally brought up to WWF television, after months of " jobbing" and live events, they then formed the acrobatic tag team called the Hardy Boyz. While feuding with The Brood in mid-1999, they added Michael Hayes as their manager
Management (or managing) is the administration of organizations, whether businesses, nonprofit organizations, or a government bodies through business administration, nonprofit management, or the political science sub-field of public administra ...
. On July 5, they won their first WWF Tag Team Championship by defeating the Acolytes, but lost it back to them a month later. After the dissolution of the Brood, the Hardys joined forces with Gangrel as The New Brood and feuded with Edge and Christian. This stable
A stable is a building in which working animals are kept, especially horses or oxen. The building is usually divided into stalls, and may include storage for equipment and feed.
Styles
There are many different types of stables in use tod ...
did not last long, however, and on October 17 at No Mercy, the Hardy Boyz won the managerial services of Terri Runnels in the finals of the Terri Invitational Tournament in the WWF's first ever tag team ladder match
A ladder match is a type of match in professional wrestling, most commonly one in which an item (usually a title belt) is hung above the ring, and the winner is the contestant who climbs a ladder and retrieves the item. The ladder itself become ...
against Edge and Christian. They competed in the first ever tag team triple threat ladder match against The Dudley Boyz
The Dudley Boyz (also known as Team 3D) are an American professional wrestling tag team who consisted of kayfabe half-brothers Bubba Ray Dudley and D-Von Dudley. The team was also joined by various Dudley Brothers, Dudley family members, notably ...
, and Edge & Christian at WrestleMania 2000 on April 2, 2000, in which Edge & Christian won. During the match, Hardy performed a Swanton Bomb to Bubba Ray Dudley off a 20-foot ladder.
In 2000, the Hardy Boyz found a new manager in their real-life friend Lita. Together, the three became known as " Team Xtreme". They continued their feud with Edge and Christian throughout 2000, defeating them for the WWF Tag Team Championship on two occasions. At SummerSlam
SummerSlam is a professional wrestling event, produced annually since 1988 by the world's largest professional wrestling promotion, WWE. Dubbed "The Biggest Party of the Summer", it is considered WWE's second biggest event of the year behind th ...
on August 27, the Hardy Boyz competed in perhaps the most physically demanding type of match they had competed in thus far- the first ever Tables, Ladders, and Chairs match
A tables, ladders, and chairs match, often abbreviated as TLC, is a type of professional wrestling match that originated within the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE).
The TLC match is a variation of a ladder match, which is modified to c ...
(TLC match)- in their hometown of Raleigh
Raleigh ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is the List of municipalities in North Carolina, second-most populous city in the state (after Charlotte, North Carolina, Charlotte) ...
, for the Tag Team Championship against the Dudley Boyz
The Dudley Boyz (also known as Team 3D) are an American professional wrestling tag team who consisted of kayfabe half-brothers Bubba Ray Dudley and D-Von Dudley. The team was also joined by various Dudley family members, notably Spike Dudley and ...
and Edge & Christian, but were unsuccessful. The second TLC match at WrestleMania X-Seven on April 1, 2001, in Houston
Houston ( ) is the List of cities in Texas by population, most populous city in the U.S. state of Texas and in the Southern United States. Located in Southeast Texas near Galveston Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, it is the county seat, seat of ...
, which is regarded as one of the greatest matches in WWE history they faced off once again against Edge & Christian and the Dudley Boyz but lost to Edge & Christian.
Hardy gained attention for his high risk stunts in the TLC matches, such as doing Swanton Bomb frontflips off of the top steps of 10 and 20 foot high steel ladders, making a name for himself as one of the most seemingly reckless and unorthodox WWF performers of his time. In 2001, Hardy received a push as a singles competitor, and he held the Intercontinental
InterContinental Hotels & Resorts by IHG is a British-American luxury hotel brand created in 1946 by Pan Am founder Juan Trippe. It has been part of UK-based InterContinental Hotels Group since 1998. As of January 2023, there were 208 InterC ...
(defeating Triple H
Paul Michael Levesque (; born July 27, 1969), also known by the ring name Triple H, is an American business executive and former professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE, where he serves as its chief content officer.
Levesque began his wres ...
), Light Heavyweight
Light heavyweight is a weight class in combat sports.
Boxing
Professional
In professional boxing, the division is above and up to , falling between super middleweight and cruiserweight (boxing), cruiserweight.
The light heavyweight class has ...
(defeating Jerry Lynn
Jeremy Lynn (born June 12, 1963), better known by the ring name Jerry Lynn, is an American retired professional wrestler signed with All Elite Wrestling as a producer and coach.
Lynn has worked for professional wrestling promotion, promotions ...
) and Hardcore Championships (defeating Mike Awesome
Michael Lee Alfonso (January 24, 1965 – February 17, 2007) was an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He was best known for his appearances with the American professional wrestling promotions Extreme Championship Wrestling ...
and Van Dam on two occasions). At the end of 2001, the Hardys began a storyline in which they began to fight, which led to Matt demanding a match at Vengeance on December 9, with Lita as the special guest referee. After Hardy beat Matt by pinfall at Vengeance, while Matt's foot was on the ropes, Hardy and Lita began feuding against Matt. In the middle of the feud, however, Hardy faced The Undertaker
Mark William Calaway (born March 24, 1965), better known by his ring name the Undertaker, is an American retired Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. Widely regarded as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time, Calaway ...
in a Hardcore Championship match on the December 17 episode of ''Raw'' and lost. After the match, The Undertaker was scripted to attack both Hardy and Lita, injuring them. On the next episode of ''SmackDown!
''WWE SmackDown'', also known as ''Friday Night SmackDown'' or simply ''SmackDown'', is an American professional wrestling television program produced by WWE. It airs live every Friday at 8 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on USA Network in the United ...
'', The Undertaker attacked Matt as well, also injuring him, in storyline. The Hardys and Lita were not seen again until the Royal Rumble
The Royal Rumble is a professional wrestling event, produced annually since 1988 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. It is named after, and centered on, the Royal Rumble match, a modified Battle royal (professional wre ...
on January 20, 2002, because WWF did not have another storyline for their characters. The Hardys later came back as a team, and there was never any mention of their previous storyline split.
In early April, the Hardy Boyz began a feud with Brock Lesnar
Brock Edward Lesnar ( ; born July 12, 1977) is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler and former Mixed martial arts, mixed martial artist, Amateur wrestling, amateur wrestler and professional American football player. As a ...
after Lesnar gave Matt an F-5 on the steel entrance ramp, which led to an angered Hardy seeking revenge on Lesnar. At Backlash
Backlash may refer to:
Literature
* '' Backlash: The Undeclared War Against American Women'', a 1991 book by Susan Faludi
* ''Backlash'' (Star Wars novel), a 2010 novel by Aaron Allston
* Backlash (Marc Slayton), a comic book character from ...
on April 21, Hardy faced-off against Lesnar in Lesnar's first televised match. Lesnar dominated Hardy and won the match by knockout. Lesnar and the Hardys continued to feud over the next few weeks, with the Hardys coming out victorious only once by disqualification. At Judgment Day
The Last Judgment is a concept found across the Abrahamic religions and the '' Frashokereti'' of Zoroastrianism.
Christianity considers the Second Coming of Jesus Christ to entail the final judgment by God of all people who have ever lived, res ...
on May 19, Lesnar gained the upper hand on the Hardy Boyz before tagging his partner, Paul Heyman
Paul Heyman (born September 11, 1965) is an American professional wrestling manager, former executive, promoter, and commentator. He is signed to WWE as the on-screen manager of Seth Rollins, Bron Breakker, and Bronson Reed, and is widely regard ...
, in to claim the win for the team. In July 2002, Hardy won his third Hardcore Championship by defeating Bradshaw.
Singles championship reigns and departure (2002–2003)
After years in the tag team division, Hardy took on The Undertaker
Mark William Calaway (born March 24, 1965), better known by his ring name the Undertaker, is an American retired Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. Widely regarded as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time, Calaway ...
in a ladder match
A ladder match is a type of match in professional wrestling, most commonly one in which an item (usually a title belt) is hung above the ring, and the winner is the contestant who climbs a ladder and retrieves the item. The ladder itself become ...
for the WWE Undisputed Championship
The WWE Championship, also referred to as the Undisputed WWE Championship since April 2024, is a men's professional wrestling World championship (professional wrestling), world heavyweight championship created and promoted by the American profe ...
on the July 1 episode of ''Raw''. Hardy came up short in the intense match, but earned The Undertaker's respect when he displayed courage by attempting to rise to his feet after the bout and challenge The Undertaker to continue. Hardy competed for singles titles on several occasions and defeated William Regal
Darren Kenneth Matthews (born 10 May 1968), better known by the ring name William Regal, is an English retired professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE, where he serves as the vice-president of Global Talent Development. He is also known for ...
for the European Championship on the July 8 episode of ''Raw''. Hardy was defeated a few weeks later by Rob Van Dam
Robert Szatkowski (born December 18, 1970) better known by his ring name Rob Van Dam (frequently abbreviated to RVD) is an American professional wrestler. Known for his unique ring style—which includes his variety of kicks, acrobatic movemen ...
on the July 22 episode of ''Raw'' in a ladder match to unify the European Championship and the Intercontinental Championship, and the European Championship was retired. Finally, the Hardy Boyz split apart, as Hardy continued to pursue his singles ambitions on Raw and his brother, Matt left Raw for his own singles pursuits signing with Stephanie McMahon's SmackDown!
''WWE SmackDown'', also known as ''Friday Night SmackDown'' or simply ''SmackDown'', is an American professional wrestling television program produced by WWE. It airs live every Friday at 8 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on USA Network in the United ...
brand. On Raw, Hardy would compete in WWE's Hardcore division until the title's unification with the Intercontinental Championship.
In late 2002, Hardy had been teaming with Rob Van Dam and Bubba Ray Dudley. He along with Bubba Ray and Spike Dudley
Matthew Jonathan Hyson (born August 13, 1970) is an American semi-retired Professional wrestling, professional wrestler best known for his tenure in WWE, World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) as Spike Dudley. Prior to WWE, Hyson began performing ...
defeated 3-Minute Warning at Survivor Series
Survivor Series, branded as Survivor Series: WarGames since 2022, is a professional wrestling event produced annually since 1987 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. Held in November generally the week of Thanksgiving ( ...
on November 17 in a six-man tag team elimination tables match.
In January 2003, Hardy briefly turned into a heel
The heel is the prominence at the posterior end of the foot. It is based on the projection of one bone, the calcaneus or heel bone, behind the articulation of the bones of the lower leg.
Structure
To distribute the compressive forces exerted ...
(villain) after he attacked Van Dam and Shawn Michaels
Shawn Michaels (born Michael Shawn Hickenbottom on July 22, 1965) is an American retired professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE, where he is the Senior Vice President of Talent Development, Creative, and oversees the creative aspects of th ...
. It ended a month later when he saved Stacy Keibler from an attack by then-villain, Christian
A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a Monotheism, monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the wo ...
. In February, he had a brief program with Michaels, which saw the two team up. Then, in storyline, Hardy began dating Trish Stratus after saving her from Steven Richards and Victoria in March. Hardy and Stratus had a brief on-screen relationship that saw the duo talking backstage and teaming together in matches. Hardy competed in his final match (his first departure) against The Rock and lost. Hardy was released from WWE on April 22, 2003. The reasons given for the release were Hardy's erratic behavior, drug use, refusal to go to rehab, deteriorating ring performance, as well as constant tardiness and no-showing events. Hardy also cited "burn out" and the need for time off as reasons for leaving WWE.[
]
Independent circuit and Ring of Honor (2003)
On May 24, 2003, Hardy made his first wrestling appearance after being released by WWE during a show for the promotion OMEGA. There, he used his old gimmick, "Willow the Wisp", and challenged Krazy K in a match for the OMEGA Cruiserweight Championship, in which he was defeated.
This same year, he also appeared on Ring of Honor
Ring of Honor (ROH) is an American professional wrestling promotion based in Jacksonville, Florida. The promotion was founded by Rob Feinstein on February 23, 2002, and was operated by Cary Silkin from 2004 until 2011; the promotion was subs ...
(ROH) at the event ''Death Before Dishonour'', once again as "Willow the Wisp", wearing a mask and a trench coat. As Willow, he participated in a triple-threat match against Joey Matthews and Krazy K, having the victory and during the which he was quickly unmasked and lost his jacket, being left in an attire similar to the one he wore in WWE. Because of this, he was booed before, during, and after the match by the ROH audience, who chanted "We want Matt!" and "You got fired!".
Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (2004–2006)
Hardy debuted in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling
Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (abbreviated as TNA Wrestling or TNA) is an American professional wrestling promotion based in Nashville, Tennessee. It is a subsidiary of Anthem Sports & Entertainment, a Canadian media company owned by busines ...
(TNA) on June 23, 2004, at the ''Second Anniversary Show'', in a match against A.J. Styles, for the TNA X Division Championship. He also debuted his new entrance theme "Modest", a song performed by Hardy himself, and a new nickname, "The Charismatic Enigma". The match ended in a no contest when Kid Kash and Dallas
Dallas () is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the most populous city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of Texas metropolitan areas, most populous metropolitan area in Texas and the Metropolitan statistical area, fourth-most ...
interfered. Hardy returned to TNA on July 21 and was awarded a shot at the NWA World Heavyweight Championship
The NWA World's Heavyweight Championship is a men's professional wrestling Professional wrestling championship#World championships, world heavyweight championship owned and promoted by the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA), an American professiona ...
. Hardy challenged for the title on September 8, losing to NWA World Heavyweight Champion Jeff Jarrett
Jeffrey Leonard Jarrett (born July 14, 1967) is an American professional wrestler and professional wrestling promoter. He is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he both wrestles and serves as Director of Business Development. He is also ...
. In October, he won a tournament, earning a shot at the NWA World Heavyweight Championship on November 7 at Victory Road, TNA's first monthly pay-per-view. Hardy was defeated by Jarrett once again in a ladder match at Victory Road following interference from Kevin Nash
Kevin Scott Nash (born July 9, 1959) is an American actor, podcaster and retired professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE under a legends contract. He is also known for his tenures in World Championship Wrestling (WCW) and Total Nonstop Ac ...
and Scott Hall
Scott Oliver Hall (October 20, 1958 – March 14, 2022) was an American professional wrestler. He was best known for his tenures with World Championship Wrestling (WCW) under his real name and with the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE ...
.
At Turning Point on December 5, Hardy, Styles and Randy Savage
Randy Mario Poffo (November 15, 1952 – May 20, 2011), better known by his ring name "Macho Man" Randy Savage, was an American professional wrestler and professional baseball player, best known for his time in the World Wrestling Federation ( ...
defeated Jarrett, Hall and Nash (collectively known as the Kings of Wrestling). Hardy went on to defeat Hall in a singles match, substituting for Héctor Garza at Final Resolution on January 16, 2005.
At Against All Odds on February 13, Hardy lost to Abyss
Abyss may refer to:
Religion
* Abyss (religion), a bottomless pit, or a passage to the underworld
* Abyss (Thelema), a spiritual principle within the system of Thelema
Film and television
* ''The Abyss'' (1910 film), a Danish silent film s ...
in a "Full Metal Mayhem" match for the number one contendership to the NWA World Heavyweight Championship. Hardy returned the favor by defeating Abyss in a Falls Count Anywhere match
Many types of wrestling matches, sometimes called " gimmick matches" in the jargon of the business, are performed in professional wrestling. Some gimmick matches are more common than others and are often used to advance or conclude a storyline. ...
at Destination X on March 13. On the March 25 episode of '' Impact!'', Hardy teamed with Shocker defeating David Young and Lex Lovett. Hardy then went on to feud with Raven
A raven is any of several large-bodied passerine bird species in the genus '' Corvus''. These species do not form a single taxonomic group within the genus. There is no consistent distinction between crows and ravens; the two names are assigne ...
, Hardy defeated Raven in a Six sides of steel match at Lockdown
A lockdown () is a restriction policy for people, community or a country to stay where they are, usually due to specific risks that could possibly harm the people if they move and interact freely.
The term is used for a prison protocol that us ...
on April 24. Hardy was suspended from TNA after no-showing his "Clockwork Orange House of Fun" rematch with Raven at Hard Justice on May 15, allegedly due to travel difficulties. Hardy's suspension was lifted on August 5, and he returned at Sacrifice
Sacrifice is an act or offering made to a deity. A sacrifice can serve as propitiation, or a sacrifice can be an offering of praise and thanksgiving.
Evidence of ritual animal sacrifice has been seen at least since ancient Hebrews and Gree ...
on August 14, attacking Jeff Jarrett.
He wrestled his first TNA match in four months at Unbreakable on September 11, losing to Bobby Roode
Robert Francis Roode Jr. (born May 11, 1976) is a Canadian retired Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE, where he is a Producer (professional wrestling), producer and was formerly an in-ring performer.
Roode is known ...
following interference from Jarrett. Throughout October 2005, Hardy became embroiled in a feud with Abyss, Rhino
A rhinoceros ( ; ; ; : rhinoceros or rhinoceroses), commonly abbreviated to rhino, is a member of any of the five extant taxon, extant species (or numerous extinct species) of odd-toed ungulates (perissodactyls) in the family (biology), famil ...
and Sabu. The four-way feud culminated in a Monster's Ball match at Bound for Glory on October 23, which Rhino won after delivering a second rope Rhino Driver to Hardy. In the course of the match, Hardy delivered a Swanton Bomb to Abyss from a height of approximately . Later that night, Hardy competed in a ten-man battle royal
Battle royal (, also battle royale) traditionally refers to a fight involving many combatants, usually conducted under either boxing or wrestling rules, where the winner is the one who registers the most wins. In recent times, the term has been ...
for the number one contendership to the NWA World Heavyweight Championship, which Rhino also won. At Genesis in November, Hardy lost to Monty Brown
Montaque "Monty" Brown (born April 13, 1970) is an American retired Professional wrestling, professional wrestler and National Football League, NFL linebacker. In professional wrestling, he is best known for his time with Total Nonstop Action W ...
in another number one contender match.
Hardy was scheduled to wrestle on the pre-show of Turning Point on December 11, but once again no-showed the event, again citing traveling problems. Hardy was suspended as a result and did not appear on TNA television again. In March, April, and May 2006, Hardy appeared on several live events promoted by TNA in conjunction with Dave Hebner and the United Wrestling Federation. Hardy was later released from his TNA contract in June 2006.
Return to WWE (2006–2009)
The Hardy Boyz reunion (2006–2007)
On August 4, 2006, WWE announced that Hardy had re-signed with the company. In the following weeks, vignettes aired hyping his return on the August 21 episode of ''Raw''. On the day of his return, Hardy confronted then WWE Champion Edge
Edge or EDGE may refer to:
Technology Computing
* Edge computing, a network load-balancing system
* Edge device, an entry point to a computer network
* Adobe Edge, a graphical development application
* Microsoft Edge, a web browser developed by ...
, before an altercation between the two that ended when Lita pulled Edge out of the ring, preventing Hardy from delivering a Swanton Bomb. After failing to capture the Intercontinental Championship from Johnny Nitro over the next few weeks, including at Unforgiven
''Unforgiven'' is a 1992 American revisionist Western film produced and directed by Clint Eastwood from a screenplay by David Webb Peoples. It stars Eastwood as William Munny, an aging outlaw and killer who takes on one more job years after ...
on September 17, Hardy finally defeated Nitro to win his second Intercontinental Championship on the October 2 episode of ''Raw''. On the November 6 episode of ''Raw'', Hardy lost the Intercontinental Championship back to Nitro, after Nitro hit him with the Intercontinental Championship title belt. One week later, Hardy regained the Intercontinental Championship from Nitro on the November 13 episode of ''Raw'', with a crucifix pin. This marked Hardy's third reign as Intercontinental Champion.
On the November 21 episode of '' ECW'', Hardy teamed with his brother, Matt, for the first time in four years to defeat The Full Blooded Italians. At Survivor Series
Survivor Series, branded as Survivor Series: WarGames since 2022, is a professional wrestling event produced annually since 1987 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. Held in November generally the week of Thanksgiving ( ...
on November 26, they both were a part of Team D-Generation X
D-Generation X (DX), is an American professional wrestling Glossary of professional wrestling terms#Stable, stable, and later a tag team, who consisted of various members mostly Generation X wrestlers, most notably Shawn Michaels, Triple H, Ch ...
, which gained the victory over Team Rated-RKO with a clean sweep. The brothers then received their first opportunity since Hardy's return to win a tag team championship at Armageddon
Armageddon ( ; ; ; from ) is the prophesied gathering of armies for a battle during the end times, according to the Book of Revelation in the New Testament of the Christian Bible. Armageddon is variously interpreted as either a literal or a ...
on December 17. They competed in a four-team ladder match for the WWE Tag Team Championship
The WWE Tag Team Championship is a men's professional wrestling world tag team championship created and promoted by the United States, American professional wrestling promotion, promotion WWE, defended on the SmackDown (WWE brand), SmackDown WWE ...
, but they came up short in their attempt. In the course of the match, however, they inadvertently legitimately injured Joey Mercury's face.
With Hardy still feuding with Johnny Nitro and the other members of MNM, he was challenged once again by Nitro at New Year's Revolution
WWE New Year's Revolution is a professional wrestling event produced by WWE, a professional wrestling promotion based in Connecticut. The event was created in 2005 and its name is a play on the Western tradition of New Year's resolutions, being ...
on January 7, 2007, in a steel cage match
Many types of wrestling matches, sometimes called "Glossary of professional wrestling terms#Gimmick, gimmick matches" in the Glossary of professional wrestling terms, jargon of the business, are performed in professional wrestling. Some gimmick m ...
for the Intercontinental Championship. Hardy once again defeated Nitro. Hardy then teamed with Matt to defeat MNM at both the Royal Rumble
The Royal Rumble is a professional wrestling event, produced annually since 1988 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. It is named after, and centered on, the Royal Rumble match, a modified Battle royal (professional wre ...
on January 28 and No Way Out on February 18. The next night on the February 19 episode of ''Raw'', Hardy lost the Intercontinental Championship to Umaga. Hardy competed in the Money in the Bank ladder match
The Money in the Bank ladder match is a multi-person ladder match held by the professional wrestling promotion WWE. First performed at WWE's annual WrestleMania event beginning in 2005, a separate WWE Money in the Bank, Money in the Bank event w ...
at WrestleMania 23 on April 1. During the match, Matt threw Edge onto a ladder and encouraged Hardy, who was close to the winning briefcase, to finish Edge off. Hardy then leaped off the ladder, drove Edge through the ladder with a leg drop, injuring both Edge and himself. The two were unable to continue the match and were removed from ringside on stretchers.
The night after WrestleMania on the April 2 episode of ''Raw'', the Hardys competed in a 10-team battle royal for the World Tag Team Championship
In professional wrestling, a championship or title is a recognition promoted by professional wrestling organizations. Championship reigns are determined by professional wrestling matches, in which competitors are involved in predetermined rival ...
. They won the titles from then WWE Champion John Cena
John Felix Anthony Cena ( ; born April 23, 1977) is an American actor and professional wrestler. As a wrestler, he has been signed to WWE , where he is the current WWE Championship, Undisputed WWE Champion in his record 14th reign, which is ...
and Shawn Michaels by last eliminating Lance Cade and Trevor Murdoch. They then began a feud with Cade and Murdoch, with the Hardys retaining the Championship in their first title defense against them at Backlash
Backlash may refer to:
Literature
* '' Backlash: The Undeclared War Against American Women'', a 1991 book by Susan Faludi
* ''Backlash'' (Star Wars novel), a 2010 novel by Aaron Allston
* Backlash (Marc Slayton), a comic book character from ...
on April 29 and again at Judgment Day
The Last Judgment is a concept found across the Abrahamic religions and the '' Frashokereti'' of Zoroastrianism.
Christianity considers the Second Coming of Jesus Christ to entail the final judgment by God of all people who have ever lived, res ...
on May 20. The Hardys then defended their titles against The World's Greatest Tag Team in a Ladder match
A ladder match is a type of match in professional wrestling, most commonly one in which an item (usually a title belt) is hung above the ring, and the winner is the contestant who climbs a ladder and retrieves the item. The ladder itself become ...
at One Night Stand on June 3. However, the next night on ''Raw'', the Hardys lost the titles to Cade and Murdoch, competing through injuries sustained in their previous night's ladder match. The Hardys earned a rematch at Vengeance: Night of Champions on June 24 but were defeated.
Intercontinental Champion (2007–2008)
In the midst of feuding with Umaga, who defeated Hardy at The Great American Bash on July 22 to retain the Intercontinental Championship, Hardy was abruptly taken off WWE programming. He posted on his own website and in the forums of TheHardyShow.com that it was time off to heal, stemming from a bad fall taken in a match against Mr. Kennedy
Kenneth Anthony Anderson (born March 6, 1976) is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is known for his tenure in WWE from 2005 to 2009 under the ring name Mr. Kennedy, and his tenure in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, T ...
on the July 23 episode of ''Raw''. He made his return on the August 27 episode of ''Raw'', defeating Kennedy by disqualification after Umaga interfered. The following week, on the September 3 episode of ''Raw'', Hardy captured his fourth Intercontinental Championship by defeating Umaga.
This was the start of a push for Hardy, and at Survivor Series
Survivor Series, branded as Survivor Series: WarGames since 2022, is a professional wrestling event produced annually since 1987 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. Held in November generally the week of Thanksgiving ( ...
on November 18, Hardy and Triple H were the last two men remaining to win the traditional elimination match
Much like the Singles match (professional wrestling), singles match, tag team professional wrestling matches can and have taken many forms. Just about any singles or melee match type can be adapted to tag teams; for example, Hardcore wrestling, ha ...
. Hardy began an on and off tag team with Triple H, which eventually led to a respectful feud between the two. The rivalry continued at Armageddon
Armageddon ( ; ; ; from ) is the prophesied gathering of armies for a battle during the end times, according to the Book of Revelation in the New Testament of the Christian Bible. Armageddon is variously interpreted as either a literal or a ...
on December 16, when Hardy defeated Triple H to become the number one contender for the WWE Championship at the Royal Rumble
The Royal Rumble is a professional wrestling event, produced annually since 1988 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. It is named after, and centered on, the Royal Rumble match, a modified Battle royal (professional wre ...
on January 27, 2008. In the weeks leading up to the Royal Rumble, Hardy and Randy Orton
Randal Keith Orton (born April 1, 1980) is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He has been signed to WWE since 2000, where he performs on the SmackDown (WWE brand), SmackDown brand. Orton is widely regarded as one of t ...
engaged in a personal feud, which began when Orton kicked Hardy's brother, Matt, in the head in the storyline on the December 31 episode of ''Raw''. Hardy, in retaliation, performed a Swanton Bomb on Orton from the top of the Raw set on the January 14 episode of ''Raw'' and seemed to have all the momentum after coming out on top in their encounters. Hardy, however, lost the title match at the Royal Rumble, but was named as one of six men to compete in the Raw Elimination Chamber match at No Way Out on February 17, where he survived to the final two before being eliminated by the eventual winner, Triple H.
During the March 3 episode of ''Raw'', Hardy appeared on Chris Jericho
Christopher Keith Irvine (born November 9, 1970), better known by the ring name Chris Jericho, is an American-Canadian professional wrestler, rock musician, and actor. As a wrestler, he has been signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW) , where he ...
's " Highlight Reel" segment as a special guest, but ended up attacking Jericho. This led to an Intercontinental title match on the following ''Raw'' where Hardy dropped the title to Jericho. Off-screen, Hardy dropped the title after he was suspended for sixty days, as of March 11, for his second violation of the company's Substance Abuse and Drug Testing Policy. Hardy was also removed from the Money in the Bank ladder match at WrestleMania XXIV
WrestleMania XXIV was a 2008 professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) List of WWE pay-per-view events, event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). It was the 24th annual WrestleMania and took place on March 30, 2008, at the Camping Wo ...
on March 30 in which he was booked to win after the suspension was announced. Hardy returned on the May 12 episode of ''Raw'', defeating Umaga. This reignited the rivalry between the two, and they met in a Falls Count Anywhere match at One Night Stand on June 1, which Hardy won.
World Championship reigns and departure (2008–2009)
On the June 23 episode of ''Raw'', Hardy was drafted to the SmackDown brand as a part of the 2008 WWE draft
The 2008 World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) draft, the sixth WWE draft, took place at the AT&T Center in San Antonio, Texas, on June 23. The draft took place live for three hours on '' Raw.'' Every WWE wrestler, announcer, commentator, and ...
. Hardy made his debut for the brand on the July 4 episode of ''SmackDown'', defeating John Morrison. Hardy participated in the WWE Championship Scramble match at Unforgiven
''Unforgiven'' is a 1992 American revisionist Western film produced and directed by Clint Eastwood from a screenplay by David Webb Peoples. It stars Eastwood as William Munny, an aging outlaw and killer who takes on one more job years after ...
on September 7 and also challenged for the championship at No Mercy on October 5 and Cyber Sunday on October 26, but failed to win each time. He was originally scheduled to be in the WWE Championship match at Survivor Series
Survivor Series, branded as Survivor Series: WarGames since 2022, is a professional wrestling event produced annually since 1987 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. Held in November generally the week of Thanksgiving ( ...
on November 23, but, in storyline, was found unconscious in his hotel stairwell, allowing the returning Edge to replace him in the match and win the title. At Armageddon
Armageddon ( ; ; ; from ) is the prophesied gathering of armies for a battle during the end times, according to the Book of Revelation in the New Testament of the Christian Bible. Armageddon is variously interpreted as either a literal or a ...
on December 14, Hardy defeated Edge and Triple H in a triple threat match to capture the WWE Championship, his first world championship
A world championship is generally an international competition open to elite competitors from around the world, representing their nations, and winning such an event will be considered the highest or near highest achievement in the sport, game ...
.
In January 2009, Hardy's next storyline led to his involvement in scripted accidents, including a hit-and-run automobile accident and an accident involving his ring entrance pyrotechnics
Pyrotechnics is the science and craft of creating fireworks, but also includes safety matches, oxygen candles, Pyrotechnic fastener, explosive bolts (and other fasteners), parts of automotive airbags, as well as gas-pressure blasting in mining, q ...
. At the Royal Rumble
The Royal Rumble is a professional wrestling event, produced annually since 1988 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. It is named after, and centered on, the Royal Rumble match, a modified Battle royal (professional wre ...
on January 25, Hardy lost the WWE Championship back to Edge after Hardy's brother, Matt, interfered and turned on Hardy, hitting him with a steel chair. The buildup to this feud involved Matt implying that he was responsible for all of Hardy's accidents over the past few months, and at WrestleMania 25 on April 5, Matt defeated Hardy in an Extreme Rules match and in a stretcher match on the April 10 episode of ''SmackDown''. In a rematch at Backlash
Backlash may refer to:
Literature
* '' Backlash: The Undeclared War Against American Women'', a 1991 book by Susan Faludi
* ''Backlash'' (Star Wars novel), a 2010 novel by Aaron Allston
* Backlash (Marc Slayton), a comic book character from ...
on April 26, however, Hardy defeated Matt in an "I Quit" match to end the feud.
On the following episode of ''SmackDown'', Hardy won a fatal four-way elimination match to become the number one contender for Edge's World Heavyweight Championship at Judgment Day
The Last Judgment is a concept found across the Abrahamic religions and the '' Frashokereti'' of Zoroastrianism.
Christianity considers the Second Coming of Jesus Christ to entail the final judgment by God of all people who have ever lived, res ...
on May 17, but lost to Edge after Matt interfered and attacked him. Hardy then defeated Edge in a non-title match on the following ''SmackDown'' to earn the right to choose the stipulation for their rematch at Extreme Rules on June 7 and chose a ladder match
A ladder match is a type of match in professional wrestling, most commonly one in which an item (usually a title belt) is hung above the ring, and the winner is the contestant who climbs a ladder and retrieves the item. The ladder itself become ...
. At Extreme Rules, Hardy won the match to become World Heavyweight Champion for the first time. Immediately after the match, CM Punk
Phillip Jack Brooks (born October 26, 1978), better known by his ring name CM Punk, is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler and actor. He is signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw (WWE brand), Raw brand. Regarded as ...
cashed in his Money in the Bank briefcase and defeated Hardy to win the championship. He received his rematch against Punk in a triple threat match also involving Edge on the June 15 episode of ''Raw'', but failed to win. Hardy got another rematch at The Bash on June 28, and won the match via disqualification after Punk kicked the ref in the back while feigning an eye injury with Punk still retaining the title. At Night of Champions on July 26, however, Hardy defeated Punk to win the championship for the second time. He made his first successful title defense five days later on ''SmackDown'' by defeating John Morrison. After the match, he was attacked by Punk, who invoked his rematch for the following week, where Hardy retained the championship after interference from Matt Hardy, who was the special guest enforcer. Punk again attacked Hardy post-match, resulting in Teddy Long announcing a Tables, Ladders, and Chairs match
A tables, ladders, and chairs match, often abbreviated as TLC, is a type of professional wrestling match that originated within the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE).
The TLC match is a variation of a ladder match, which is modified to c ...
between the two for the World Heavyweight Championship at SummerSlam
SummerSlam is a professional wrestling event, produced annually since 1988 by the world's largest professional wrestling promotion, WWE. Dubbed "The Biggest Party of the Summer", it is considered WWE's second biggest event of the year behind th ...
on August 23. At SummerSlam, Hardy lost the World Heavyweight Championship back to Punk. On the August 28 episode of ''SmackDown'', Hardy lost to Punk in a steel cage rematch for the World Heavyweight Championship with the stipulation "loser leaves WWE", resulting in Hardy leaving WWE, in storyline. This storyline was put in place to allow Hardy to leave WWE to heal his injuries, including a neck injury. Hardy also had two herniated discs in his lower back and was suffering from restless legs syndrome
Restless legs syndrome (RLS), also known as Willis–Ekbom disease (WED), is a neurological disorder, usually chronic, that causes an overwhelming urge to move one's legs. There is often an unpleasant feeling in the legs that improves temporaril ...
. Jeff Hardy's contract with WWE expired that week thus ending his 3-year stint with the company.
Return to TNA (2010–2017)
Immortal (2010–2011)
On TNA's first live Monday episode of '' Impact!'' on January 4, 2010, Hardy made his return to TNA, along with Shannon Moore
Shannon Moore (born July 27, 1979) is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is best known for his work with World Championship Wrestling (WCW) between 1999 and 2001 and with WWE, World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) for ...
. He was attacked by Homicide
Homicide is an act in which a person causes the death of another person. A homicide requires only a Volition (psychology), volitional act, or an omission, that causes the death of another, and thus a homicide may result from Accident, accidenta ...
after emerging from the crowd, but hit Homicide with a steel chair and performed the ''Twist of Fate'' on the Impact! Zone ramp. He later appeared in backstage segments throughout the evening. The following day, it was reported that Hardy had signed a new contract with TNA. Hardy would make his next appearance for the company on the March 8 episode of ''Impact!'', saving D'Angelo Dinero, Abyss and Hulk Hogan
Terry Gene Bollea (; born August 11, 1953), better known by his ring name Hulk Hogan, is an American retired Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE as a brand ambassador. Known for his flamboyance and massive physiq ...
from A.J. Styles, Ric Flair
Richard Morgan Fliehr (born February 25, 1949), known professionally as Ric Flair, is an American retired professional wrestler. Widely regarded as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time, Flair's career spanned 50 years.
He is ...
and Desmond Wolfe. The following week, Hardy defeated then TNA World Heavyweight Champion A.J. Styles in a non-title match.
On the April 5 episode of ''Impact!'', Hardy was introduced as a member of Team Hogan for the annual Lethal Lockdown match, where they would face Team Flair. One week later, however, Hardy was injured when James Storm spewed a volatile liquid against a flame from his lighter, forming a fireball that singed most of Hardy's face. At Lockdown
A lockdown () is a restriction policy for people, community or a country to stay where they are, usually due to specific risks that could possibly harm the people if they move and interact freely.
The term is used for a prison protocol that us ...
on April 18, Team Hogan (Hardy, Abyss, Jeff Jarrett and Rob Van Dam) defeated Team Flair ( Sting, Desmond Wolfe, Robert Roode and James Storm
James Allen Cox (born June 1, 1977) is an American professional wrestler better known by the ring name James Storm. He currently competes on the independent circuit. He is best known for his time in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA).
He sta ...
). At Sacrifice
Sacrifice is an act or offering made to a deity. A sacrifice can serve as propitiation, or a sacrifice can be an offering of praise and thanksgiving.
Evidence of ritual animal sacrifice has been seen at least since ancient Hebrews and Gree ...
on May 16, Hardy defeated Mr. Anderson. After Sacrifice, Anderson turned face and eventually managed to convince the skeptical Hardy that he really had changed, after which the two went on to form a tag team. At Slammiversary VIII on June 13, Hardy and Anderson, now known as Enigmatic Assholes, defeated Beer Money, Inc. (Robert Roode and James Storm) in a tag team match.
On the August 19 episode of ''Impact!'', the TNA World Heavyweight Championship was vacated after Rob Van Dam was injured by Abyss. Hardy was entered into an eight-man tournament for the championship, defeating Rob Terry
Robert Terry (born 30 April 1980) is a Welsh Bodybuilding, bodybuilder and a former Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is known for his work in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) under the ring names Rob Terry, Robbie T and Th ...
in his first round match. At the semi-finals at No Surrender on September 5, Hardy first wrestled Kurt Angle
Kurt Steven Angle (born December 9, 1968) is an American retired professional wrestler and amateur wrestling, amateur wrestler. He first earned recognition for winning a Wrestling at the 1996 Summer Olympics – Men's freestyle 100 kg, gold me ...
to a twenty-minute time-limit draw, after which Eric Bischoff
Eric Aaron Bischoff (born May 27, 1955) is an American television producer, Glossary of professional wrestling terms#Booker, professional wrestling booker, promoter, and performer. He is best known for serving as Executive Producer and later Sen ...
ordered a five-minute period of extra time. After that and a second five-minute extra time period also ended in draws, it was ruled that Angle was unable to continue and the match ended in a no contest. After wrestling a draw on the September 16 episode of ''Impact!'', it was announced that both Hardy and Angle would advance to the finals at Bound for Glory on October 10, where they would compete with Mr. Anderson in a three-way match.
At Bound for Glory, Hardy turned heel with Hulk Hogan and Eric Bischoff and with their help defeated Angle and Anderson to win the TNA World Heavyweight Championship for the first time. They were then joined by Jeff Jarrett and Abyss, revealing the group that Abyss had been referring to as "they" for several months. On the following episode of ''Impact!'', the stable was named Immortal, as it formed an alliance with Ric Flair's Fortune
Fortune may refer to:
General
* Fortuna or Fortune, the Roman goddess of luck
* Luck
* Wealth
* Fate
* Fortune, a prediction made in fortune-telling
* Fortune, in a fortune cookie
Arts and entertainment Film and television
* ''The Fortune'' (19 ...
. Meanwhile, Hardy debuted a new dark character, using cryptic messages as he explained the reasons behind his turn. At Turning Point on November 7, Hardy retained his title in a defense against Matt Morgan, a replacement for Mr. Anderson, who was sidelined after suffering a concussion during an attack by Hardy. On the following episode of ''Impact!'', Hogan presented Hardy with a new design of the TNA World Heavyweight Championship, which he dubbed the TNA Immortal Championship. At Final Resolution on December 5, Hardy successfully defended the championship in a rematch against Morgan after incapacitating the special guest referee Mr. Anderson and having a replacement referee count the pinfall. On January 4, 2011, Hardy made his debut for New Japan Pro-Wrestling
(NJPW) is a Puroresu, Japanese professional-wrestling Professional wrestling promotion, promotion founded on January 13, 1972, by Antonio Inoki, and based in Nakano, Tokyo. It is currently majority owned by card-game company Bushiroad, with TV As ...
(NJPW) at Wrestle Kingdom V in Tokyo Dome, where he successfully defended the TNA World Heavyweight Championship against Tetsuya Naito
is a Japanese Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is best known for his 20-year run in New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), where he served as the leader of the ''Los Ingobernables de Japon'' stable, and was a multi-time world champion. ...
.
On January 9 at Genesis, Hardy's brother, Matt, made his TNA debut as a surprise member of Immortal and defeated Rob Van Dam to prevent him from receiving a match at Hardy's championship. That same night, Hardy gave Anderson a match for the TNA World Heavyweight Championship, immediately following Anderson's victory in a number one contender's match. Despite Matt, Flair, and Bischoff interfering in an attempt to help Hardy, Anderson defeated Hardy for the championship. On the January 13 episode of ''Impact!'', the Hardy Boyz reunited and defeated Anderson and Van Dam in a tag team match, following interference from Beer Money, Inc. On the February 3 episode of ''Impact!'', Hardy received his rematch for the TNA World Heavyweight Championship. The rest of Immortal interfered in the match, but were stopped by Fortune, which led to Anderson retaining the championship. On February 13 at Against All Odds, Hardy defeated Anderson in a ladder match to regain the TNA World Heavyweight Championship. Hardy held the championship for less than two weeks, defending it once against Rob Van Dam, before losing it to the returning Sting on February 24, at the tapings of the March 3 episode of ''Impact!''.
=Victory Road incident
=
On March 13 at Victory Road, Hardy received a rematch for the title under No Disqualification rules, but was defeated in ninety seconds. TNA had made the decision to cut the match short after deeming that Hardy was too intoxicated to wrestle, coming out visibly under the influence during his entrance.[ The following day it was reported that TNA had sent Hardy home from the week's ''Impact!'' tapings.] On the March 17 episode of ''Impact!'', Immortal severed their ties with Hardy.
TNA World Heavyweight Champion (2011–2013)
On August 23, 2011, TNA announced that Hardy would be making his return to the promotion at the ''Impact Wrestling'' tapings on August 25 in Huntsville, Alabama
Huntsville is the List of municipalities in Alabama, most populous city in the U.S. state of Alabama. The population of the city is estimated to be 241,114 in 2024, making it the List of United States cities by population, 100th-most populous ...
. The return would take place only five days after Matt Hardy was released from his TNA contract. In his return, which was taped for the September 8 episode of ''Impact Wrestling'', Hardy spoke to the audience, acknowledging that he had hit rock bottom at Victory Road in March, before asking the fans for "one more shot", turning face
The face is the front of the head that features the eyes, nose and mouth, and through which animals express many of their emotions. The face is crucial for human identity, and damage such as scarring or developmental deformities may affect th ...
in the process. Hardy wrestled his first match in six months on September 15 at a live event in York, Pennsylvania
York is a city in York County, Pennsylvania, United States, and its county seat. Located in South Central Pennsylvania, the city's population was 44,800 at the time of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the List of cities in ...
, defeating Jeff Jarrett. Hardy then began feuding with his former stable Immortal, attacking Eric Bischoff on the October 6 episode of ''Impact Wrestling'' and engaging in brawls with Jeff Jarrett at Bound for Glory and on the October 20 episode of ''Impact Wrestling''. Hardy wrestled his first televised match since his return on the October 27 episode of ''Impact Wrestling'', defeating Immortal member Bully Ray. On November 13 at Turning Point, Hardy defeated Jeff Jarrett three times, first in six seconds, the second in six minutes, and the third in ten seconds. On December 11 at Final Resolution, Hardy defeated Jarrett in a steel cage match to become the number one contender to the TNA World Heavyweight Championship.
On January 8, 2012, at Genesis, Hardy defeated TNA World Heavyweight Champion Bobby Roode via disqualification and as a result the title remained with Roode. On the following episode of ''Impact Wrestling'', a rematch between Hardy and Roode ended in a no contest, following interference from Bully Ray. The following week, Hardy was entered into a number one contender's match against James Storm, which ended in a no contest following interference from Ray and Roode. On February 12 at Against All Odds, Hardy was unable to capture the TNA World Heavyweight Championship from Roode in a four-way match, which also included Bully Ray and James Storm. On the following episode of ''Impact Wrestling'', Hardy lost his shot at the TNA World Heavyweight Championship, following interference from the returning Kurt Angle. On March 18 at Victory Road, Hardy was defeated by Angle in a singles match. On April 15 at Lockdown
A lockdown () is a restriction policy for people, community or a country to stay where they are, usually due to specific risks that could possibly harm the people if they move and interact freely.
The term is used for a prison protocol that us ...
, Hardy defeated Angle in a rematch, contested inside a steel cage. On the following episode of ''Impact Wrestling'', Hardy and Mr. Anderson were defeated by Rob Van Dam in a three-way number one contender's match for the TNA World Heavyweight Championship. During the first "Open Fight Night" the following week, Hardy teamed up with Anderson to unsuccessfully challenge Magnus
Magnus, meaning "Great" in Latin, was used as cognomen of Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus in the first century BC. The best-known use of the name during the Roman Empire is for the fourth-century Western Roman Emperor Magnus Maximus. The name gained wid ...
and Samoa Joe
Nuufolau Joel Seanoa (born March 17, 1979), better known by the ring name Samoa Joe, is an American professional wrestler and actor. He is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he is a member of the Opps, and is one-third of the AEW Worl ...
for the TNA World Tag Team Championship
The TNA World Tag Team Championship is a men's professional wrestling #World Tag Team Championship, world tag team championship (professional wrestling), championship which is owned by the Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) professional wrestlin ...
. On May 13 at Sacrifice
Sacrifice is an act or offering made to a deity. A sacrifice can serve as propitiation, or a sacrifice can be an offering of praise and thanksgiving.
Evidence of ritual animal sacrifice has been seen at least since ancient Hebrews and Gree ...
, Hardy was defeated by Anderson in a singles match. On the following episode of ''Impact Wrestling'', Hardy defeated Anderson in a rematch. On the live May 31 episode of ''Impact Wrestling'', Hardy won a fan voting to become the number one contender to the TNA Television Championship
The TNA Television Championship was a professional wrestling Professional wrestling championship, championship owned by the professional wrestling promotion, promotion Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA, later Impact Wrestling, now TNA). It was ...
. However, his title match with Devon
Devon ( ; historically also known as Devonshire , ) is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by the Bristol Channel to the north, Somerset and Dorset to the east, the English Channel to the south, and Cornwall to the west ...
ended in a no contest, following interference from Robbie E
Robert Strauss (born October 1, 1983) is an American professional wrestler and Manager (professional wrestling), manager. He is signed to WWE, where he is a Producer (wrestling), producer, the on-screen assistant to the NXT general manager Ava (w ...
and Robbie T. On June 10 at Slammiversary, Hardy was defeated by Mr. Anderson in a three-way number one contender's match, also involving Rob Van Dam.
On the June 14 episode of ''Impact Wrestling'', Hardy entered the 2012 Bound for Glory Series, taking part in the opening gauntlet match, from which he was the first man eliminated by Bully Ray. Hardy wrestled his final group stage match of the tournament on the September 6 episode of ''Impact Wrestling'', defeating Samoa Joe via submission, thus finishing fourth and advancing to the semi-finals. Three days later at No Surrender, Hardy defeated Joe in a rematch to advance to the finals of the tournament.[ Before the finals took place, Hardy suffered a storyline injury after taking part in a brawl between the TNA locker room and the Aces & Eights stable.][ Despite the injury, Hardy defeated Bully Ray in the finals to win the 2012 Bound for Glory Series and become the number one contender to the TNA World Heavyweight Championship.] On the following episode of ''Impact Wrestling'', Hardy defeated Ray in a rematch to reaffirm his status as the number one contender.
On October 14 at Bound for Glory, Hardy defeated Austin Aries to win the TNA World Heavyweight Championship for the third time, and, according to TNA, completing his "road to redemption" following the events of March 2011. Hardy made his first televised title defense on the October 25 episode of ''Impact Wrestling'', defeating Kurt Angle to retain his title. On November 11 at Turning Point, Hardy defeated Austin Aries in a ladder match to retain the TNA World Heavyweight Championship. On the December 6 episode of ''Impact Wrestling'', Hardy was attacked by the Aces & Eights who were revealed to be paid off by his number one contender Bobby Roode. Three days later at Final Resolution, Hardy defeated Roode to retain the TNA World Heavyweight Championship, after which, both men were attacked by the Aces & Eights. On the following episode of ''Impact Wrestling'', Aces & Eights member Devon revealed Austin Aries as the man who outpaid Roode for the Aces & Eights to interfere in their match, which led to Hardy issuing Aries a title challenge. The following week, Hardy was successful in retaining his title against Aries, following interference from Bobby Roode. The rivalry culminated in a three-way elimination match on January 13, 2013, at Genesis, where Hardy defeated both Aries and Roode to retain the TNA World Heavyweight Championship. On the January 24 episode of ''Impact Wrestling'', Hardy successfully defended the TNA World Heavyweight Championship against Christopher Daniels
Christopher Daniel Covell (born March 24, 1970), better known by the ring name Christopher Daniels, is an American retired Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he works as the Head of Ta ...
. Afterwards, Hardy was jumped by a masked member of Aces & Eights who then injured Hardy's left leg with a ball-peen hammer
A ball-peen or machinist's hammer, is a type of peening hammer used in metalworking. It has two heads, one flat and the other, called the peen, rounded. It is distinguished from a cross-peen hammer, diagonal-peen hammer, point-peen hammer, or c ...
. This was done to write Hardy out of the tapings in the United Kingdom, as the UK would not allow him to make appearances due to his criminal convictions. Hardy made his in-ring return on the February 28 episode of ''Impact Wrestling'', teaming with his new number one contender Bully Ray to defeat Bad Influence (Christopher Daniels and Kazarian). On March 10 at Lockdown
A lockdown () is a restriction policy for people, community or a country to stay where they are, usually due to specific risks that could possibly harm the people if they move and interact freely.
The term is used for a prison protocol that us ...
, Hardy lost the TNA World Heavyweight Championship to Ray in a steel cage match, following interference from the Aces & Eights, ending his reign at 147 days. On the March 21 episode of ''Impact Wrestling'', Hardy defeated Kurt Angle, Magnus, and Samoa Joe in a four-way match to become number one contender for the TNA World Heavyweight Championship. Hardy received his title opportunity on the April 11 episode of ''Impact Wrestling'', but was again defeated by Bully Ray in a Full Metal Mayhem match.
Hardy returned to TNA on June 2 at Slammiversary XI, teaming with Magnus and Samoa Joe in a winning effort against Aces & Eights ( Garett Bischoff, Mr. Anderson, and Wes Brisco). As a result of previously winning the Bound for Glory Series, Hardy and Bobby Roode were entered into the 2013 Bound for Glory Series on the June 13 episode of ''Impact Wrestling''. The following week, Hardy defeated Roode in his first BFG series match via pinfall to earn seven points in the tournament. Hardy's participation in the Bound for Glory series ended on the September 5 episode of ''Impact Wrestling'', when he was eliminated from a twenty-point battle royal by Kazarian.
On the September 19 episode of ''Impact Wrestling'', Hardy defeated X Division Champion Manik in a non-title match. On the October 3 episode of ''Impact Wrestling'', Hardy teamed with Manik defeating Kenny King and Chris Sabin
Joshua Harter (born February 4, 1982), better known by the ring name Chris Sabin, is an American professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown brand.
After being trained by Scott D'Amore, Sabin debuted in 2000 f ...
which led to the announcement of the Ultimate X match for the X Division Championship at Bound for Glory. On October 20, 2013, at Bound for Glory, Hardy debuted a new theme song and competed in his first Ultimate X match for the TNA X Division Championship but was unsuccessful as Chris Sabin won the match after an interference from Velvet Sky
Jamie Lynn Szantyr (born June 2, 1981) is an United States, American color commentator and retired Professional wrestling, professional wrestler best known for her time with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) and the National Wrestling Allian ...
.
Willow (2013–2014)
In November, Hardy entered the World Title Tournament to crown a new champion, after A.J. Styles left the company with the championship. Hardy defeated Chris Sabin and Bobby Roode in the first two rounds of the tournament, to reach the finals at Final Resolution. In the championship match, Hardy was defeated by Magnus
Magnus, meaning "Great" in Latin, was used as cognomen of Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus in the first century BC. The best-known use of the name during the Roman Empire is for the fourth-century Western Roman Emperor Magnus Maximus. The name gained wid ...
after interference from Ethan Carter III
Michael Hutter (born March 18, 1983) is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler and promoter better known by the ring name Ethan Carter III (or simply EC3). He is signed to the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA), where he is a f ...
and Rockstar Spud. The following week on ''Impact Wrestling'', Hardy teamed up with Sting to face The BroMans, Ethan Carter III and Rockstar Spud, which they lost. Afterwards, a frustrated Hardy announced he could no longer work in TNA with Dixie Carter's backstage politics, and quit TNA.
In February 2014, strange vignettes began airing advertising Hardy's return to TNA under his OMEGA
Omega (, ; uppercase Ω, lowercase ω; Ancient Greek ὦ, later ὦ μέγα, Modern Greek ωμέγα) is the twenty-fourth and last letter in the Greek alphabet. In the Greek numerals, Greek numeric system/isopsephy (gematria), it has a value ...
character, Willow. He made his TNA return at Lockdown
A lockdown () is a restriction policy for people, community or a country to stay where they are, usually due to specific risks that could possibly harm the people if they move and interact freely.
The term is used for a prison protocol that us ...
, in the Lethal Lockdown match as part of Team MVP
MVP most commonly refers to:
* Most valuable player, an award, typically for the best performing player in a sport or competition
* Minimum viable product, a concept for feature estimating used in business and engineering
MVP may also refer to:
...
. He then appeared on the following episode of ''Impact Wrestling'', facing Rockstar Spud. In the following weeks, he would continue to feud with Ethan Carter III and Rockstar Spud, leading to a tag-team match between them (with Kurt Angle
Kurt Steven Angle (born December 9, 1968) is an American retired professional wrestler and amateur wrestling, amateur wrestler. He first earned recognition for winning a Wrestling at the 1996 Summer Olympics – Men's freestyle 100 kg, gold me ...
as Willow's partner) at Sacrifice
Sacrifice is an act or offering made to a deity. A sacrifice can serve as propitiation, or a sacrifice can be an offering of praise and thanksgiving.
Evidence of ritual animal sacrifice has been seen at least since ancient Hebrews and Gree ...
on April 27, Willow and Angle would go on to win that match. On the May 1 episode of ''Impact Wrestling'', Willow defeated James Storm
James Allen Cox (born June 1, 1977) is an American professional wrestler better known by the ring name James Storm. He currently competes on the independent circuit. He is best known for his time in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA).
He sta ...
by disqualification when Storm shoved the referee and as Storm made his way up the ramp, Mr. Anderson appeared and hit Storm with the Mic check. On the May 8 episode of ''Impact Wrestling'', Willow's match against Magnus
Magnus, meaning "Great" in Latin, was used as cognomen of Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus in the first century BC. The best-known use of the name during the Roman Empire is for the fourth-century Western Roman Emperor Magnus Maximus. The name gained wid ...
ended in a DQ when Bram interfered and handcuffed Willow to the bottom rope and started to hit him with a metal turnbuckle. On the May 15 episode of ''Impact Wrestling'', Willow defeated both Magnus and Bram in a two on one handicap match. On the May 22 episode of ''Impact Wrestling'', Willow defeated Magnus in a Falls Count Anywhere match. On the June 5 episode of ''Impact Wrestling'', Willow won his match against Bram by DQ when Magnus came to the ring and attacked him with a Steel Pry Bar. At Slammiversary XII, Willow was defeated by Magnus.
The Hardys third reunion (2014–2016)
On the July 10 episode of ''Impact Wrestling'', Director of Wrestling Operations Kurt Angle
Kurt Steven Angle (born December 9, 1968) is an American retired professional wrestler and amateur wrestling, amateur wrestler. He first earned recognition for winning a Wrestling at the 1996 Summer Olympics – Men's freestyle 100 kg, gold me ...
asked Willow to bring Jeff Hardy back for a 20-man over the top rope battle royal later that night. Hardy competed in the match as himself and won, earning a match with Lashley for the TNA World Heavyweight Championship
The TNA World Championship is a professional wrestling world championship created and promoted by Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA). It is the promotion's principal championship. Like most professional wrestling championships, the title is won ...
the following week, which Hardy lost.
On the July 24 ''Impact Wrestling'', Hardy told the audience that we had not seen the last of Willow and then brought out Matt Hardy
Matthew Moore Hardy (born September 23, 1974) is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler and actor. He is signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA), where he a former List of TNA World Tag Team Champions, three time TNA Wor ...
, his brother, to reform The Hardys. The Wolves joined them in the ring and challenged them to a match for the TNA World Tag Team Championship
The TNA World Tag Team Championship is a men's professional wrestling #World Tag Team Championship, world tag team championship (professional wrestling), championship which is owned by the Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) professional wrestlin ...
at '' Impact Wrestling: Destination X'', which the Hardys agreed to. At Destination X, the Hardys lost against the Wolves, but shook hands after the match. On October 22, 2014, The Hardys entered a number one contenders tournament for the TNA World Tag Team Championships defeating The BroMans ( Jessie Godderz and DJ Z) in the first round of the tournament. On October 29, episode of ''Impact Wrestling'', The Hardys defeated Team Dixie ( EC3 and Tyrus) in the semifinals to advance to the finals of the tournament where they defeated Samoa Joe
Nuufolau Joel Seanoa (born March 17, 1979), better known by the ring name Samoa Joe, is an American professional wrestler and actor. He is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he is a member of the Opps, and is one-third of the AEW Worl ...
and Low Ki to become number one contenders for the TNA World Tag Team Championship. On the January 7 episode of ''Impact Wrestling'', Hardy along with his brother Matt were at ringside for The Wolves vs. James Storm
James Allen Cox (born June 1, 1977) is an American professional wrestler better known by the ring name James Storm. He currently competes on the independent circuit. He is best known for his time in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA).
He sta ...
and Abyss
Abyss may refer to:
Religion
* Abyss (religion), a bottomless pit, or a passage to the underworld
* Abyss (Thelema), a spiritual principle within the system of Thelema
Film and television
* ''The Abyss'' (1910 film), a Danish silent film s ...
; during the match, The Great Sanada and Manik attempted to interfere in the match, but then ended up receiving a ''Side Effect'' from Matt Hardy, and a ''Twist of Fate'' from Jeff Hardy. Despite that, it distracted Eddie Edwards, who then received a ''Last Call'' super kick from Storm. At the Lockdown
A lockdown () is a restriction policy for people, community or a country to stay where they are, usually due to specific risks that could possibly harm the people if they move and interact freely.
The term is used for a prison protocol that us ...
episode of ''Impact Wrestling'', Hardy suffered a minor concussion which was set as a storyline injury when he fell on the door of the cage; James Storm hit Hardy off the door onto the steel steps below with a cowbell. The falling off the cage spot was covered in mainstream media such as USA Today
''USA Today'' (often stylized in all caps) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth in 1980 and launched on September 14, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headq ...
and TMZ
''TMZ'' is an American entertainment-focused tabloid news organization owned by Fox Corporation. It made its debut on November 8, 2005, as a collaboration between AOL and Telepictures, a division of Warner Bros., until Time Warner divested ...
. Hardy returned after TNA United Kingdom tour. In March, The Hardys participated in a tournament for the vacant TNA World Tag Team Championship. On March 16, 2015, The Hardys won an Ultimate X match for the belts for the first time as a team and individually. On May 8, 2015, the Hardys were forced to vacate the TNA World Tag Team Championship due to Jeff suffering a broken leg in a legitimate dirt bike accident.
Hardy returned from injury on the July 29 episode of ''Impact Wrestling'', making an announcement that his brother, Matt, would face TNA World Heavyweight Champion Ethan Carter III
Michael Hutter (born March 18, 1983) is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler and promoter better known by the ring name Ethan Carter III (or simply EC3). He is signed to the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA), where he is a f ...
in a Full Metal Mayhem match, in which Matt was unsuccessful. After a brief hiatus, Hardy returned on the August 26 episode of ''Impact Wrestling'', where he and Matt made an agreement that if Matt would lose his second match against Carter for the TNA World Heavyweight Championship, then Jeff would become his personal assistant. Matt was unsuccessful, and Jeff was forced to be Carter's assistant. On the September 23 episode of ''Impact Wrestling'', after refusing to hit Spud, then hitting Carter with a ''Twist of Fate'', Hardy quit as Carter's personal assistant, therefore also (storyline) quitting TNA. On the September 30 episode of ''Impact Wrestling'', TNA President Dixie Carter
Dixie Virginia Carter (May 25, 1939 – April 10, 2010) was an American actress. She starred as Julia Sugarbaker on the sitcom ''Designing Women'' (1986–1993) and as Randi King on the drama series ''Family Law (American TV series), Family La ...
announced that Hardy would be the special guest referee in the three-way dance TNA World Heavyweight Championship match between Carter, his brother Matt, and Drew Galloway
Andrew McLean Galloway IV (born 6 June, 1985) is a Scottish professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown brand under the ring name Drew McIntyre.
Galloway began his career in 2001 in the United Kingdom wit ...
at Bound for Glory. At the event, Hardy turned on Carter by hitting him with a steel chair with Matt hitting the ''Twist of Fate'', thus giving Matt his first TNA World Heavyweight Championship. Hardy made an appearance on January 5, 2016, episode of ''Impact Wrestling'' on its live Pop TV debut backstage and ringside to support his brother Matt in the semi-finals and finals of the TNA World Title Series, which Matt had later lost.
Brother Nero (2016–2017)
On the January 12, 2016, episode of ''Impact Wrestling'', Hardy made his return in a segment that involved Ethan Carter III
Michael Hutter (born March 18, 1983) is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler and promoter better known by the ring name Ethan Carter III (or simply EC3). He is signed to the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA), where he is a f ...
denying Hardy an opportunity at the TNA World Heavyweight Championship, instead bringing out Shynron to face Hardy, with Hardy winning the match. On the January 26 episode of ''Impact Wrestling'', Hardy issued a challenge to the villainous Matt Hardy for the TNA World Heavyweight Championship, as the match was set to begin he was attacked by Eric Young and Bram. Hardy returned on March 15 episode of ''Impact Wrestling'', Jeff Hardy defeating Eric Young in a match to determine the third challenger for the TNA World Heavyweight Championship match in which included Matt Hardy and Ethan Carter III, which Jeff lost. After Matt losing the title, he started a feud with Jeff, he wanted an I Quit match against him. On the April 19 episode of ''Impact Wrestling'', the match eventually ended up in a no-contest after neither man could continue.
On the May 10 episode of ''Impact Wrestling'', Hardy teaming with James Storm
James Allen Cox (born June 1, 1977) is an American professional wrestler better known by the ring name James Storm. He currently competes on the independent circuit. He is best known for his time in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA).
He sta ...
against Decay in a losing effort after an Imposter Willow distracted Hardy. After the match, Hardy searched backstage for Imposter Willow but was attacked by three people dressed as Willow. On the May 17 episode of ''Impact Wrestling'', Hardy defeated one of the Imposter Willows. Afterwards, Matt Hardy revealed himself to be one of the Imposter Willows behind the attacks on Jeff. In the following weeks, Matt Hardy would debut a new persona as a "Broken" man with part of his hair bleached blonde along with a strange British-like accent, blaming Jeff (who he began to refer to as "Brother Nero", Nero being Jeff's middle name) for breaking him and becoming obsessed with "deleting" him. On the June 28 episode of ''Impact Wrestling'', Matt challenged Jeff to a final battle with the Hardy brand on the line, to take place at their home in Cameron, North Carolina the next week. On July 5, during special episode "The Final Deletion", Matt defeated Jeff in the match to become sole owner of the Hardy brand, forcing Jeff to drop his last name and become referred to as "Brother Nero". Also, Matt would force Jeff to stop using his high-flying moves in order to stop him from being a "spot monkey".
On the August 18 episode of ''Impact Wrestling'', Brother Nero and Matt defeated The Tribunal, The BroMans and The Helms Dynasty in an "Ascension To Hell" match for an opportunity to challenge Decay for the TNA World Tag Team Championship. On September 8, they faced Decay in a match held at the Hardy compound dubbed "Delete or Decay", where Brother Nero would again sacrifice himself to save Matt from Abyss
Abyss may refer to:
Religion
* Abyss (religion), a bottomless pit, or a passage to the underworld
* Abyss (Thelema), a spiritual principle within the system of Thelema
Film and television
* ''The Abyss'' (1910 film), a Danish silent film s ...
. At Bound for Glory, the Hardys defeated Decay in what was dubbed "The Great War" to win the TNA World Tag Team Championship
The TNA World Tag Team Championship is a men's professional wrestling #World Tag Team Championship, world tag team championship (professional wrestling), championship which is owned by the Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) professional wrestlin ...
for the second time. On the October 6 episode of ''Impact Wrestling'', they successfully defended their titles against Decay, in a Wolf Creek match. During the match, Brother Nero "transformed" into Willow and his ''Hardy Show'' persona Itchweeed during the pre-recorded backstage fighting.
On the November 3 episode of ''Impact Wrestling'', the Hardys successfully defended their titles against The Tribunal. After the match, the Hardys were attacked by the masked trio known as Death Crew Council (DCC), with Matt later suffered (kayfabe) amnesia after being knocked off a forklift by one of the DCC members. On the December 1 episode of ''Impact Wrestling'', Matt returned to the ring, ambushing DCC by using their entrance theme; he would accept DCC's title challenge. The Hardys faced Bram and Kingston, and Matt would pin Kingston to retain the titles. In the following weeks, the Hardys would issue an open challenge for the tag team titles. On December 15, during special episode " Total Nonstop Deletion", they were once again successful in retaining. Brother Nero hit Crazzy Steve with the ''Twist of Fate'', who then fell into a volcano (that had appeared on the compound in the weeks leading up the event), and was shot up into the sky, landing in the ring. Matt then covered him to win the match. Hardy had previously debuted the Itchweeed character earlier in the episode, defeating Chet Sterling.
On the January 12, 2017, episode of ''Impact Wrestling'', The Hardys successfully defended their titles against The Wolves; Jeff would roll up Davey Richards to retain the titles. The following week, on the inaugural '' Race for the Case'' tournament, Jeff won the green case. At Genesis, The Hardys retained their titles against the DCC and Decay in a three-way tag team match. On ''Open Fight Night'', the Hardys would begin a storyline where they would teleport to different promotions and win that promotions' tag team championship gold, which was referred to by Matt as their "Expedition of Gold". Jeff called out Lashley for the TNA World Heavyweight Championship, but he was unsuccessful in his attempt at winning it.
On February 27, the Hardys announced their departure from TNA, after contract talks broke down between the two parties. Though the two sides were reportedly close to a contract agreement, talks began to break down and changes in management prompted their departure from the company. The TNA World Tag Team Championships were vacated due to the Hardys' departure and was explained on TNA television in a segment where The Hardys would teleport to their next Expedition of Gold destination, but a technicality resulted in them disappearing and the belts appearing in the arms of Decay.
Return to ROH (2017)
On March 4, 2017, Hardy returned to Ring of Honor
Ring of Honor (ROH) is an American professional wrestling promotion based in Jacksonville, Florida. The promotion was founded by Rob Feinstein on February 23, 2002, and was operated by Cary Silkin from 2004 until 2011; the promotion was subs ...
at Manhattan Mayhem VI where he teamed with his brother and they defeated The Young Bucks
The Young Bucks are an American professional wrestling tag team consisting of brothers Matthew Massie and Nicholas Massie, who perform under the ring names Matthew Jackson and Nicholas Jackson. , they are signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), whe ...
for the ROH World Tag Team Championship
The ROH World Tag Team Championship is a professional wrestling World Tag Team Championship, world tag team championship contested for in the United States, American professional wrestling promotion Ring of Honor (ROH). The current champions are D ...
. They then lost the titles back to The Young Bucks in a ladder match on April 1 at Supercard of Honor XI, to which after the match, Jeff was noted as staying in the ring and saying "We'll fade away and classify ourselves as obsolete", paying homage to their "Broken" characters. It was also announced after the match that both Matt and Jeff Hardy's contracts had expired.
Second return to WWE (2017–2021)
The Hardy Boyz's return (2017–2018)
At the WrestleMania 33
WrestleMania 33 was a 2017 professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming List of WWE pay-per-view and livestreaming supercards, event produced by WWE. It was the 33rd annual WrestleMania and took place on April 2, 2017, at Camping Wo ...
pay-per-view on April 2, 2017, Hardy made his surprise return to WWE, along with his brother Matt Hardy, being added as last-minute participants in the ladder match for the Raw Tag Team Championship, defeating Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson, Cesaro and Sheamus
The Bar, originally simply known as Cesaro and Sheamus, was a villainous professional wrestling tag team in WWE. They were record setting four-time Raw Tag Team Champions and former SmackDown Tag Team Champions, making their team overall ...
, and Enzo Amore and Big Cass to win the Raw Tag Team Championship. Also, it was their first win as a team at WrestleMania, as well as Hardy's first victory at WrestleMania. The next night on ''Raw'', The Hardy Boyz successfully defended the title against Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson. At Payback, The Hardy Boyz retained their championships against Cesaro and Sheamus, who attacked them after the match. The next night on ''Raw'', Cesaro and Sheamus explained their actions, claiming the fans were more supportive of 'novelty acts' from the past like The Hardy Boyz, who they feel did not deserve to be in the match at WrestleMania 33. Subsequently, at Extreme Rules, The Hardy Boyz lost the titles against Cesaro and Sheamus in a steel cage match, and failed to regain it back the following month at the Great Balls of Fire event.
On the August 28 episode of ''Raw'', Hardy won a battle royal by last eliminating Jason Jordan to become the number one contender for the Intercontinental Championship, but was unsuccessful in his challenge the following week. In September, Hardy suffered his first major injury which was a shoulder injury and it was reported that the injury would sideline him for four to six months. On January 22, 2018, Hardy made a special appearance on the 25th-anniversary episode of ''Raw'' in a poker segment also involving The APA, Ted DiBiase
Theodore Marvin DiBiase Sr. (; born January 18, 1954) is an American retired professional wrestler, manager, and color commentator. He is signed to WWE as of 2024, where he works in their Legends program. DiBiase achieved championship succ ...
, and many other wrestlers. On the March 19 episode of ''Raw'', Hardy also made a cameo appearance in a segment, calling "The Ultimate Deletion" between Matt Hardy and Bray Wyatt
Windham Lawrence Rotunda (May 23, 1987 – August 24, 2023), better known by his ring name Bray Wyatt, was an American professional wrestler, best known for his tenure in WWE from 2009 until his death in 2023.
Rotunda was a third-generati ...
, allowing his brother Matt to pick up the victory.
Mid Card Championship reigns (2018–2020)
On the April 9 episode of ''Raw'', Hardy returned from injury, where he assisted Finn Bálor and Seth Rollins
Colby Daniel Lopez (born May 28, 1986), better known by the ring name Seth Rollins, is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw (WWE brand), Raw WWE brand extension, brand and ...
in a confrontation with The Miz
Michael Gregory Mizanin (born October 8, 1980) is an American professional wrestler, actor, and television personality. He is signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown brand under the ring name The Miz.
Mizanin first gained fame a ...
and The Miztourage ( Bo Dallas and Curtis Axel). Later that night, Hardy teaming up with Bálor and Rollins to defeat Miz and Miztourage. The following week on ''Raw'', Hardy defeated Jinder Mahal to win the United States Championship, making him the second person to complete the modern Grand Slam, after completing the original format separately. The next day, Hardy was traded to the SmackDown brand as part of the Superstar Shake-up, and took the title with him. Later on that day, Hardy defeated Shelton Benjamin in his first match on the SmackDown brand since 2009. Hardy retained his title against Jinder Mahal at the Greatest Royal Rumble event on April 27, and against Randy Orton
Randal Keith Orton (born April 1, 1980) is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He has been signed to WWE since 2000, where he performs on the SmackDown (WWE brand), SmackDown brand. Orton is widely regarded as one of t ...
at Backlash
Backlash may refer to:
Literature
* '' Backlash: The Undeclared War Against American Women'', a 1991 book by Susan Faludi
* ''Backlash'' (Star Wars novel), a 2010 novel by Aaron Allston
* Backlash (Marc Slayton), a comic book character from ...
on May 6. Two days later on the May 8 episode of SmackDown Live, Hardy lost to The Miz
Michael Gregory Mizanin (born October 8, 1980) is an American professional wrestler, actor, and television personality. He is signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown brand under the ring name The Miz.
Mizanin first gained fame a ...
in a qualifying match for the 2018 pay-per-view Money in the Bank ladder match. Two weeks later on the May 22 episode of SmackDown Live, Hardy faced Daniel Bryan in an attempt to earn another Money in the Bank qualifying match, which he lost.
At Extreme Rules, Hardy lost the title to Shinsuke Nakamura
is a Japanese professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown brand.
Nakamura is known for his time in New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), where he is a former 3-time IWGP Heavyweight Champion, with his first rei ...
, after a pre-match low blow by Nakamura, ending his reign at 90 days. After the match, Randy Orton attacked Hardy with a low blow. Two days later on ''SmackDown Live'', Hardy had a rematch with Nakamura, winning by disqualification after Orton attacked Hardy. Hardy received another rematch at SummerSlam
SummerSlam is a professional wrestling event, produced annually since 1988 by the world's largest professional wrestling promotion, WWE. Dubbed "The Biggest Party of the Summer", it is considered WWE's second biggest event of the year behind th ...
, but was again defeated by Nakamura. On the August 21 episode of ''SmackDown Live'', Hardy and Orton faced off in a match that ended in a no-contest, with Hardy continuing to attack Orton after the match. The following week, Hardy challenged Orton to a Hell in a Cell
Hell in a Cell is a professional wrestling steel cage-based match which originated in 1997 in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE). It features a large cell structure, a four-sided cuboid made from open-weave steel mesh chain-link f ...
match at the namesake pay-per-view, which Orton accepted. At the event on September 16, Hardy lost to Orton.
After nearly a month off, Hardy returned on the October 9 episode of ''SmackDown Live'', defeating Samoa Joe
Nuufolau Joel Seanoa (born March 17, 1979), better known by the ring name Samoa Joe, is an American professional wrestler and actor. He is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he is a member of the Opps, and is one-third of the AEW Worl ...
to qualify for the WWE World Cup tournament at Crown Jewel. At the event, Hardy lost to The Miz in the first round of the tournament. On the November 6 episode of ''SmackDown Live'', Hardy lost to Samoa Joe in an attempt to join Team SmackDown at Survivor Series
Survivor Series, branded as Survivor Series: WarGames since 2022, is a professional wrestling event produced annually since 1987 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. Held in November generally the week of Thanksgiving ( ...
. However, the following week, Hardy defeated Andrade "Cien" Almas to earn a spot on Team SmackDown, after team member Daniel Bryan was removed from the match. At Survivor Series, Team SmackDown lost to Team Raw. At the Royal Rumble
The Royal Rumble is a professional wrestling event, produced annually since 1988 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. It is named after, and centered on, the Royal Rumble match, a modified Battle royal (professional wre ...
pay-per-view on January 27, 2019, Hardy participated in the Royal Rumble match, but was unsuccessful. At Elimination Chamber
The Elimination Chamber is a professional wrestling elimination-based match held in the WWE. The match was created by Triple H, and introduced by Eric Bischoff in November 2002. It features a large chain-linked circular steel structure which ...
, Hardy failed to capture the WWE Championship
The WWE Championship, also referred to as the Undisputed WWE Championship since April 2024, is a men's professional wrestling world heavyweight championship created and promoted by the American promotion WWE, defended on the SmackDown bran ...
in an Elimination Chamber match, after being eliminated by Daniel Bryan.
On the February 26 episode ''SmackDown Live'', Hardy teamed with the returning Matt Hardy to defeat The Bar (Cesaro and Sheamus). At WrestleMania 35 on April 7, Hardy competed in the André the Giant Memorial Battle Royal, but was eliminated by eventual winner, Braun Strowman
Adam Joseph Scherr (born September 6, 1983) is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler and Strongman (strength athlete), strongman. As a wrestler, he is best known for his tenure in WWE from 2013 to 2025, where he performed un ...
. Two days later on ''SmackDown Live'', The Hardy Boyz defeated The Usos (Jey Uso and Jimmy Uso) to win the SmackDown Tag Team Championship, their ninth tag team championship together in WWE. The reign only lasted 21 days, as they had to vacate the title due to Hardy injuring his knee, this was explained in storyline as injuries afflicted by Lars Sullivan. WWE announced that Hardy would be out of action for six to nine months.
On the March 13, 2020, episode of ''SmackDown'', Hardy returned from injury, defeating King Corbin. He began a feud with Sheamus over comments that the latter made, defeating him in the first round of the Intercontinental Championship tournament on the May 22 episode of ''SmackDown''. The following week on ''SmackDown'', Hardy was "arrested" (kayfabe
In professional wrestling, kayfabe (pronounced ) is the portrayal of staged events within the industry as "real" or "true", specifically competition, rivalries, and relationships between participants. The term has evolved to become a code word ...
) after crashing his car into Elias, however later in the episode, Hardy would cause a distraction for Sheamus, costing him a match against Daniel Bryan, and attacked Sheamus after the match.
The feud led to a match at Backlash
Backlash may refer to:
Literature
* '' Backlash: The Undeclared War Against American Women'', a 1991 book by Susan Faludi
* ''Backlash'' (Star Wars novel), a 2010 novel by Aaron Allston
* Backlash (Marc Slayton), a comic book character from ...
, which Hardy lost. On the July 24 episode of ''SmackDown'', Hardy defeated Sheamus in a Bar Fight, ending their feud. On the August 14 episode of ''SmackDown'', Hardy issued a challenge to the Intercontinental Champion AJ Styles
Allen Neal Jones (born June 2, 1977), better known by his ring name AJ Styles (or A.J. Styles), is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw (WWE brand), Raw WWE brand extension, ...
for the title. The following week on ''SmackDown'', he defeated Styles to win the Intercontinental Championship for the fifth time. On the August 28 episode of ''SmackDown'', Hardy retained the title against Shinsuke Nakamura. At Clash of Champions, Hardy lost the title to Sami Zayn in a triple threat ladder match
A ladder match is a type of match in professional wrestling, most commonly one in which an item (usually a title belt) is hung above the ring, and the winner is the contestant who climbs a ladder and retrieves the item. The ladder itself become ...
, which included AJ Styles. On the October 2 episode of ''SmackDown'', he received a rematch for the title but he was unsuccessful.
Final feuds and departure (2020–2021)
As part of the 2020 Draft in October, Hardy was drafted to the Raw brand
A brand is a name, term, design, symbol or any other feature that distinguishes one seller's goods or service from those of other sellers. Brands are used in business, marketing, and advertising for recognition and, importantly, to create and ...
. On the October 12 episode of ''Raw'', Hardy would face Seth Rollins
Colby Daniel Lopez (born May 28, 1986), better known by the ring name Seth Rollins, is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw (WWE brand), Raw WWE brand extension, brand and ...
and AJ Styles in a triple threat match, but a returning Elias would attack Hardy, thus starting a feud between them. At Hell in a Cell
Hell in a Cell is a professional wrestling steel cage-based match which originated in 1997 in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE). It features a large cell structure, a four-sided cuboid made from open-weave steel mesh chain-link f ...
, Hardy lost to Elias by disqualification after he hit him with a guitar. Hardy then defeated Elias in a Guitar on a Pole match on the November 2 episode of ''Raw'', and in a Symphony of Destruction match on the November 30 episode of ''Raw''. On January 26, 2021, at the Royal Rumble
The Royal Rumble is a professional wrestling event, produced annually since 1988 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. It is named after, and centered on, the Royal Rumble match, a modified Battle royal (professional wre ...
, Hardy entered the Royal Rumble match at number 5, but was eliminated by Dolph Ziggler. On the February 1 episode of ''Raw'', Hardy would team with a returning Carlito to defeat Elias and Jaxson Ryker to end his feud with Elias. At Elimination Chamber
The Elimination Chamber is a professional wrestling elimination-based match held in the WWE. The match was created by Triple H, and introduced by Eric Bischoff in November 2002. It features a large chain-linked circular steel structure which ...
, Hardy unsuccessfully challenged for the WWE Championship in an Elimination Chamber match after being eliminated by Drew McIntyre
Andrew McLean Galloway IV (born 6 June, 1985) is a Scottish Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown (WWE brand), SmackDown brand under the ring name Drew McIntyre.
Galloway began ...
. On the June 7 episode of ''Raw'', Hardy defeated Cedric Alexander
Cedric Alexander Johnson (born August 16, 1989) is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is performing on the independent circuit. He is best known for his tenures in WWE and Ring of Honor (ROH).
Alexander worked for ROH ...
in a match where had Hardy lost, he would have retired. He defeated Alexander once more on the following episode of ''Raw''.
On the July 19 episode of ''Raw'', Hardy, who by popular demand notably brought back his "No More Words" entrance theme song by Endeverafter for the first time since his 2009 departure (all of his appearances since his WrestleMania 33 return before this one were to "Loaded", which doubles as his tag team entrance with brother Matt), defeated NXT Champion Karrion Kross, becoming the first man in WWE to defeat Kross by pinfall. On the September 6 episode of ''Raw,'' Hardy was seen chasing the 24/7 Championship, which was heavily criticized by fans. The following ''Raw,'' Hardy challenged Damian Priest for the WWE United States Championship
The WWE United States Championship is a men's professional wrestling Professional wrestling championship#Location-specific championships, championship promoted by the United States, American professional wrestling promotion, promotion WWE, defend ...
, but lost. On the September 20 episode of ''Raw'', Hardy would defeat Sheamus to be added to the United States title match at Extreme Rules. At the event, Hardy would fail to win the title as Damian Priest would retain. He then entered a brief feud with Austin Theory
Austin Tyler White (born August 2, 1997) is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler and Bodybuilding, bodybuilder. He is signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw (WWE brand), Raw WWE brand extension, brand under the ring nam ...
, losing to Theory on the October 11 and October 18 episodes of ''Raw''.
As part of the 2021 Draft in October, Hardy was drafted to the SmackDown brand
SmackDown is a WWE brand extension, brand of the American professional wrestling promotion WWE that was established on March 25, 2002. Brands are divisions of WWE's roster where wrestlers are assigned to perform on a weekly basis when a brand ex ...
. He defeated Sami Zayn on the November 12 episode of ''SmackDown'' to qualify for Team SmackDown at Survivor Series. The following week he defeated Madcap Moss. At Survivor Series
Survivor Series, branded as Survivor Series: WarGames since 2022, is a professional wrestling event produced annually since 1987 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. Held in November generally the week of Thanksgiving ( ...
, Hardy took part in the 5-on-5 elimination match on Team SmackDown but was lastly eliminated by Seth Rollins
Colby Daniel Lopez (born May 28, 1986), better known by the ring name Seth Rollins, is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw (WWE brand), Raw WWE brand extension, brand and ...
. He then began aiding Drew McIntyre
Andrew McLean Galloway IV (born 6 June, 1985) is a Scottish Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown (WWE brand), SmackDown brand under the ring name Drew McIntyre.
Galloway began ...
in his feud with Happy Corbin and Madcap Moss with Hardy and McIntyre going on to defeat the duo in tag team action on the November 26 episode of ''SmackDown'', Hardy later appeared in his final WWE televised appearance the following week, helping McIntyre fend off the two during a segment of ''Happy Talk''.
During a house show on December 4, Hardy walked out during a tag team match. The following day, he was sent home during WWE's live tour. This turned out to be his final WWE appearance as Hardy was released from his contract five days later. Subsequent reports revealed that Hardy was originally going to be placed in a storyline in '' NXT 2.0'' with MSK as their "Shaman" but that spot was given to Riddle
A riddle is a :wikt:statement, statement, question, or phrase having a double or veiled meaning, put forth as a puzzle to be solved. Riddles are of two types: ''enigmas'', which are problems generally expressed in metaphorical or Allegory, alleg ...
instead.
All Elite Wrestling (2022–2024)
In an interview with Jared Myers in February 2022, Hardy confirmed that he planned on signing with All Elite Wrestling
All Elite Wrestling (AEW) is an American professional wrestling promotion headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida. It is owned and operated by Shahid Khan, Shahid and Tony Khan, with the latter serving as President (corporate title), president an ...
(AEW), where his brother Matt has worked since 2020, and would wait until after his 90-day WWE non-compete clause expired to do so. Myers confirmed that Hardy said this in an interview with '' Post Wrestling''. On the March 9 episode of ''Dynamite
Dynamite is an explosive made of nitroglycerin, sorbents (such as powdered shells or clay), and Stabilizer (chemistry), stabilizers. It was invented by the Swedish people, Swedish chemist and engineer Alfred Nobel in Geesthacht, Northern German ...
'', Hardy made his AEW debut, saving his brother Matt from an attack by Team AHFO ( Andrade El Idolo, Private Party, and The Butcher and The Blade). On the May 4 episode of ''Dynamite'', Hardy had his first singles match, defeating Bobby Fish to qualify in the Owen Hart Foundation Tournament. On the May 11 episode of ''Dynamite'', Hardy advanced to the tournament's semifinals after defeating Darby Allin. On the May 18 episode of ''Dynamite'', Hardy would be eliminated from the tournament after losing to Adam Cole
Austin Kirk Jenkins (born July 5, 1989), known by the ring name Adam Cole, is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he is the leader of The Paragon (professional wrestling), ...
. After winning a tag team match at the Double or Nothing event, in which he teamed with his brother to wrestle against The Young Bucks
The Young Bucks are an American professional wrestling tag team consisting of brothers Matthew Massie and Nicholas Massie, who perform under the ring names Matthew Jackson and Nicholas Jackson. , they are signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), whe ...
, it was revealed that Jeff had sustained a "terrible" concussion-like injury, which left him "almost knocked out" according to Matt.
On June 14, AEW announced that Hardy was indefinitely suspended without pay after being arrested for driving under the influence the day prior. Hardy was scheduled to appear at Triplemanía XXX
Triplemanía XXX was a three-day professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event promoted and produced by the Mexican professional wrestling promotion Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide (AAA or Triple A). The event was held on April 30, June 18, and Octobe ...
on June 18, where he and Matt were to face Dragon Lee and Dralístico in the main event. After his arrest, the company Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide
Promociones Antonio Peña, S.A. de C.V. doing business as, d/b/a Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide (commonly referred to as simply AAA, pronounced "Triple A" – an abbreviation of its original name Asistencia, Asesoría y Administración de Espectáculos ...
announced that he would not participate in the event and would instead be replaced by a surprise wrestler. At the event, Matt teamed with Johnny Hardy.
On April 12, 2023, Jeff made his return, assisting his brother, Isiah Kassidy, and Hook
A hook is a tool consisting of a length of material, typically metal, that contains a portion that is curved/bent back or has a deeply grooved indentation, which serves to grab, latch or in any way attach itself onto another object. The hook's d ...
from an assault by The Firm members Lee Moriarty, Ethan Page, and Big Bill. On May 6, 2023, Hardy and his brother Matt
Matt may refer to:
*Matt (name), people with the given name ''Matt'' or Matthew, meaning "gift from God", or the surname Matt
*In British English, of a surface: having a non-glossy finish, see gloss (material appearance)
*Matt, Switzerland, a mu ...
alongside Hook
A hook is a tool consisting of a length of material, typically metal, that contains a portion that is curved/bent back or has a deeply grooved indentation, which serves to grab, latch or in any way attach itself onto another object. The hook's d ...
and Isiah Kassidy would take on The Firm consisting of Lee Moriatry, Ethan Page, Big Bill along with Stokely Hathaway. The Firm would be defeated. Hardy was set to make an appearance with his Willow the Wisp persona, but this idea was scrapped by AEW.
On the February 14, 2024 episode of '' AEW Rampage'', Hardy was defeated by Sammy Guevara in a no disqualification match. During the match, Hardy suffered a broken nose. This would be Hardy's final AEW appearance as on June 14, it was reported that his contract had expired, ending his tenure with the company.
Second return to TNA (2024–present)
At Against All Odds on June 14, 2024, Hardy made his unannounced return to TNA to assist his brother Matt, Joe Hendry
Joe Hendry (born 1 May 1988) is a Scottish Professional wrestling, professional wrestler and musician. He is signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA), while also making appearances for partner promotion WWE on its NXT (WWE brand), NXT WW ...
and The Nemeth Brothers ( Nic and Ryan Nemeth) to fight off The System (TNA World Champion Moose
The moose (: 'moose'; used in North America) or elk (: 'elk' or 'elks'; used in Eurasia) (''Alces alces'') is the world's tallest, largest and heaviest extant species of deer and the only species in the genus ''Alces''. It is also the tal ...
, Brian Myers and Eddie Edwards) after Matt and Moose's TNA World Championship match. At that year's Bound for Glory, The Hardys defeated The System and ABC in a Three-way Full Metal Mayhem match to win the TNA World Tag Team Championship for the third time.
Third return to WWE (2025)
While still contracted to TNA, the Hardy Boyz made a return appearance with WWE during the February 25, 2025 episode of '' NXT''. At ''NXT'': Roadblock on March 11, The Hardy Boyz successfully defended the TNA World Tag Team Championship against NXT Tag Team Champions Nathan Frazer and Axiom
An axiom, postulate, or assumption is a statement that is taken to be true, to serve as a premise or starting point for further reasoning and arguments. The word comes from the Ancient Greek word (), meaning 'that which is thought worthy or ...
.
Professional wrestling style and persona
Hardy's professional wrestling style has been described as "high-flying" and "death-defying" with "daredevil stunts". His signature finishing move is the '' Swanton Bomb''. However, by 2018, Hardy used the ''Swanton Bomb'' less frequently due to his accumulated lower back injuries. Hardy also used the move '' 450 Splash'' in his early career but stopped after injuring his shoulder, instead using the ''Swanton Bomb'' exclusively. Hardy also uses the ''Twist of Fate'', a Facelock cutter or a facelock stunner. During his time as a heel
The heel is the prominence at the posterior end of the foot. It is based on the projection of one bone, the calcaneus or heel bone, behind the articulation of the bones of the lower leg.
Structure
To distribute the compressive forces exerted ...
in 2010, the ''Twist of Fate'' was renamed the ''Twist of Hate''. Hardy's other signature moves include ''Whisper in the Wind'' (a rolling senton bomb or a corkscrew moonsault); '' Poetry in Motion''; a sitout jawbreaker; and a double leg drop to the midsection of a supine opponent.
Hardy's professional wrestling persona reflects his artistic interests. He is known for his face
The face is the front of the head that features the eyes, nose and mouth, and through which animals express many of their emotions. The face is crucial for human identity, and damage such as scarring or developmental deformities may affect th ...
and body paint which he creates himself before his matches. He credits seeing Sting as a child during a show in North Carolina with inspiring him to create new designs with his face paint each match, saying, "Sting was coming out, this was an old NWA ational Wrestling Allianceshow, and I was able to touch his shoulder. And he had his face painted, his neon green tights on, and the blonde hair - and I was like, 'Oh my gosh, I want to do that. I want to make somebody feel like he made me feel right now'".
It is difficult to paint on a canvas while traveling for his work as a wrestler, so he uses his facepaint as a creative outlet. He considers himself shy and introverted when not wearing his painted face, saying, "I can get to the building and have this image in my head. And being that I don't have a canvas I can just use my face as what I want to try to bring to life... All these artistic thoughts come into mind. Like it shows artistic freedom and also freedom of your soul. It's like expression at its best. I think I am more sociable when I'm all painted up. I think I feel normal, quite normal, a lot more normal than when I'm all shy and not painted. That's Jeff Hardy, the Charismatic Enigma at his best, when he comes out with the face paint. The face painted freak, man, that's by far a compliment in my book".
Other media
Hardy appeared on the February 7, 1999, episode of ''That '70s Show
''That '70s Show'' is an American television teen sitcom that aired on Fox from August 23, 1998, to May 18, 2006. The series focuses on the lives of a group of six teenage friends living in the fictional town of Point Place, Wisconsin, from 197 ...
'' entitled " That Wrestling Show", along with Matt, as an uncredited wrestler. Hardy and Matt also appeared on '' Tough Enough'' in early 2001, talking to and wrestling the contestants. He appeared on the February 25, 2002, episode of ''Fear Factor
''Fear Factor'' is an American stunt/ dare game show that first aired on NBC from 2001 to 2006 and was initially hosted by comedian and UFC commentator Joe Rogan. The show was adapted by Endemol USA from the original Dutch series titled '' ...
'' competing against five other World Wrestling Federation wrestlers.[ Hardy, Hardy, and Krugman: pp 227–229.] He was eliminated in the first round. His brother eventually won the $50,000 for his charity. Hardy also appears on ''The Hardy Show'', an internet web show which features the Hardys, Shannon Moore and many of their friends. In September 2009, Hardy signed a deal with Fox 21 to appear in a reality television show.
In 2001, Hardy, Matt and Lita appeared in ''Rolling Stone
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason.
The magazine was first known fo ...
'' magazine's 2001 Sports Hall of Fame issue. In 2003, Hardy and Matt, with the help of Michael Krugman, wrote and published their autobiography ''The Hardy Boyz: Exist 2 Inspire''.
According to the '' Wrestling Figure Checklist'', Hardy had 128 different action figures released in the 1990s, 2000s and 2010s.
As part of WWE, Hardy has appeared in several of their DVDs, including ''The Hardy Boyz: Leap of Faith'' (2001) and ''The Ladder Match'' (2007). He is also featured in the Total Nonstop Action Wrestling release ''Enigma: The Best of Jeff Hardy'' (2005) and ''Pro Wrestling's Ultimate Insiders: Hardy Boys – From the Backyard to the Big Time'' (2005). On April 29, 2008, WWE released ''"Twist of Fate: The Matt and Jeff Hardy Story"''. The DVD features footage of the brothers in OMEGA and WWE, and also briefly mentions Hardy's first run with TNA. In December 2009, WWE released a DVD about Hardy entitled ''Jeff Hardy: My Life, My Rules''. In 2012 Total Nonstop Action released "Enigma: The Best Of Jeff Hardy Volume 2", a followup to the 2005 release featuring a 2 disc long documentary following Hardy's return to TNA, his heel turn, and the Victory Road 2011 incident, and is accompanied by the matches spoken about. In 2015, Total Nonstop Action release "The Best of Jeff Hardy Volume 3: Humanomoly", featuring some of his greatest matches throughout his TNA tenure.
Video games
Artistic and musical pursuits
Hardy has an eclectic set of interests outside of wrestling which includes songwriting, poetry and creating art. He calls his artistic side "The Imag-I-Nation". He has created three-dimensional artworks such as a statue of an "aluminummy" named "Neroameee" out of tin foil
Tin foil, also spelled tinfoil, is a thin foil made of tin. Tin foil was superseded after World War II by cheaper and more durable aluminium foil, which is still referred to as "tin foil" in many regions (an example of a misnomer).
History
...
outside of his recording studio (a spray painted trailer), an artificial volcano
A volcano is commonly defined as a vent or fissure in the crust of a planetary-mass object, such as Earth, that allows hot lava, volcanic ash, and gases to escape from a magma chamber below the surface.
On Earth, volcanoes are most oft ...
in his front yard, which he then jumped over on his motocross
Motocross is a form of off-road motorcycle racing held on enclosed off-road circuits. The sport evolved from motorcycle trials competitions held in the United Kingdom.
History
Motocross first evolved in Britain from motorcycle trials competi ...
dirtbike and a large sculpture of his brother Matt's hand signal "V1", which was seen on ''The Hardy Show'', an online webshow which featured both the Hardys, Shannon Moore
Shannon Moore (born July 27, 1979) is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is best known for his work with World Championship Wrestling (WCW) between 1999 and 2001 and with WWE, World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) for ...
, and many of their friends. He has sold his original paintings online and has donated his artwork to numerous charity auctions. He also designs the art sold on numerous merchandise throughout his career including the album artwork for his musical pursuits.
In 2003, Hardy formed a band, PeroxWhy?Gen, with members of the band Burnside 6 and Moore, who later left. He also converted a trailer into a recording studio and taught himself how to play guitar and later purchased a drum set.[ Hardy, Hardy, and Krugman: p. 247.] Their first album (marketed as a Jeff Hardy solo album) ''Plurality of Worlds'' was released through TNA Music on November 7, 2013. Peroxwhy?Gen released their second album ''Within the Cygnus Rift'' on July 27, 2015.[Peroxwhygen , Within the Cygnus Rift](_blank)
. Peroxwhygenrocks.com (July 27, 2015). Retrieved on August 3, 2015. Their third album, ''Precession of the Equinoxes'', was released in 2017. He performs his music at venues while traveling for his wrestling career, sometimes just hours after a match. His music features rock and pop songs, tend to be autobiographical and Hardy prefers performing his slower songs live.
Discography
Studio albums
* ''Plurality of Worlds'' (2013)
* ''Within the Cygnus Rift'' (2015)
* ''Precession of the Equinoxes'' (2017)
Extended plays
* ''Similar Creatures'' (2012)
* ''Spawn of Me'' (2016)
* ''Individuals'' (2019)
* ''Human Forms'' (2020)
* ''The Omega Sessions'' (2022)
* ''The Omega Sessions: II'' (2024)
Singles
* ''Vaccine'' (2020)
Personal life
Hardy met his girlfriend Beth Britt in 1999, shortly after the Hardy Boyz won the WWF Tag Team Championship for the first time.[ Hardy, Hardy, and Krugman: p. 102.] The couple met at a club in Southern Pines, North Carolina
Southern Pines is a town in Moore County, North Carolina, Moore County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 15,545 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, up from 12,334 in 2010 United States census, 2010.
History
Founde ...
. On March 15, 2008, it was reported that Hardy's home burned to the ground in a fire. Hardy and his girlfriend Beth were not home at the time, but his dog, Jack was killed in the fire. In August 2010, Hardy announced that Britt was pregnant with the couple's first child, a daughter named Ruby Claire Hardy, who was born on October 20, 2010. Hardy and Britt got married on March 9, 2011.
The pair's second child, a daughter, Nera Quinn Hardy, was born on December 31, 2015.
Hardy has a tattoo of roots that starts on his head, behind his ear, and finishes at his hand. He also has a few other signature designed tattoos, one of which, a dragon, he hid from his father at a young age. It was also the first tattoo he got in 1998.[ Hardy, Hardy, and Krugman: p. 130.] He later got tattoos of the Chinese symbols for "Peace" and "Health", as well as tattoos of fire and a wave. On March 14, 2020, Hardy revealed a new tattoo on his back. Hardy regards his tattoos as his "artistic impulses".
Legal issues
On September 11, 2009, Hardy was arrested on charges of drug trafficking in controlled prescription pills and possession of anabolic steroid
Anabolic steroids, also known as anabolic-androgenic steroids (AAS), are a class of drugs that are structurally related to testosterone, the main male sex hormone, and produce effects by binding to the androgen receptor (AR). Anabolism, Anaboli ...
s, after a search of his house yielded 262 Vicodin prescription pills, 180 Soma prescription pills, 555 milliliters of anabolic steroids, a residual amount of powder cocaine
Cocaine is a tropane alkaloid and central nervous system stimulant, derived primarily from the leaves of two South American coca plants, ''Erythroxylum coca'' and ''Erythroxylum novogranatense, E. novogranatense'', which are cultivated a ...
, and drug paraphernalia
The term drug paraphernalia refers to any equipment that is used to produce, conceal, and consume illicit drugs. It includes but is not limited to items such as bongs, roach clips, miniature spoons, and various types of pipes.
Product types
I ...
. On September 8, 2011, Hardy was sentenced to ten days in jail, 30 months of probation, and a fine of $100,000. Hardy served his jail sentence from October 3 to 14, 2011.
On March 10, 2018, Hardy was arrested and charged in Concord, North Carolina
Concord ( ) is the most populous city in Cabarrus County, North Carolina, United States, and its county seat. The city had a population of 105,240 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Concord is the second-most populous city in the Cha ...
, for driving while impaired. Hardy allegedly hit 105 feet of guardrail before spinning out. Police reported Hardy caused $8,000 of damage to his car, and an additional $5,000 to the guardrail.
On July 14, 2019, Hardy was arrested in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
Myrtle Beach is a resort city on the East Coast of the United States in Horry County, South Carolina. It is located in the center of a long and continuous stretch of beach known as the "Grand Strand” in the northeastern part of the state. Its ...
, for public intoxication. On October 3 of the same year, Hardy was arrested and charged with driving while impaired in Moore County, North Carolina
Moore County is a County (United States), county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, its population was 99,727. Its county seat is Carthage, North Carolina, Carthage and its largest com ...
.
On June 14, 2022, Hardy was arrested by Florida Highway Patrol
The Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) is a division of the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. It is Florida's highway patrol, highway State Police (United States), patrol and is the primary law enforcement agency charged with in ...
officers in Volusia County, Florida, on charges of driving with a suspended license, violating restrictions placed on his license which required him to keep an Ignition Interlock Device — a handheld breathalyzer that prevents users from starting their vehicle after drinking alcohol — in his car, and felony DUI. According to Florida highway patrol officers, they observed a white vehicle "swerving" and "running off the road" at approximately 12:30 p.m. eastern time. They stated that once they got Hardy to pull over and they approached, he seemed confused, belligerent, and smelled of alcohol. The arrest report states that Hardy could not complete any portion of the field sobriety tests the officers had him do, and that he blew a blood alcohol level of 0.291, well above Florida's legal limit of 0.08. In a press release sent out on June 14, AEW president Tony Khan announced that Hardy was indefinitely suspended without pay, and that he would only be invited back to AEW on the condition he would complete alcohol rehabilitation treatment and "maintain his sobriety". Hardy submitted a plea of nolo contendere
''Nolo contendere'' () is a type of legal plea used in some jurisdictions in the United States. It is also referred to as a plea of no contest or no defense. It is a plea where the defendant neither admits nor disputes a Criminal charge, charg ...
to charges of DUI, driving under a suspended/canceled/revoked license, and driving while his license was restricted. As a result, Hardy was sentenced to the following in February 2023: a 38-day jail sentence (which Hardy had already served), two years of probation, $4,500 in court fees, a 10-year suspension on his driver's license, two years with an ignition interlock device, a 90-day vehicle impoundment, a court-mandated school or DUI program, and community service
Community service is unpaid work performed by a person or group of people for the benefit and betterment of their community contributing to a noble cause. In many cases, people doing community service are compensated in other ways, such as gettin ...
.
Championships and accomplishments
* 4th Rope Wrestling
** 4th Rope Tag Team Championship (1 time, inaugural, current) – with Matt Hardy
Matthew Moore Hardy (born September 23, 1974) is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler and actor. He is signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA), where he a former List of TNA World Tag Team Champions, three time TNA Wor ...
* All Star Wrestling (West Virginia)
** ASW Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Matt Hardy, Broken Matt
* ''The Baltimore Sun''
** Feud of the Year (2009)
* The Crash (professional wrestling), The Crash
** The Crash Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Broken Matt
* House of Glory
** House of Glory Tag Team Championship, HOG Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Matt Hardy
* International Wrestling Cartel
** IWC Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Matt Hardy
* MCW Pro Wrestling
** MCW Tag Team Championship (MCW Tag Team Championship#Title history, 1 time) – with Matt Hardy
* NWA Wildside, National Championship Wrestling
** NCW Light Heavyweight Championship (4 times)
* New Dimension Wrestling
** NDW Light Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
** NDW Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Matt Hardy
* New Frontier Wrestling Association
** NFWA Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
* North East Wrestling
** NEW Junior Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
* National Wrestling Alliance, NWA 2000
** NWA 2000 Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Matt Hardy
* OMEGA Championship Wrestling
**OMEGA Heavyweight Championship (OMEGA Heavyweight Championship#Title history, 1 time)
** OMEGA New Frontiers Championship (OMEGA New Frontiers Championship#Title history, 1 time)
** OMEGA Tag Team Championship (OMEGA Tag Team Championship#Title history, 2 times) – with Broken Matt/Matt Hardy
** OMEGA Heavyweight Championship Tournament (2015)
* ''Pro Wrestling Illustrated
''Pro Wrestling Illustrated'' (''PWI'') is an American professional wrestling magazine that was founded in 1979 by publisher Stanley Weston. ''PWI'' is headquartered in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, and published by Kappa Publishing Group. The maga ...
''
** List of Pro Wrestling Illustrated awards#Comeback of the Year, Comeback of the Year (2007, 2012, 2017)
** List of Pro Wrestling Illustrated awards#Match of the Year, Match of the Year (2000) with Matt Hardy vs. The Dudley Boyz
The Dudley Boyz (also known as Team 3D) are an American professional wrestling tag team who consisted of kayfabe half-brothers Bubba Ray Dudley and D-Von Dudley. The team was also joined by various Dudley Brothers, Dudley family members, notably ...
and Edge and Christian in a Professional wrestling match types#Basic non-elimination matches, triangle Ladder match
A ladder match is a type of match in professional wrestling, most commonly one in which an item (usually a title belt) is hung above the ring, and the winner is the contestant who climbs a ladder and retrieves the item. The ladder itself become ...
at WrestleMania 2000
** Match of the Year (2001) with Matt Hardy vs. The Dudley Boyz and Edge and Christian in a Tables, Ladders, and Chairs match, Tables, Ladders and Chairs match at WrestleMania X-Seven
** Most Popular Wrestler of the Year (2008, 2009)
** List of Pro Wrestling Illustrated awards#Tag Team of the Year, Tag Team of the Year (2000) with Matt Hardy
** Ranked No. 7 of the top 500 singles wrestlers in the ''Pro Wrestling Illustrated#PWI 500, PWI 500'' in 2013
** Ranked No. 418 of the top 500 greatest wrestlers in the ''PWI Years'' in 2003
* Ring of Honor
Ring of Honor (ROH) is an American professional wrestling promotion based in Jacksonville, Florida. The promotion was founded by Rob Feinstein on February 23, 2002, and was operated by Cary Silkin from 2004 until 2011; the promotion was subs ...
** ROH World Tag Team Championship
The ROH World Tag Team Championship is a professional wrestling World Tag Team Championship, world tag team championship contested for in the United States, American professional wrestling promotion Ring of Honor (ROH). The current champions are D ...
(List of ROH World Tag Team Champions, 1 time) – with Matt Hardy
** Holy S*** Moment of the Decade (2010s) – – with Matt Hardy
* Impact Wrestling, Total Nonstop Action Wrestling
** TNA World Heavyweight Championship
The TNA World Championship is a professional wrestling world championship created and promoted by Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA). It is the promotion's principal championship. Like most professional wrestling championships, the title is won ...
(List of TNA World Heavyweight Champions, 3 times)[
** ]TNA World Tag Team Championship
The TNA World Tag Team Championship is a men's professional wrestling #World Tag Team Championship, world tag team championship (professional wrestling), championship which is owned by the Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) professional wrestlin ...
(List of TNA World Tag Team Champions, 3 times) – with Matt Hardy/Broken Matt
**List of Total Nonstop Action Wrestling tournaments#NWA World Heavyweight Championship #1 Contender Tournament (2004), NWA World Heavyweight Championship #1 Contender Tournament (2004)
**List of Total Nonstop Action Wrestling tournaments#TNA World Heavyweight Championship Tournament (2010), TNA World Heavyweight Championship Tournament (2010)
** List of Total Nonstop Action Wrestling tournaments#TNA World Tag Team Championship Tournament (2015), TNA World Tag Team Championship Tournament (2015) – with Matt Hardy
**List of Total Nonstop Action Wrestling tournaments#TNA World Tag Team Championship #1 Contender Tournament (2014), TNA World Tag Team Championship #1 Contender Tournament (2014) – with Matt Hardy
** Bound for Glory Series#2012, Bound for Glory Series (2012)[
** Total Nonstop Action Wrestling tournaments#Race for the Case, Race for the Case (2017 – Green Case)
** TNA One Night Only#World Cup 2015, TNA World Cup (2015) – with Gunner (wrestler), Gunner, Davey Richards, Rockstar Spud, Crazzy Steve and Gail Kim
** TNA One Night Only#World Cup 2016, TNA World Cup (2016) – with Eddie Edwards, Jessie Godderz, Robbie E and Jade (wrestler), Jade
** TNA Wrestler of the Year (2012)
* Universal Wrestling Association
** UWA World Middleweight Championship (UWA World Middleweight Championship#Title history, 1 time)]
* WWE, World Wrestling Federation/World Wrestling Entertainment/WWE
** WWE Championship
The WWE Championship, also referred to as the Undisputed WWE Championship since April 2024, is a men's professional wrestling world heavyweight championship created and promoted by the American promotion WWE, defended on the SmackDown bran ...
(List of WWE Champions, 1 time)
** World Heavyweight Championship (List of World Heavyweight Champions (WWE, 2002–2013), 2 times)
** WWE Intercontinental Championship, WWF/E Intercontinental Championship (List of WWE Intercontinental Champions, 5 times)
** WWE United States Championship
The WWE United States Championship is a men's professional wrestling Professional wrestling championship#Location-specific championships, championship promoted by the United States, American professional wrestling promotion, promotion WWE, defend ...
(List of WWE United States Champions, 1 time)
** WWE European Championship (List of WWE European Champions, 1 time)
** WWE Hardcore Championship, WWF/E Hardcore Championship (List of WWE Hardcore Champions, 3 times)
** WWF Light Heavyweight Championship (List of WWF Light Heavyweight Champions, 1 time)
** WWE Tag Team Championship, WWE SmackDown Tag Team Championship (List of WWE Tag Team Champions, 1 time) – with Matt Hardy
** World Tag Team Championship (WWE), WWE Raw Tag Team Championship (List of World Tag Team Champions (WWE), 1 time) – with Matt Hardy
** World Tag Team Championship (WWE, 1971–2010), WWF/World Tag Team Championship (List of World Tag Team Champions (WWE, 1971–2010), 6 times) – with Matt Hardy
** WCW World Tag Team Championship, WCW Tag Team Championship (List of WCW World Tag Team Champions, 1 time) – with Matt Hardy
** Triple Crown (professional wrestling)#List of WWE Men's Triple Crown winners, 18th Triple Crown Champion
** Grand Slam (professional wrestling)#WWE, Ninth Grand Slam Champion (Grand Slam (professional wrestling)#Original format (established 1997), under original format; Grand Slam (professional wrestling)#Guide, Ninth overall)
** Terri Runnels#Various storylines (1999–2001), Terri Invitational Tournament (No Mercy (1999), 1999) – with Matt Hardy
** WWE in Australia#Brisbane Cup, Brisbane Cup (2007)
** Slammy Award (2 times)
*** Extreme Moment of the Year (Slammy Award#2008, 2008) giving Randy Orton
Randal Keith Orton (born April 1, 1980) is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He has been signed to WWE since 2000, where he performs on the SmackDown (WWE brand), SmackDown brand. Orton is widely regarded as one of t ...
a ''Swanton Bomb'' from the top of the ''WWE Raw, Raw'' set
*** Extreme Moment of the Year (Slammy Award#2009, 2009) jumping from a ladder onto CM Punk through the Spanish announce table at SummerSlam
SummerSlam is a professional wrestling event, produced annually since 1988 by the world's largest professional wrestling promotion, WWE. Dubbed "The Biggest Party of the Summer", it is considered WWE's second biggest event of the year behind th ...
* ''Wrestling Observer Newsletter''
** Best Flying Wrestler (2000)
** List of Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards#Feud of the Year, Feud of the Year (2009) vs. CM Punk
** List of Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards#Most Disgusting Promotional Tactic, Most Disgusting Promotional Tactic (2008) WWE teasing a drug overdose to remove him from a Survivor Series
Survivor Series, branded as Survivor Series: WarGames since 2022, is a professional wrestling event produced annually since 1987 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. Held in November generally the week of Thanksgiving ( ...
title match
** List of Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards#Worst Worked Match of the Year, Worst Worked Match of the Year (2011) vs. Sting at Victory Road (owing to Hardy's inebriation)
* Wrestling Superstar
** Wrestling Superstar Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Matt Hardy
References
Further reading
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External links
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Hardy, Jeff
1977 births
20th-century male professional wrestlers
20th-century American professional wrestlers
21st-century American poets
21st-century American male singers
21st-century American male writers
21st-century American singer-songwriters
21st-century male professional wrestlers
21st-century American professional wrestlers
American male poets
American male professional wrestlers
American people convicted of drug offenses
American rock singers
American rock songwriters
American sportspeople convicted of crimes
HOG Tag Team Champions
Living people
Masked wrestlers
Musicians from Raleigh, North Carolina
NWA/WCW/WWE United States Heavyweight Champions
People from Moore County, North Carolina
Professional wrestlers from North Carolina
ROH World Tag Team Champions
Sculptors from North Carolina
Singer-songwriters from North Carolina
Sportspeople from Raleigh, North Carolina
The Crash Tag Team Champions
TNA World Heavyweight/Impact World Champions
TNA/Impact World Tag Team Champions
UWA World Middleweight Champions
WCW World Tag Team Champions
World Heavyweight Champions (WWE)
World Tag Team Champions (WWE, 1971–2010)
Wrestling Observer Newsletter award winners
WWE Champions
WWE Grand Slam champions
WWE Tag Team Champions
WWF European Champions
WWF Light Heavyweight Champions
WWF/WWE Intercontinental Champions
WWF/WWE Hardcore Champions