Jeff Hardy returns

Last week on Dynamite, former WWE and TNA champion, Jeff Hardy returned to AEW. Hardy, 44, had been away from the promotion since last year after he was arrested for DUI following a concert performance with his band. Unfortunately, the DUI arrest in 2022 was just the most recent incident of substance issues that has plagued the stellar athlete for the majority of his career. Sadly, the laundry list of incidents that involve substance abuse for Jeff Hardy are too length to discuss again. Still, the overwhelming takeaway from his most recent run-in with the law was that it seemed very clear that Jeff Hardy can’t work a regular wrestling schedule and maintain a healthy lifestyle.

Keep in mind, Jeff was on the AEW roster for just a few months and took several risks, including a nasty bump on the steel steps during a match with Darby Allim before he was arrested for DUI. Don’t get me wrong, with as popular as Jeff Hardy is, and the perceived value of a final Hardy Boys reunion before either of them hang up their boots, I can understand why Tony Khan signed Jeff to a deal when he landed on the free agent market, but the experiment didn’t yield fruitful results. If anything, it proved that Jeff Hardy might be too much of a liability for AEW. 

Again, don’t get me wrong, you always hear positive things about the real-life Jeff Hardy, and he probably is a great guy, but that doesn't cover for the absolutely awful personal decisions he made. The bottom line is, there's no excuse to drive intoxicated because at that point, Hardy's substance choices don't just affect him, it quite literally put other people's lives at risk. The worse part was that Hardy's license was suspended because of a previous incident so he wasn't even legally allowed to drive under any circumstances.

So, what does this mean for Jeff Hardy and AEW?

Quite frankly, I don't think that Jeff Hardy in 2023 is worth the risk for either the company or himself. That's not to say that he didn't have a successful career or cement himself as a legend of his generation that inspired an entire group of performers that pursued the sport, but rather to point out the reality of the situation. Many of Jeff's struggles with substances were associated with his time in pro wrestling, including the infamous Victory Road incident in TNA in 2011. Is traveling and taking bumps worth the potential downside? More specifically, does AEW truly need Jeff Hardy on the roster? Jeff is an established star and certainly has name value, but does he move the needle?

The roster is so bloated that at this point, even another Hardy Boys reunion, which was the premise of Jeff's return when he made the save for Matt, isn't exactly a ground-breaking concept. We've seen the duo reform their team in WWE,TNA, and ROH so some of an AEW stint as a team would be a "been there, done that" portion of the product. You have to give Matt Hardy credit for his longevity, and I'm sure he's happy to show up to collect the paycheck, but given that he's involved in a rather lukewarm angle with The Firm, he's not booked in a spot of major importance on the shows. Granted, Matt's knowledge would continue to be a valuable tool behind-the-scenes so it's not as though he shouldn't be on the payroll, but rather that his on-screen impact is minimal. This all comes down to the rather limited upside of Jeff Hardy back in the ring and why it's probably not worth the risk. That's not a knock on Jeff, but to highlight that it would be much better for Jeff Hardy to retire to a healthy life outside of the ring than to have the temptations of the road in front of him to be able to work matches on Rampage or the Youtube shows.

Sure, it's possible that Jeff's comeback leads to a successful stint that could provide a positive conclusion to his career. However, there are a number of factors and pieces of the puzzle that would have to fit into place for that to happen, and given the sporadic nature of the current All Elite product, the odds would be against that. Most importantly, Jeff Hardy would have to maintain a healthy lifestyle and stay away from any substances while being on the road for the company. Hardy went to rehab during his hiatus from the organization so he has a fresh start. If Matt and Jeff are back in the mix of the tag team division, an aspect of the product that was jump started with FTR's recent title victory, it would take a series of stellar matches on their part, along with consistent and meaningful booking from Tony Khan on the shows to allow this to be a productive chapter of their careers. Again, some of this is a been there, done that so if the Hardys simply play the greatest hits, I'm not sure it will stand out among the crowded AEW landscape. If Matt and Jeff still have enough left in the tank and they are booked consistently, it could rejuvenate their careers for a final major run, similar to the way that Goldust made many people take notice when he returned to the WWE several years ago.

That being said, given The Hardys' age and the circumstances around Jeff's absence, there's not much middle ground for how to gauge success for this chapter of their careers. If the ceiling for this run is a forgettable feud on Rampage with The Firm than the Hardys can coast on their reputation because that angle isn't going to make a difference in the grand scheme of things. On the flip side, if Matt and Jeff can showcase their skills in competitive matches against team like FTR, The Lucha Brothers, and The House of Black then there's a chance that it would be a productive run in the company.