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Jeff Hardy
Hardy as Raw Tag Team Champion in May 2017
Born	Jeffrey Nero Hardy (1977-08-31) August 31, 1977 (age 41)[1] Cameron, North Carolina, U.S.[2]
Spouse(s)	Beth Britt (m. 2011)
Children	2
Relatives	Matt Hardy (brother)
Professional wrestling career
Ring name(s)	Brother Nero [3] Ingus Jynx[4] Itchweeed Jeff Hardy[4] Willow[4] Wolverine[4] Keith Davis[5]
Billed height	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)[2][6]
Billed weight	225 lb (102 kg)[6]
Billed from	Cameron, North Carolina[7]
Trained by	Dory Funk Jr.[7] Michael Hayes[7]
Debut	May 23, 1993
Musical career
Genres	Alternative rock, alternative metal, indie, acoustic
Instruments	Vocals, guitar, piano
Years active	1993–present
Labels	Impact Wrestling Music
Associated acts	PeroxWhy?Gen

Jeffrey Nero Hardy^[1] (born August 31, 1977^[4]) is an American professional wrestler, singer-songwriter, painter, and musician. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown brand.

Hardy is best known for his work in the World Wrestling Entertainment. He also worked for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA), Ring of Honor (ROH) and several companies on the independent circuit. Before gaining prominence in the WWE, Jeff along with his real life brother Matt Hardy ran and performed for the Organization of Modern Extreme Grappling Arts (OMEGA).^[4]

The Hardy brothers worked as enhancement talents for the WWF from 1994, and were signed to full-time contracts in 1998.^[8] They gained notoriety in the tag team division, partly due to their participation in Tables, Ladders and Chairs matches.^[9] With the addition of Lita, the team became known as "Team Xtreme" and continued to rise in popularity. Alongside Matt, Jeff won eleven world tag team championships between WWE, TNA and ROH.

Hardy has had success as a singles wrestler, capturing his first of six world championships, the WWE Championship, in 2008 and going on to hold WWE's World Heavyweight Championship twice and the TNA World Heavyweight Championship three times. He has also won the Intercontinental Championship four times, the Hardcore Championship three times and the European Championship, Light Heavyweight Championship and United States Championship once each. 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).

Hardy is involved in motocross, music, painting and other artistic endeavors.^[10] He is currently a member of the band PeroxWhy?Gen, with whom he has released two studio albums and one extended play.

Early life

Jeff Hardy is the son of Gilbert and Ruby Moore Hardy, and the younger brother of Matt Hardy.^[7][8][11] Their mother died of brain cancer in 1986, when Hardy was nine.^[8][12][13] He developed an interest in motocross aged 12 and got his first bike, a Yamaha YZ-80, at age 13.^[14] He had his first race when he was in ninth grade.^[15] Hardy played baseball when he was young, but had to stop after he crashed during a motocross race, injuring his arm.^[15] He also played football during high school as a fullback and linebacker.^[14] He briefly competed in amateur wrestling in high school.^[16] He had to stop playing football in high school, after he was ordered to pick between professional wrestling and football, and he chose wrestling.^[17] Hardy's favorite subjects in school were U.S. history and art, which he did for extra credit.^[18]

Professional wrestling career

Early career (1992−1998)

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.^[8] Later on, the TWF went under several different 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.^[4] 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.^[19] In OMEGA, each of the brothers portrayed several different characters; Hardy portrayed such characters as Willow the Wisp, Iceman, Mean Jimmy Jack Tomkins, and The Masked Mountain.^[4] While there, Hardy held the New Frontier Championship as a singles competitor and the Tag Team Championship with Matt.^[4][20][21] The promotion folded in April 1998 when they signed contracts with the WWF.^[22]

World Wrestling Federation/World Wrestling Entertainment

Early years (1994−1997)

Hardy in 1999

Hardy cites Sting, The Ultimate Warrior, and Shawn Michaels as his childhood inspirations to wrestle.^[23] 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,^[24] 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).^[25] The next day, he wrestled under his real name against The 1-2-3 Kid, and the match aired on the June 25 episode of Superstars.^[26] He occasionally wrestled as a jobber as late as 1997 (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)^[27] before beginning his first major run in 1998.^[8]

The Hardy Boyz (1998–2002)

Jeff (left) and Matt Hardy (right) as WWF Tag Team Champions with the WWF Women's Champion Lita (center)

The Hardy brothers eventually caught the eyes of the World Wrestling Federation (WWF). After being signed to a contract in 1998,^[8][28] 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 formed the acrobatic tag team called the Hardy Boyz.^[4] While feuding with The Brood in mid-1999, they added Michael Hayes as their manager.^[4] On July 5, they won their first WWF Tag Team Championship by defeating the Acolytes, but lost it back to them a month later.^[29] After the dissolution of the Brood, the Hardys joined forces with Gangrel as The New Brood and feuded with Edge and Christian.^[4][30] 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.^[8][31] 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. They also competed in the first two TLC (Tables, Ladders and Chairs) matches ever, both against Edge and Christian and The Dudley Boyz.

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.^[32][33] At SummerSlam, the Hardy Boyz competed in the first ever Tables, Ladders, and Chairs match (TLC match), for the Tag Team Championship against the Dudley Boyz and Edge and Christian, but were unsuccessful.^[9]

Hardy gained attention for his high risk stunts in the TLC matches,^[9][34][35] making a name for himself as one of the most seemingly reckless and unorthodox WWF performers of his time.^[36] In 2001, Hardy received a push as a singles competitor, and he held the Intercontinental (defeating Triple H),^[37]Light Heavyweight (defeating Jerry Lynn)^[38] and Hardcore Championships (defeating Mike Awesome and Van Dam on two separate occasions).^[39] 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.^[40] After Hardy beat Matt by pinfall at Vengeance, while Matt's foot was on the ropes, Hardy and Lita began feuding against Matt.^[41] In the middle of the feud, however, Hardy faced The Undertaker in a Hardcore Championship match and lost.^[42] After the match, The Undertaker was scripted to attack both Hardy and Lita, injuring them.^[42] On the next episode of SmackDown!, The Undertaker attacked Matt as well, also injuring him, in storyline.^[43] The Hardys and Lita were not seen again until the Royal Rumble, because WWF did not have another storyline for their characters.^[44] The Hardys later came back as a team, and there was never any mention of their previous storyline split.^[44]

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.^[45] At Backlash, Hardy faced-off against Lesnar in Lesnar's first televised match.^[46] Lesnar dominated Hardy and won the match by knockout.^[47] Lesnar and the Hardys continued to feud over the next few weeks, with the Hardys coming out victorious only once by disqualification.^[48] 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.^[49] In July 2002, Hardy won his third Hardcore Championship by defeating Bradshaw.^[50][39]

Singles competition (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.^[4][51] 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.^[4] Hardy competed for singles titles on several occasions and defeated William Regal for the European Championship.^[52] 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.^[52] 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.^[53]

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][54][55] It ended a month later when he saved Stacy Keibler from an attack by then-villain, Christian.^[56] In February, he had a brief program with Michaels, which saw the two team up.^[51][57] Then, in storyline, Hardy began dating Trish Stratus after saving her from Steven Richards and Victoria in March.^[58] 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][59] Hardy was released from WWE on April 22, 2003.^[1][60] 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][60] Hardy also cites "burn out" and the need for time off as reasons for leaving WWE.^[23]

Independent circuit (2003)

Hardy made his first wrestling appearance after being released from WWE at an OMEGA show, on May 24.^[4] Using his old gimmick, "Willow the Wisp", Hardy challenged Krazy K for the OMEGA Cruiserweight Championship, but lost the match.^[4]

Ring of Honor (2003)

Hardy performed with the Ring of Honor (ROH) promotion on one occasion.^[61] Hardy appeared at ROH's 2003 show, Death Before Dishonor, under his "Willow the Wisp" gimmick, wearing a mask and trench coat.^[61] Hardy was quickly unmasked and lost his jacket, wearing attire similar to that he wore in WWE.^[61] Hardy was booed and heckled before, during, and after the match by the ROH audience, who chanted "We want Matt!" and "You got fired!" during his match with Joey Matthews and Krazy K, which Hardy won.^[61] Hardy then took a whole year off of wrestling to concentrate on motocross and finish his motocross track.^[10]

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.^[62] He also debuted his new entrance theme "Modest", a song performed by Hardy himself, and a new nickname, "The Charismatic Enigma".^[4] The match ended in a no contest when Kid Kash and Dallas interfered.^[62] Hardy returned to TNA on July 21 and was awarded a shot at the NWA World Heavyweight Championship.^[63] Hardy challenged for the title on September 8, losing to NWA World Heavyweight Champion Jeff Jarrett.^[64] In October 2004, he won a tournament,^[65] earning a shot at the NWA World Heavyweight Championship on November 7 at Victory Road, TNA's first monthly pay-per-view.^[66] Hardy was defeated by Jarrett once again in a ladder match at Victory Road following interference from Kevin Nash and Scott Hall.^[66]

One month later at Turning Point, Hardy, Styles and Randy Savage defeated Jarrett, Hall and Nash (collectively known as the Kings of Wrestling).^[67] Hardy went on to defeat Hall in a singles match, substituting for Héctor Garza at Final Resolution on January 16, 2005.^[68]

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.^[69] Hardy returned the favor by defeating Abyss in a Falls Count Anywhere match at Destination X in March.^[70] On March 25, 2005, Hardy teamed with Shocker defeating David Young and Lex Lovett.^[71] Hardy then went on to feud with Raven,^[72][73] Hardy defeated Raven in a Six sides of steel match at Lockdown in April.^[74] 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.^[4][75][76] Hardy's suspension was lifted on August 5, and he returned at Sacrifice approximately a week later, attacking Jeff Jarrett.^[77]

He wrestled his first TNA match in four months at Unbreakable on September 11, losing to Bobby Roode following interference from Jarrett.^[78] Throughout October 2005, Hardy became embroiled in a feud with Abyss, Rhino and Sabu.^[79][80] 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][81] 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).^[81] 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.^[81] At Genesis in November, Hardy lost to Monty Brown in another number one contender match.^[82]

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][4] Hardy was suspended as a result and did not appear on TNA television again.^[4] 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][4]

Return to WWE

The Hardy Boyz reunion (2006–2007)

On August 4, 2006, WWE announced that Hardy had re-signed with the company.^[60] In the following weeks, vignettes aired hyping his return on the August 21 episode of Raw.^[83] On the day of his return, Hardy received a push and defeated then-WWE Champion Edge by disqualification when Lita pulled Edge out of the ring.^[84] After failing to capture the Intercontinental Championship from Johnny Nitro over the next few weeks, including at Unforgiven,^[85] Hardy finally defeated Nitro to win his second Intercontinental Championship on the October 2 episode of Raw.^[86] 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.^[87] One week later, Hardy regained it on the November 13 episode of Raw, with a crucifix pin.^[88] This marked Hardy's third reign as Intercontinental Champion.^[37]

Jeff and Matt (far right) at December to Dismember, making their entrances

On the November 21 episode of ECW on Sci Fi, Hardy teamed with his brother, Matt, for the first time in almost five years to defeat The Full Blooded Italians.^[89] 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.^[90] The brothers then received their first opportunity since Hardy's return to win a tag team championship at Armageddon.^[91] They competed in a four-team ladder match for the WWE Tag Team Championship, but they came up short in their attempt.^[91] In the course of the match, however, they inadvertently legitimately injured Joey Mercury's face.^[92]

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.^[93] Hardy once again defeated Nitro.^[93] Hardy then teamed with Matt to defeat MNM at both the Royal Rumble and No Way Out pay-per-views.^[94][95] The next night on Raw, February 19, Hardy lost the Intercontinental Championship to Umaga.^[96] In April 2007, Hardy competed in the Money in the Bank ladder match at WrestleMania 23.^[97] During the match, Matt threw Edge onto a ladder and encouraged Hardy, who was close to the winning briefcase, to finish him off.^[97] Hardy then leaped off the 20-foot-high (6.1 m) ladder, drove Edge through the ladder with a leg drop, seemingly injuring both Edge and himself.^[97] The two were unable to continue the match and were removed from ringside on stretchers.^[97]

The night after WrestleMania on Raw, April 2, the Hardys competed in a 10-team battle royal for the World Tag Team Championship.^[98] They won the titles from then WWE Champion John Cena and Shawn Michaels by last eliminating Lance Cade and Trevor Murdoch.^[98] 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.^[99][100] The Hardys then defended their titles against The World's Greatest Tag Team in a Ladder match at One Night Stand.^[101] 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.^[102] The Hardys earned a rematch at Vengeance: Night of Champions but were defeated.^[103]

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,^[104] Hardy was abruptly taken off WWE programming.^[4] 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.^[4] He made his return on the August 27 episode of Raw, defeating Kennedy by disqualification after Umaga interfered.^[105] The following week, on September 3, Hardy successfully captured his fourth Intercontinental Championship by defeating Umaga.^[106]

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.^[107] Hardy began an on and off tag team with Triple H,^[108][109] which eventually led to a respectful feud between the two.^[109] The rivalry continued at Armageddon, when Hardy defeated Triple H to become the number one contender for the WWE Championship.^[110] 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.^[111] Hardy, in retaliation, performed a Swanton Bomb on Orton from the top of the Raw set and seemed to have all the momentum after coming out on top in their encounters.^{[112][113][114]} Hardy, however, lost the title match at the Royal Rumble,^[112] but was named as one of six men to compete in an Elimination Chamber match at No Way Out, where he survived to the final two before being eliminated by the eventual winner, Triple H.^[115]

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.^[116] This led to an Intercontinental title match on the following Raw where Hardy dropped the title to Jericho.^[117] 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.^[118] 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.^[118][119] Hardy returned on the May 12 episode of Raw, defeating Umaga.^[120] This reignited the rivalry between the two, and they met in a Falls Count Anywhere match at One Night Stand, which Hardy won.^[121]

World title reigns and departure (2008–2009)

Hardy in November 2008

On June 23, 2008, Hardy was drafted from the Raw brand to the SmackDown brand, as a part of the 2008 WWE draft.^[122] Hardy made his SmackDown debut on the July 4 episode, defeating John Morrison.^[123] 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.^{[124][125][126]} He was originally scheduled to be in the WWE Championship match at Survivor Series, but, in storyline, was found unconscious in his hotel, allowing the returning Edge to replace him in the match and win the title.^[127][128] At Armageddon, Hardy defeated Edge and Triple H in a triple threat match to capture the WWE Championship, his first world championship.^[129][130]

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.^[131][132] At the 2009 Royal Rumble, Hardy lost his WWE Championship to Edge after Hardy's brother, Matt, interfered and turned on Hardy, hitting with a steel chair.^[133] 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 XXV, Matt defeated Jeff in an Extreme Rules match and in a stretcher match on the April 10 episode of SmackDown.^[134][135] In a rematch at Backlash, however, Hardy defeated Matt in an "I Quit" match to end the feud.^[136]

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 the event, Hardy won the match to become World Heavyweight Champion for the first time. Immediately after the match, CM Punk cashed in his second Money in the Bank briefcase, which gave him a guaranteed world championship match at any time he wanted, 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.^[137] 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.^[138] 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.^[139][140] At the pay-per-view, Hardy lost the title back to Punk.^[141] 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.^[142] This storyline was put in place to allow Hardy to leave WWE to heal his injuries, including a neck injury.^[143][144] Hardy also had two herniated discs in his lower back and was suffering from restless legs syndrome.^[143][144]

Return to TNA

Immortal (2010–2011)

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.^[145] 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.^[145] He later appeared in backstage segments throughout the evening.^[146] The following day, it was reported that Hardy had signed a new contract with TNA.^[147] 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.^[148] The following week, Hardy defeated then TNA World Heavyweight Champion A.J. Styles in a non-title match.^[149]

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.^[150] 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.^[151][152] At Lockdown, Team Hogan (Hardy, Abyss, Jeff Jarrett and Rob Van Dam) defeated Team Flair (Sting, Desmond Wolfe, Robert Roode and James Storm).^[153] At Sacrifice, Hardy defeated Mr. Anderson.^[154] 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.^[155][156] 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.^[157]

On the August 19 episode of Impact!, the TNA World Heavyweight Championship was vacated after Rob Van Dam was injured by The Monster Abyss and Hardy was entered into an eight-man tournament for the championship, defeating Rob Terry in his first round match.^[158] 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.^[159] 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.^[160]

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.^[161] 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.^[162] 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.^[163] 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.^[164] 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.^[165] 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.^[166][167]

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.^[168] 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.^[169] 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.^[170] On February 13 at Against All Odds, Hardy defeated Anderson in a ladder match to regain the TNA World Heavyweight Championship.^[171] 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!.^{[172][173][174]} On March 13 at Victory Road, Hardy received a rematch for the title under No Disqualification rules, but was defeated in ninety seconds.^[175] TNA had made the decision to cut the match short after deeming that Hardy was too intoxicated to wrestle.^[176] The following day it was reported that TNA had sent Hardy home from the week's Impact! tapings.^[176] On the March 17 episode of Impact!, Immortal severed their ties with Hardy.^[177]

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.^[178] The return would take place only five days after Matt Hardy was released from his TNA contract.^[179] 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.^[180][181] Hardy wrestled his first match in six months on September 15 at a live event in York, Pennsylvania, defeating Jeff Jarrett.^[182] 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.^{[183][184][185]} Hardy wrestled his first televised match since his return on the October 27 episode of Impact Wrestling, defeating Immortal member Bully Ray.^[186] 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.^[187] 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.^[188]

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.^[189] On the following episode of Impact Wrestling, a rematch between Hardy and Roode ended in a no contest, following interference from Bully Ray.^[190] 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.^[191] 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.^[192] On the following episode of Impact Wrestling, Hardy lost his shot at the TNA World Heavyweight Championship, following interference from the returning Kurt Angle.^[193] On March 18 at Victory Road, Hardy was defeated by Angle in a singles match.^[194] On April 15 at Lockdown, Hardy defeated Angle in a rematch, contested inside a steel cage.^[195] 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.^[196] 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.^[197] On May 13 at Sacrifice, Hardy was defeated by Anderson in a singles match.^[198] On the following episode of Impact Wrestling, Hardy defeated Anderson in a rematch.^[199] 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.^[200] 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.^[201]

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.^[202] 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.^[203] Three days later at No Surrender, Hardy defeated Joe in a rematch to advance to the finals of the tournament.^[204] 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.^[204] 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.^[204] On the following episode of Impact Wrestling, Hardy defeated Ray in a rematch to reaffirm his status as the number one contender.^[205]

Hardy with his custom title belt

On October 14 at Bound for Glory, Hardy defeated Austin Aries to win the TNA World Heavyweight Championship for the third time,^[206] and, according to TNA, completing his "road to redemption" following the events of March 2011.^[207] Hardy made his first televised title defense on the October 25 episode of Impact Wrestling, defeating Kurt Angle to retain his title.^[208] On November 11 at Turning Point, Hardy defeated Austin Aries in a ladder match to retain the World Heavyweight Championship.^[209] 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.^[210] Three days later at Final Resolution, Hardy defeated Roode to retain the World Heavyweight Championship, after which, both men were attacked by the Aces & Eights.^[211] 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.^[212] The following week, Hardy was successful in retaining his title against Aries, following interference from Bobby Roode.^[213] 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 World Heavyweight Championship.^[214] On the January 24 episode of Impact Wrestling, Hardy successfully defended the 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.^[215] 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.^[216] 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).^[217] On March 10 at Lockdown, Hardy lost the World Heavyweight Championship to Ray in a steel cage match, following interference from the Aces & Eights, ending his reign at 147 days.^[218] 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 World Heavyweight Championship.^[219] 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.^[220]

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).^[221] 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.^[222] The following week, Hardy defeated Roode in his first BFG series match via pinfall to earn seven points in the tournament.^[223] 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.^[224]

On the September 19 episode of Impact Wrestling, Hardy defeated X Division Champion Manik in a non-title match.^[225] 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.^[226] 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,^[227] 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.^[228] 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.^[229] 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.^[230] 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.^[231] 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.^[232]

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.^[233]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 Destination X, the Hardys lost against the Wolves, but shook hands after the match.^[234] 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.^[235] 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 and Low Ki to become number one contenders for the TNA World Tag Team Championship.^[236] On the January 7 episode of Impact Wrestling, Hardy along with his brother Matt were at ringside for The Wolves vs. James Storm and Abyss; 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 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 and TMZ.^[237][238] 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.^[239] 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.^[240]

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 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 21 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.^[241] On the September 30 episode of Impact Wrestling, TNA President Dixie Carter 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 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 denying Hardy an opportunity at the TNA World Heavyweight Championship, instead bringing out Shynron to face Hardy, won the match.^[242][243] 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 against Decay in a losing effort after an Imposter Willow distracted Hardy. After the match, Hardy searched backstage for Imposter Willow but attacked by three different people dressed as Willow. On the May 17 episode of Impact Wrestling, Hardy defeating one of the Imposter Willow. 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.^[244] 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".^[245] Also, Matt would force Jeff to stop using his high-flying moves in order to stop him from being a "spot monkey".

Hardy, in his Brother Nero gimmick, as TNA World Tag Team Champion in January 2017

On the August 18 episode of Impact Wrestling, Brother Nero and Matt defeated The Tribunal, The BroMans and The Helms Dynasty in a "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.^[246] At Bound for Glory, the Hardys defeated Decay in what was dubbed "The Great War" to win the TNA World Tag Team Championship 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.^[247]

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.^[248] 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.^[249] 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.^[250] The following week, on the inaugural Race for the Case tournament, Jeff won the green case.^[251] At Genesis, The Hardys retained their titles against the DCC and Decay in a three-way tag team match.^[252] 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.^[253]

On February 27, the Hardys announced their departure from TNA, after contract talks broke down between the two parties.^[254] 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.^[255] 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.^[256]

Return to ROH (2017)

On March 4, 2017, Hardy returned to Ring of Honor at Manhattan Mayhem VI and where he teamed with his brother and they defeated The Young Bucks for the ROH World Tag Team Championship.^[257] 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.^[258]

Second return to WWE

Championship reigns (2017–2018)

The Hardy Boyz as Raw Tag Team Champions in May 2017

On April 2 at WrestleMania 33, Jeff made his surprise return to WWE, along with his brother Matt, being added as last-minute participants in the ladder match for the Raw Tag Team Championship against the teams of Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson, Cesaro and Sheamus, and Enzo Amore and Big Cass. The Hardy Boyz emerged victorious, marking it their seventh tag team title reign in WWE, their first win as a team at WrestleMania as well as Jeff's first victory at WrestleMania. Jeff also became the second person, after Chris Jericho, to win all Grand Slam eligible titles under the original format. The next night on Raw, The Hardy Boyz successfully defended the Raw Tag Team Championship against Gallows and Anderson. At Payback, The Hardy Boyz retained their championships against Cesaro and Sheamus. After the match, they were attacked by Cesaro and Sheamus. The next night on Raw, the villainous Cesaro and Sheamus would explain their actions, claiming the fans were more supportive of 'novelty acts' from the past like The Hardy Boyz, who they feel didn't deserve to be in the match at WrestleMania.^[259] Subsequently, at Extreme Rules, The Hardy Boyz lost the titles in a steel cage match against Cesaro and Sheamus,^[260] 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 15-man battle royal by last eliminating Jason Jordan to become the number one contender for the Intercontinental Championship.^[261] Hardy was unsuccessful in his challenge against The Miz the following week.^[262] In September, Hardy suffered a shoulder injury and it was reported that the injury would sideline him for four to six months.^[263][264] He briefly returned on the Raw 25 Years edition of Monday Night Raw in a poker segment also involving the APA, and other legends. Hardy made a cameo appearance in a taped segment for the March 19 episode of Raw, during the Ultimate Deletion between Matt and Bray Wyatt, allowing his brother Matt to pick up the victory.^[265]

Hardy returned on the April 9, 2018 episode of Raw the night after WrestleMania 34.^[266] The following week on the April 16 episode of Raw, Hardy won the United States Championship for the first time in his WWE career from Jinder Mahal, making him the second person (after Chris Jericho) to complete the modern Grand Slam after completing the original format separately. The next day on the April 17 episode of SmackDown Live, Hardy was traded to the SmackDown brand as part of the 2018 WWE Superstar Shake-up and took the United States Championship with him. At the Greatest Royal Rumble on April 27, Hardy successfully defended the United States Championship in a rematch against Mahal. Following the event, Hardy entered a feud with Randy Orton, whom he retained the title against at Backlash on May 6.

Feud with Randy Orton (2018–present)

On July 15 at the Extreme Rules pay-per-view, Hardy dropped the United States Championship to Shinsuke Nakamura in only six seconds after Nakamura struck Hardy with a low blow before the match started, ending Hardy's reign at 90 days. After the match, Randy Orton returned from injury and attacked Hardy with a second low blow. Hardy received his rematch against Nakamura on the July 17 episode of SmackDown, winning by disqualification after Orton interfered; however, Nakamura retained the championship. As a result, Hardy received another rematch at SummerSlam, but was again defeated by Nakamura. On the SmackDown after SummerSlam, Hardy faced Orton in a grudge match that ended in a no-contest with Hardy continuing to attack Orton after the match. Hardy lost to Orton in a Hell in a Cell match at the namesake event on September 16. After nearly a month off, Hardy returned on the October 9 episode of SmackDown, defeating Samoa Joe via referee stoppage to qualify for the WWE World Cup Tournament at Crown Jewel.

Professional wrestling style and persona

Hardy performing the "Twist of Fate" in 2009

Hardy is known for using the Twist of Fate and the Swanton Bomb as finishers.^[267] However, during 2018, Hardy used the Swanton Bomb less since his previous injuries.^[268] During his villainous time in 2010, the name of the Twist of Fate was changed to Twist of Hate.^[269][270]

Other media

Hardy appeared on the February 7, 1999 episode of That '70s Show entitled "That Wrestling Show", along with Matt, as an uncredited wrestler.^[271][272] Hardy and Matt also appeared on Tough Enough in early 2001, talking to and wrestling the contestants.^[273] He appeared on the February 25, 2002 episode of Fear Factor competing against five other World Wrestling Federation wrestlers.^[274] He was eliminated in the first round.^[274] 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.^[275] In September 2009, Hardy signed a deal with Fox 21 studios to appear in a reality television show.^[143]

In 2001, Hardy, Matt and Lita appeared in Rolling Stone magazine's 2001 Sports Hall of Fame issue.^[276] In 2003, Hardy and Matt, with the help of Michael Krugman, wrote and published their autobiography The Hardy Boyz: Exist 2 Inspire.^[277]

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).^[278][279] 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".^[278] The DVD features footage of the brothers in OMEGA and WWE, and also briefly mentions Hardy's first run with TNA.^[278] In December 2009, WWE released a DVD about Hardy entitled Jeff Hardy: My Life, My Rules.^[280] 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, giving Hardy the most individual TNA DVD released of any other wrestler.

On October 12, 2016, Hardy wrestled Rey Mysterio in Yakima, Washington. That bout was shot for a feature film release entitled "Lucha Ilimitado vs The State of Washington."

Video games

Hardy's first WWE video game was WWF WrestleMania 2000 and he appeared in its successor, WWF No Mercy.^[281][282] Hardy's first WWE video game in the main series was WWF Smackdown!.^[283] He made several appearances later in WWF SmackDown! 2: Know Your Role, WWF Smackdown! Just Bring It and WWE SmackDown! Shut Your Mouth before his departure in 2003. He later returned to the series in WWE Smackdown vs Raw 2008 and WWE Smackdown vs Raw 2009. WWE Smackdown vs Raw 2010 was his last WWE video game before his departure to TNA. Following his return to WWE in 2017, he was revealed as a DLC character in WWE 2K18 alongside tag team partner and brother, Matt Hardy.^[284][285]

Artistic pursuits

Hardy has an eclectic set of interests outside of wrestling. He calls his artistic side "The Imag-I-Nation".^[286] On one occasion, Hardy constructed a 30-foot (9.1 m) statue of an "aluminummy" named "Neroameee" out of tin foil outside of his recording studio (a spray painted trailer).^[7] On another occasion, he created an artificial volcano in his front yard, which he then jumped over on his motocross dirtbike. On another occasion, Hardy created a large sculpture of his brother Matt's hand signal "V1", which was seen on The Hardy Show, an Internet web show which features both the Hardys, Shannon Moore, and many of their friends.^[287] Hardy is also an artist and poet.^[7] Hardy likes to call his wrestling fans "creatures."^{[citation needed]}

Hardy taught himself how to play guitar and later purchased a drum set.^[288] In 2003, Hardy formed a band, PeroxWhy?Gen, with members of the band Burnside 6 and Moore, who later left.^[288] He also converted a trailer into a recording studio. Their first album (marketed as a Jeff Hardy solo album) Plurality of Worlds was released through TNA Music on November 7, 2013.^[289] Peroxwhy?Gen released their second album Within the Cygnus Rift on July 27, 2015.^[290]

Discography

Albums

PeroxWhy?Gen

• 
  Similar Creatures – EP (2012)


• 
  Plurality of Worlds (2013)


• 
  Within the Cygnus Rift (2015)


• 
  Spawn of Me – EP (2016)


• 
  Precession of the Equinoxes (2017)

Personal life

Hardy at an autograph signing, showing his roots tattoo on his arm

Hardy has a tattoo of roots that starts on his head, behind his ear, and finishes at his hand.^[291] He also has a few other signature designed tattoos, one of which, a dragon, he hid from his father.^[291] It was also the first tattoo he got in 1998.^[292] He later got tattoos of the Chinese symbols for "Peace" and "Health", as well as tattoos of fire and a wave.^[292] Hardy regards his tattoos as his "artistic impulses".^[293] Hardy is very good friends with Shannon Moore, whom he has known since around 1987.^[294] He is also good friends with Marty Garner, Jason Arhndt, and John Morrison.^[295][296] He is also good friend with Shane Helms, having known him since the early 1990s. He and Matt also helped and trained Shane. He regards Vanilla Ice as a big influence on him,^[297] and he was even nicknamed "Ice" by Scott Hall.^[298]

Hardy met his girlfriend Beth Britt in 1999, shortly after the Hardy Boyz had won the WWF Tag Team Championship for the first time.^[299] Hardy and his brother Matt went to a club in Southern Pines, North Carolina, where Hardy met her.^[299] On March 15, 2008, it was reported that Hardy's house had burned to the ground in a fire.^[118][119] Hardy and his girlfriend Beth were not in home at the time, but his late dog, Jack was killed in the fire.^[118][119] It is believed that the fire was started by faulty electrical wiring.^[300] In October 2008, Hardy was building a new home in the same area before, which was expected to be completed by early January 2009.^[118][119] In August 2010, Hardy announced that Britt was pregnant with the couple's first child,^[301] a daughter named Ruby Claire Hardy, who was born on October 19, 2010. The pair's second child, a daughter, Nera Quinn Hardy, was born on December 31, 2015.^{[302][303][304]} Hardy married Britt on March 9, 2011.^[305]

He opened a webstore called JeffHardyBrand.com with products including T-shirts, jackets, DVDs, artwork, music, and more.^[306]

Legal issues

On September 17, 2008, Hardy was involved in an incident at the Nashville International Airport's Southwest gate.^[307] A Southwest Airline employee reported that Hardy appeared to be intoxicated, and therefore, he was not allowed to board the flight.^[307] He was not, however, arrested as he was said to be "calm" and "co-operative", and he made other arrangements to get home.^[307]

On September 11, 2009, Hardy was arrested on charges of trafficking in controlled prescription pills and possession of anabolic steroids, 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, and drug paraphernalia.^[308] Over a year later, the district attorney announced that Hardy would plead guilty to the charges.^[309] On September 8, 2011, Hardy was sentenced to ten days in jail, 30 months of probation, and a fine of $100,000.^[310][311] Hardy served his jail sentence from October 3 to 13, 2011.^[312][313]

Hardy was again arrested March 10, 2018, for driving while impaired following a traffic accident in Concord, North Carolina.^[314]

Championships and accomplishments

Hardy captured his only reign as WWE Champion in December 2008

A four-time Intercontinental Champion, Hardy is the youngest to win the title at age 23

Hardy is a six-time WWF/World Tag Team Champion with his brother Matt Hardy

The Hardys, with the TNA World Tag Team Championship (left) and the OMEGA Tag Team Championship (right) during their "Expedition of Gold" in January 2017

• 
  All Star Wrestling
  
  • ASW Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Matt Hardy^[315]
    
  
  


• 
  The Crash
  
  • 
    The Crash Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Matt Hardy^[316]
    
  
  


• 
  House of Glory
  
  • 
    HOG Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Matt Hardy^{[citation needed]}
    
  
  


• 
  MCW Pro Wrestling
  
  • 
    MCW Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Matt Hardy^[317]
    
  
  


• 
  National Championship Wrestling
  
  • NCW Light Heavyweight Championship (4 times)^[4]
    
  
  


• 
  New Dimension Wrestling
  
  
  
  • NDW Light Heavyweight Championship (1 time)^[1]
    
  
  
  • NDW Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Matt Hardy^[318]
    
  
  
  
  


• 
  New Frontier Wrestling Association
  
  • NFWA Heavyweight Championship (1 time)^[1]
    
  
  


• 
  North East Wrestling
  
  • NEW Junior Heavyweight Championship (1 time)^[1]
    
  
  


• 
  NWA 2000
  
  • NWA 2000 Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Matt Hardy^[1]
    
  
  


• 
  OMEGA Championship Wrestling
  
  
  
  • 
    OMEGA Heavyweight Championship (1 time)^[319]
    
  
  
  • 
    OMEGA New Frontiers Championship (1 time)^[21]
    
  
  
  • 
    OMEGA Tag Team Championship (2 times) – with Matt Hardy^[1][320]
    
  
  
  • 
    First Triple Crown Champion^{[citation needed]}
    
  
  
  
  


• 
  Pro Wrestling Illustrated
  
  
  
  • 
    Comeback of the Year (2007, 2012, 2017)^[321]
    
  
  
  • 
    Match of the Year (2000) with Matt Hardy vs. The Dudley Boyz and Edge and Christian in a triangle Ladder match at WrestleMania 2000^[322]
    
  
  
  • Match of the Year (2001) with Matt Hardy vs. The Dudley Boyz and Edge and Christian in a Tables, Ladders and Chairs match at WrestleMania X-Seven^[322]
    
  
  
  • 
    Most Popular Wrestler of the Year (2008, 2009)^{[citation needed]}
    
  
  
  • 
    Tag Team of the Year (2000) with Matt Hardy^[323]
    
  
  
  • Ranked No. 7 of the top 500 singles wrestlers in the PWI 500 in 2013^[324]
    
  
  
  • Ranked No. 418 of the top 500 greatest wrestlers in the PWI Years in 2003^{[citation needed]}
    
  
  
  
  


• 
  Ring of Honor
  
  • 
    ROH World Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Matt Hardy^[257]
    
  
  


• 
  Total Nonstop Action Wrestling
  
  
  
  • 
    TNA World Heavyweight Championship (3 times)^{[161][171][206]}
    
  
  
  • 
    TNA World Tag Team Championship (2 times) – with Matt Hardy^[325]
    
  
  
  • 
    Bound for Glory Series (2012)^[204]
    
  
  
  • 
    Race for the Case (2017 – Green Case)^{[citation needed]}
    
  
  
  • 
    TNA World Cup (2015) – with Gunner, Davey Richards, Rockstar Spud, Crazzy Steve and Gail Kim^{[citation needed]}
    
  
  
  • 
    TNA World Cup (2016) – with Eddie Edwards, Jessie Godderz, Robbie E and Jade^{[citation needed]}
    
  
  
  • TNA Wrestler of the Year (2012)^[326]
    
  
  
  
  


• 
  Universal Wrestling Association
  
  • 
    UWA World Middleweight Championship (1 time)^[1]
    
  
  


• 
  World Wrestling Federation/World Wrestling Entertainment/WWE
  
  
  
  • 
    World Heavyweight Championship (2 times)^[139][327]
    
  
  
  • 
    WWE Championship (1 time)^[50][129]
    
  
  
  • 
    WWE European Championship (1 time)^[50][52]
    
  
  
  • 
    WWE United States Championship (1 time)^[328]
    
  
  
  • 
    WWF/E Hardcore Championship (3 times)^[39]
    
  
  
  • 
    WWF/E Intercontinental Championship (4 times)^[37]
    
  
  
  • 
    WWF Light Heavyweight Championship (1 time)^[38]
    
  
  
  • 
    WWE Raw Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Matt Hardy^[329]
    
  
  
  • 
    WWF/World Tag Team Championship (6 times) – with Matt Hardy^[50][330]
    
  
  
  • 
    WCW Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Matt Hardy^[4]
    
  
  
  • Eighteenth Triple Crown Champion
  
  
  • 
    Ninth Grand Slam Champion (under original format; Ninth overall)
  
  
  • 
    Twelfth Grand Slam Champion (under current format; nineteenth overall)
  
  
  • 
    Terri Invitational Tournament (1999) – with Matt Hardy^[31]
    
  
  
  • 
    Slammy Awards (2 times)
    
    • Extreme Moment of the Year (2008, 2009) giving Randy Orton a Swanton Bomb from the top of the Raw set, jumping from a ladder onto CM Punk through the Spanish announce table at SummerSlam^{[citation needed]}
      
    
    
  
  
  
  


• 
  Wrestling Observer Newsletter
  
  
  
  • 
    Best Flying Wrestler (2000)^[331]
    
  
  
  • 
    Feud of the Year (2009) vs. CM Punk^[332]
    
  
  
  • 
    Worst Worked Match of the Year (2011) vs. Sting at Victory Road (owing to Hardy's inebriation)^[333]
    
  
  
  
  


• 
  Wrestling Superstar
  
  • Wrestling Superstar Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Matt Hardy^[334]
    
  
  

References

Notes

Citations

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Jeff Hardy.

• 
  Jeff Hardy on IMDb
  


• 
  "Jeff Hardy's TNA Wrestling profile". Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved March 10, 2010.CS1 maint: BOT: original-url status unknown (link)
  


• 
  Jeff Hardy on WWE.com


• Jeff Hardy's profile at Cagematch.net, Wrestlingdata.com, Internet Wrestling Database