Professional wrestling careerEarly career (1993–1998)Hardy, along with his brother Matt
and friends, started their own federation, the Trampoline Wrestling
Federation (TWF) and mimicked the moves they saw on television.[20] Later on, the TWF went under several names, eventually being integrated into a county fair in North Carolina.
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.[1]
Before arriving in the WWF, Jeff and Matt formed their own wrestling promotion, the Organization of Modern Extreme Grappling Arts (OMEGA) with Thomas Simpson.[2] The promotion was a more successful version of the original TWF and included talent such as both Hardy brothers, Shannon Moore, Gregory Helms, Joey Matthews, and Steve Corino, among others.[32]
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.[2] While there, Hardy held the New Frontier Championship (NFC) as a singles competitor and the Tag Team Championship with Matt.[2][33][34] The promotion folded in April 1998 when they signed contracts with the WWF.[35]
World Wrestling Federation/World Wrestling Entertainment (1994-2003)Early years (1994–1998) Hardy in 1999
Hardy cites Hulk Hogan, The Ultimate Warrior, Sting, and Shawn Michaels as his childhood inspirations to wrestle.[36] He started on World Wrestling Federation (WWF) television as a jobber—a wrestler who consistently loses to make his opponents look stronger. His first WWF match was against Razor Ramon on May 23, 1994, in Youngstown, Ohio,[37] with Randy Savage
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).[38] 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.[39] Later on faced against King Kong Bundy and Jim Neidhart, Owen Hart and Triple H.
Hardy defeated Razor Ramon by countout on WWF Superstars January 13,
1996 (taped December 19, 1995) when Goldust's handler distract Razor and
Razor chased after him.[40]
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 during the ECW "invasion" storyline that had Hardy billed as being from Virginia instead of Cameron, North Carolina)[41] before beginning his first major run in 1998.[20]
The Hardy Boyz (1998–2002)Main article: The Hardy Boyz
The Hardy brothers eventually caught the eyes of the World Wrestling Federation (WWF). After being signed to a contract in 1998,[20][42] they were trained by Dory Funk Jr. in his Funkin' Dojo with other notable wrestlers such as Kurt Angle, Christian, Test, and A-Train.[1] 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.[2] While feuding with The Brood in mid-1999, they added Michael Hayes as their manager.[2] On July 5, they won their first WWF Tag Team Championship by defeating the Acolytes, but lost it back to them a month later.[43] After the dissolution of the Brood, the Hardys joined forces with Gangrel as The New Brood and feuded with Edge and Christian.[2][44] This stable did not last long, however, and on October 17, 1999, 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 against Edge and Christian.[20][45] They competed in the first ever tag team triple threat ladder match against The Dudley Boyz, and Edge & Christian at WrestleMania 2000, in which Edge & Christian won. During the match, Hardy performed a Swanton Bomb to Bubba Ray Dudley off a 20-foot ladder.
Team Xtreme at King of the Ring in June 2000
In 2000, the Hardy Boyz found a new manager in their real-life friend Lita.[7] Together, the three became known as "Team Xtreme".[7]
They continued their feud with Edge and Christian throughout 2000,
defeating them for the WWF Tag Team Championship on two occasions.[46][47] At SummerSlam, 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 (TLC match)- in their hometown of Raleigh, for the Tag Team Championship against the Dudley Boyz and Edge & Christian, but were unsuccessful. The second TLC match at Wrestlemania 17 in Houston,
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 the former.[21]
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 ladders,[21][48][49] making a name for himself as one of the most seemingly reckless and unorthodox WWF performers of his time.[50] In 2001, Hardy received a push as a singles competitor, and he held the Intercontinental (defeating Triple H),[51] Light Heavyweight (defeating Jerry Lynn)[52] and Hardcore Championships (defeating Mike Awesome and Van Dam on two occasions).[53] 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, with Lita as the special guest referee.[54] After Hardy beat Matt by pinfall at Vengeance, while Matt's foot was on the ropes, Hardy and Lita began feuding against Matt.[55] In the middle of the feud, however, Hardy faced The Undertaker in a Hardcore Championship match and lost.[56] After the match, The Undertaker was scripted to attack both Hardy and Lita, injuring them.[56] On the next episode of SmackDown!, The Undertaker attacked Matt as well, also injuring him, in storyline.[57] The Hardys and Lita were not seen again until the Royal Rumble, because WWF did not have another storyline for their characters.[58] The Hardys later came back as a team, and there was never any mention of their previous storyline split.[58]
In early April 2002, the Hardy Boyz began a feud with Brock Lesnar after Lesnar gave Matt an F-5 on the steel entrance ramp, which led to an angered Hardy seeking revenge on Lesnar.[59] At Backlash, Hardy faced-off against Lesnar in Lesnar's first televised match.[60] Lesnar dominated Hardy and won the match by knockout.[61]
Lesnar and the Hardys continued to feud over the next few weeks, with
the Hardys coming out victorious only once by disqualification.[62] At Judgment Day, Lesnar gained the upper hand on the Hardy Boyz before tagging his partner, Paul Heyman, in to claim the win for the team.[63] In July 2002, Hardy won his third Hardcore Championship by defeating Bradshaw.[64][53]
Singles championship reigns and departure (2002–2003) Hardy at a WWE live event in 2003
After years in the tag team division, Hardy took on The Undertaker in a ladder match for the WWE Undisputed Championship.[2][65]
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.[2] Hardy competed for singles titles on several occasions and defeated William Regal for the European Championship.[66] Hardy was defeated a few weeks later by Rob Van Dam in a ladder match to unify the European Championship and the Intercontinental Championship, and the European Championship was retired.[66] 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! brand. On Raw, Hardy would compete in WWE's Hardcore division until the title's unification with the Intercontinental Championship.[67]
In late 2002, Hardy had been teaming with Rob Van Dam and Bubba Ray Dudley. He along with Bubba Ray and Spike Dudley defeated 3-Minute Warning at Survivor Series in a six-man tag team elimination tables match.
In January 2003, Hardy briefly turned into a heel (villain) after he attacked Van Dam and Shawn Michaels.[1][68][69] It ended a month later when he saved Stacy Keibler from an attack by then-villain, Christian.[70] In February, he had a brief program with Michaels, which saw the two team up.[65][71] Then, in storyline, Hardy began dating Trish Stratus after saving her from Steven Richards and Victoria in March.[72]
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.[1][73] Hardy was released from WWE on April 22, 2003.[1][74]
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.[7][74] Hardy also cites "burn out" and the need for time off as reasons for leaving WWE.[36]
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.[2] 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.[2]
This same year, he also appeared on Ring of Honor (ROH) at the event Death Before Dishonour, once again as "Willow the Wisp", wearing a mask and a trench coat.[75] 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.[75]
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!".[75]
Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (2004–2006) Hardy at a TNA event in 2005
Hardy debuted in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) on June 23, 2004, at the Second Anniversary Show, in a match against A.J. Styles, for the TNA X Division Championship.[76]
He also debuted his new entrance theme "Modest", a song performed by
Hardy himself, and a new nickname, "The Charismatic Enigma".[2] The match ended in a no contest when Kid Kash and Dallas interfered.[76] Hardy returned to TNA on July 21 and was awarded a shot at the NWA World Heavyweight Championship.[77] Hardy challenged for the title on September 8, losing to NWA World Heavyweight Champion Jeff Jarrett.[78] In October 2004, he won a tournament,[79] earning a shot at the NWA World Heavyweight Championship on November 7 at Victory Road, TNA's first monthly pay-per-view.[80] Hardy was defeated by Jarrett once again in a ladder match at Victory Road following interference from Kevin Nash and Scott Hall.[80]
One month later at Turning Point, Hardy, Styles and Randy Savage defeated Jarrett, Hall and Nash (collectively known as the Kings of Wrestling).[81] Hardy went on to defeat Hall in a singles match, substituting for Héctor Garza at Final Resolution on January 16, 2005.[82]
At Against All Odds in February 2005, Hardy lost to Abyss in a "Full Metal Mayhem" match for the number one contendership to the NWA World Heavyweight Championship.[83] Hardy returned the favor by defeating Abyss in a Falls Count Anywhere match at Destination X in March.[84] On March 25, 2005, Hardy teamed with Shocker defeating David Young and Lex Lovett.[85] Hardy then went on to feud with Raven,[86][87] Hardy defeated Raven in a Six sides of steel match at Lockdown in April.[88] 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.[2][89][90] Hardy's suspension was lifted on August 5, and he returned at Sacrifice approximately a week later, attacking Jeff Jarrett.[91]
He wrestled his first TNA match in four months at Unbreakable on September 11, losing to Bobby Roode following interference from Jarrett.[92] Throughout October 2005, Hardy became embroiled in a feud with Abyss, Rhino and Sabu.[93][94] 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.[1][95] In the course of the match, Hardy delivered a Swanton Bomb to Abyss from a height of approximately 22 ft 0 in (6.71 m).[95] Later that night, Hardy competed in a ten-man battle royal for the number one contendership to the NWA World Heavyweight Championship, which Rhino also won.[95] At Genesis in November, Hardy lost to Monty Brown in another number one contender match.[96]
Hardy was scheduled to wrestle on the pre-show of Turning Point in December 2005, but once again no-showed the event, again citing traveling problems.[1][2] Hardy was suspended as a result and did not appear on TNA television again.[2] 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.[1][2]
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.[74] In the following weeks, vignettes aired hyping his return on the August 21 episode of Raw.[97] On the day of his return, Hardy confronted then WWE Champion Edge,
before an altercation between the two that ended when Lita pulled Edge
out of the ring, preventing Hardy from delivering a Swanton Bomb.[98] After failing to capture the Intercontinental Championship from Johnny Nitro over the next few weeks, including at Unforgiven,[99] Hardy finally defeated Nitro to win his second Intercontinental Championship on the October 2 episode of Raw.[100] 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.[101] One week later, Hardy regained it on the November 13 episode of Raw, with a crucifix pin.[102] This marked Hardy's third reign as Intercontinental Champion.[51]
Jeff and Matt (far right) at December to Dismember, making their entrances
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.[103] At Survivor Series, they both were a part of Team D-Generation X, which gained the victory over Team Rated-RKO with a clean sweep.[104] The brothers then received their first opportunity since Hardy's return to win a tag team championship at Armageddon.[105] They competed in a four-team ladder match for the WWE Tag Team Championship, but they came up short in their attempt.[105] In the course of the match, however, they inadvertently legitimately injured Joey Mercury's face.[106]
With Hardy still feuding with Johnny Nitro and the other members of MNM into 2007, he was challenged once again by Nitro at New Year's Revolution in a steel cage match for the Intercontinental Championship.[107] Hardy once again defeated Nitro.[107] Hardy then teamed with Matt to defeat MNM at both the Royal Rumble and No Way Out pay-per-views.[108][109] The next night on the February 19 episode of Raw, Hardy lost the Intercontinental Championship to Umaga.[110] In April 2007, Hardy competed in the Money in the Bank ladder match at WrestleMania 23.[111]
During the match, Matt threw Edge onto a ladder and encouraged Hardy,
who was close to the winning briefcase, to finish Edge off.[111] Hardy then leaped off the 20-foot-high (6.1 m) ladder, drove Edge through the ladder with a leg drop, injuring both Edge and himself.[111] The two were unable to continue the match and were removed from ringside on stretchers.[111]
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.[112] They won the titles from then WWE Champion John Cena and Shawn Michaels by last eliminating Lance Cade and Trevor Murdoch.[112]
They then began a feud with Cade and Murdoch, with the Hardys retaining
the Championship in their first title defense against them at Backlash and again at Judgment Day.[113][114] The Hardys then defended their titles against The World's Greatest Tag Team in a Ladder match at One Night Stand.[115] 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.[116] The Hardys earned a rematch at Vengeance: Night of Champions but were defeated.[117]
Intercontinental Champion (2007–2008) Hardy worked closely with Triple H during late 2007 and again in late 2008.
In the midst of feuding with Umaga, who defeated Hardy at The Great American Bash to retain the Intercontinental Championship in late July,[118] Hardy was abruptly taken off WWE programming.[2]
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 on the July 23 episode of Raw.[2] He made his return on the August 27 episode of Raw, defeating Kennedy by disqualification after Umaga interfered.[119] The following week, on the September 3 episode of Raw, Hardy captured his fourth Intercontinental Championship by defeating Umaga.[120]
This was the start of a push for Hardy, and at Survivor Series, Hardy and Triple H were the last two men remaining to win the traditional elimination match.[121] Hardy began an on and off tag team with Triple H,[122][123] which eventually led to a respectful feud between the two.[123] The rivalry continued at Armageddon, when Hardy defeated Triple H to become the number one contender for the WWE Championship at the Royal Rumble.[124] In the weeks leading up to the Royal Rumble, Hardy and Randy Orton 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.[125] 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.[126][127][128] Hardy, however, lost the title match at the Royal Rumble,[126] but was named as one of six men to compete in the Raw Elimination Chamber match at No Way Out, where he survived to the final two before being eliminated by the eventual winner, Triple H.[129]
During the March 3 episode of Raw, Hardy appeared on Chris Jericho's "Highlight Reel" segment as a special guest, but ended up attacking Jericho.[130] This led to an Intercontinental title match on the following Raw where Hardy dropped the title to Jericho.[131]
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.[132] Hardy was also removed from the Money in the Bank ladder match at WrestleMania XXIV in which he was booked to win after the suspension was announced.[132][133] Hardy returned on the May 12 episode of Raw, defeating Umaga.[134] This reignited the rivalry between the two, and they met in a Falls Count Anywhere match at One Night Stand, which Hardy won.[135]
World Championship reigns and departure (2008–2009) Hardy in November 2008
On June 23, 2008, Hardy was drafted to the SmackDown brand as a part of the 2008 WWE draft.[136] Hardy made his debut for the brand on the July 4 episode of SmackDown, defeating John Morrison.[137] Hardy participated in the WWE Championship Scramble match at Unforgiven and also challenged for the championship at No Mercy and Cyber Sunday, but failed to win each time.[138][139][140] He was originally scheduled to be in the WWE Championship match at Survivor Series,
but, in storyline, was found unconscious in his hotel stairwell,
allowing the returning Edge to replace him in the match and win the
title.[141][142] At Armageddon, Hardy defeated Edge and Triple H in a triple threat match to capture the WWE Championship, his first world championship.[143][144]
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.[145][146] At the Royal Rumble, Hardy lost the WWE Championship to Edge after Hardy's brother, Matt, interfered and turned on Hardy, hitting him with a steel chair.[147]
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, Matt defeated Hardy in an Extreme Rules match and in a stretcher match on the April 10 episode of SmackDown.[148][149] In a rematch at Backlash, however, Hardy defeated Matt in an "I Quit" match to end the feud.[150]
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, 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 and chose a ladder match. At Extreme Rules, Hardy won the match to become World Heavyweight Champion for the first time. Immediately after the match, CM Punk
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.[151] Hardy got another rematch at The Bash,
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.[152] At Night of Champions,
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 between the two for the World Heavyweight Championship at SummerSlam.[153][154] At SummerSlam, Hardy lost the title back to Punk.[155] On the August 28 episode of SmackDown,
Hardy lost to Punk in a steel cage rematch for the World Heavyweight
Championship, resulting in Hardy leaving WWE, in storyline, per the
pre-match stipulation.[156] This storyline was put in place to allow Hardy to leave WWE to heal his injuries, including a neck injury.[157] Hardy also had two herniated discs in his lower back and was suffering from restless legs syndrome. Jeff Hardy's contract with WWE expired that week thus ending his 3 year stint with the company.[157]
Return to TNA (2010-2017)Immortal (2010–2011)Main article: Immortal
Hardy during his return to TNA at the live Impact! on January 4, 2010
On TNA's first live Monday episode of Impact! on January 4, 2010, Hardy made his return to TNA, along with Shannon Moore.[158] He was attacked by Homicide after emerging from the crowd, but hit Homicide with a steel chair and performed the Twist of Fate on the Impact! Zone ramp.[158] He later appeared in backstage segments throughout the evening.[159] The following day, it was reported that Hardy had signed a new contract with TNA.[160] Hardy would make his next appearance for the company on the March 8 episode of Impact!, saving D'Angelo Dinero, Abyss and Hulk Hogan from A.J. Styles, Ric Flair and Desmond Wolfe.[161] The following week, Hardy defeated then TNA World Heavyweight Champion A.J. Styles in a non-title match.[162]
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.[163]
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.[164][165] At Lockdown, Team Hogan (Hardy, Abyss, Jeff Jarrett and Rob Van Dam) defeated Team Flair (Sting, Desmond Wolfe, Robert Roode and James Storm).[166] At Sacrifice, Hardy defeated Mr. Anderson.[167]
After the event, 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.[168][169] At Slammiversary VIII, Hardy and Anderson, now known as Enigmatic Assholes, defeated Beer Money, Inc. (Robert Roode and James Storm) in a tag team match.[170]
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 in his first round match.[171] At the semi-finals at No Surrender, Hardy first wrestled Kurt Angle to a twenty-minute time-limit draw, after which Eric Bischoff
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.[172] 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, where they would compete with Mr. Anderson in a three–way match.[173]
Hardy as the TNA World Heavyweight Champion in November 2010
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.[174] On the following episode of Impact!, the stable was named Immortal, as it formed an alliance with Ric Flair's Fortune. Meanwhile, Hardy debuted a new dark character, using cryptic messages as he explained the reasons behind his turn.[175] At Turning Point, 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.[176] 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.[177] At Final Resolution
in December, 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.[178] On January 4, 2011, Hardy made his debut for New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) at Wrestle Kingdom V in Tokyo Dome, where he successfully defended the TNA World Heavyweight Championship against Tetsuya Naito.[179][180]
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.[181] 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.[182] 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.[183] On February 13 at Against All Odds, Hardy defeated Anderson in a ladder match to regain the TNA World Heavyweight Championship.[184] 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!.[185][186][187] On March 13 at Victory Road, Hardy received a rematch for the title under No Disqualification rules, but was defeated in ninety seconds.[188]
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.[189] The following day it was reported that TNA had sent Hardy home from the week's Impact! tapings.[189] On the March 17 episode of Impact!, Immortal severed their ties with Hardy.[190]
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.[191] The return would take place only five days after Matt Hardy was released from his TNA contract.[192] 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 in the process.[193][194] Hardy wrestled his first match in six months on September 15 at a live event in York, Pennsylvania, defeating Jeff Jarrett.[195] 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.[196][197][198] Hardy wrestled his first televised match since his return on the October 27 episode of Impact Wrestling, defeating Immortal member Bully Ray.[199] 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.[200] 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.[201]
Hardy in February 2012
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.[202] On the following episode of Impact Wrestling, a rematch between Hardy and Roode ended in a no contest, following interference from Bully Ray.[203]
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.[204] 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.[205] On the following episode of Impact Wrestling, Hardy lost his shot at the TNA World Heavyweight Championship, following interference from the returning Kurt Angle.[206] On March 18 at Victory Road, Hardy was defeated by Angle in a singles match.[207] On April 15 at Lockdown, Hardy defeated Angle in a rematch, contested inside a steel cage.[208] 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.[209] During the first "Open Fight Night" the following week, Hardy teamed up with Anderson to unsuccessfully challenge Magnus and Samoa Joe for the TNA World Tag Team Championship.[210] On May 13 at Sacrifice, Hardy was defeated by Anderson in a singles match.[211] On the following episode of Impact Wrestling, Hardy defeated Anderson in a rematch.[212] 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. However, his title match with Devon ended in a no contest, following interference from Robbie E and Robbie T.[213] 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.[214]
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.[215] 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.[216] Three days later at No Surrender, Hardy defeated Joe in a rematch to advance to the finals of the tournament.[217]
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.[217]
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.[217] On the following episode of Impact Wrestling, Hardy defeated Ray in a rematch to reaffirm his status as the number one contender.[218]
On October 14 at Bound for Glory, Hardy defeated Austin Aries to win the TNA World Heavyweight Championship for the third time,[219] and, according to TNA, completing his "road to redemption" following the events of March 2011.[220] Hardy made his first televised title defense on the October 25 episode of Impact Wrestling, defeating Kurt Angle to retain his title.[221] On November 11 at Turning Point, Hardy defeated Austin Aries in a ladder match to retain the TNA World Heavyweight Championship.[222] 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.[223] 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.[224] 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.[225] The following week, Hardy was successful in retaining his title against Aries, following interference from Bobby Roode.[226] 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.[227] On the January 24 episode of Impact Wrestling, Hardy successfully defended the TNA World Heavyweight Championship against Christopher Daniels. Afterwards, Hardy was jumped by a masked member of Aces & Eights who then injured Hardy's left leg with a ball-peen hammer.[228]
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.[229] 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).[230] On March 10 at Lockdown,
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.[231] 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.[232] 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.[233]
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).[234] 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.[235] The following week, Hardy defeated Roode in his first BFG series match via pinfall to earn seven points in the tournament.[236] 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.[237]
On the September 19 episode of Impact Wrestling, Hardy defeated X Division Champion Manik in a non-title match.[238] On the October 3 episode of Impact Wrestling, Hardy teamed with Manik defeating Kenny King and Chris Sabin which led to the announcement of the Ultimate X match for the X Division Championship at Bound for Glory.[239]
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.
Willow (2013–2014) Hardy as Willow in April 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,[240] to reach the finals at Final Resolution. In the championship match, Hardy was defeated by Magnus after interference from Ethan Carter III 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 character, Willow.[241] He made his TNA return at Lockdown, in the Lethal Lockdown match as part of Team MVP. He then appeared on the following episode of Impact Wrestling, facing Rockstar Spud.[242]
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 as Willow's partner) at Sacrifice on April 27, Willow and Angle would go on to win that match.[243] On the May 1 episode of Impact Wrestling, Willow defeated James Storm 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 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 asked Willow to bring Jeff Hardy back for a 20-man over the top rope battle royal later that night.[244] Hardy competed in the match as himself and won, earning a match with Lashley for the TNA World Heavyweight Championship the following week, which Hardy lost.[245]
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, his brother, to reform The Hardys.[246] The Wolves joined them in the ring and challenged them to a match for the TNA World Tag Team Championship at Impact Wrestling: Destination X, which the Hardys agreed to. At Dest
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