Wrestling On FanNation

The Hardy Boyz Talk Jeff's Awkward AEW Debut, A Point To Prove In This Current TNA Run [Exclusive]

Matt and Jeff Hardy may not have had the run they hoped for in AEW but are getting it now in TNA.

Steven Muelhausen

Matt and Jeff Hardy came out during the Sept. 19 episode of TNA Wrestling.
Matt and Jeff Hardy came out during the Sept. 19 episode of TNA Wrestling. / TNAWrestling.com

Jeff Hardy's debut in AEW on the March 9, 2022 edition of AEW Dynamite is still talked about among wrestling fans. But not for the reason that you think.

It's known for the dance Jeff made while his brother, Matt, was getting beat down by Andrade, Private Party, along with The Butcher and The Blade. People were wondering why Jeff would dance while his brother was getting beaten to a pulp. Now, the truth has come out and it's not some sensational story fans were hoping for.

"I'm secretly still behind the scenes trying to perfect it and make it look smooth, man," Jeff laughs to The Takedown.

"Full transparency, I'll take part of the heat for this," Matt interrupts Jeff. "What I wanted out of this segment was that whenever that Hardy Boyz music hits and Jeff shows up that everybody in the ring, they're like, ‘Oh shit, and then they just stop, and they're not beating me up. Jeff comes out, he does a little dance, and then he comes to the ring and starts whopping ass. That's what I hoped for. But they didn't take their foot off the gas when it came to whipping my ass in the ring. So they were on me, and Jeff's like, ‘Oh shit, I gotta go fast and head into the ring.

MORE: Matt Cardona: 'I'm Legit Shocked' On Not Being Signed To A Deal With WWE Or AEW (Exclusive)

But the run for The Hardy Boyz in All Elite Wrestling didn't go as planned. Some of it was due to Jeff getting arrested and then suspended for his third DUI in ten years back in June 2022, resulting in a nine-month hiatus.

Deciding not to remain with AEW, Matt went to familiar territory in the confines of TNA in April at the end of Rebellion to start a program with then-heavyweight champion Moose. Matt felt like a point needed to be proven in going back to TNA to show the wrestling world that he has gas in the tank and not to write him off. This run originally had been designed to be a short one. But seeing how things were going, Jeff showed interest, and how TNA management treats him and his brother has extended the time in the company.

"I certainly felt like I had things to prove," Matt admits. "And I just felt like being put in a position to succeed is something that I needed. I love the fact that TNA, like, when I  showed up at the end of Rebellion and dropped Moose with a Twist of Fate. That only happened two days out. I spoke with Tommy Dreamer, and I talked about what I wanted by by being there. I said, ‘I'm not worried about having all these intricate matches’. 

"I wanted to be involved in some story in which people can emotionally connect too. They can be emotionally invested in (it). I originally set and agreed to work with Moose until Against No Odds, and we would have a title match for the heavyweight title. And if that was the last thing I do, then we have the match and he beats me, and then I do whatever's next. But then Jeff was saying right before that, like, ‘I see what you're doing. I'm going to be free here shortly. ‘I think it'd be cool. I'd like to come do it, and we could do the whole tag team thing that we hope we would have done at AEW’. 

MORE: The 10 Longest WWE Championship Reigns

"That's how that came to be. It's great because I feel like we're put in a very strong situation where we could succeed because we are used as legends and our legacy of being around for 25 years. Being the guys that had the first ever tag team ladder match, being the guys that were in the first TLC match, being the guys that have won titles and all promotions and whatnot. We are highlighted as these legends, and we are used like that on TNA TV. That translates to the viewers. I think the viewers at home can really see that we're being used in the correct capacity." 

Jeff wasn't too far behind, as he had injury time added to his AEW contract. As luck would have it, his deal ended the night before Against All Odds in June. He'd been watching his brother from afar. A conversation between the brothers was had, and Jeff returned to the fold. Being back has given Jeff's wrestling career a new lease on life.

"I was healing from a broken nose at the time, so my deal was a little extended," Jeff said. "It's just the way these contract things end. (It) just still blows me away because the day my contract ended with AEW, the (Against All Odds) show was the next day. I was like, ‘How could that possibly be?’

"So naturally, it was like one of those things that we don't know how that can be, but it must be just meant to be. I've created and had a lot of great moments and memories with TNA over the years. I don’t think I’d watched TNA until Matt popped up since I was still with WWE during the Thunderdome days. I saw what TNA was doing through the pandemic. But then, naturally, I started watching and sent Matt a text. I was like, ‘Oh man, that’s really cool. How did it feel out there?’

"Then we talked about it. It’s super exciting to see the way they shoot the shows now. And now that I’m starting to get comfortable and getting to know everybody in the locker room. I love watching the shows back. The way they produce some of the slow-motion stuff. I really get excited about that, and it inspires me to have one of the biggest reinventions of my career and do some of the best work I’ve ever done in pro wrestling."

MORE: 20 Greatest WWE Wrestlers Of All Time

Published
Steven Muelhausen
STEVEN MUELHAUSEN

: Steven Muehlhausen is a veteran combat sports writer for various outlets including Sporting News and Yahoo Sports. He can be reached at stevemuehlhausen@yahoo.com and followed on Twitter @SMuehlhausenJr.

Home/Features