Jeff Hardy Reportedly Released by WWE After Rumors He Was Sent Home from Tour
December 9, 2021
WWE released Jeff Hardy from his contract Thursday, according to Fightful's Sean Ross Sapp.
Hardy's reported release comes after PWInsider.com (h/t WrestlingInc's Marc Middleton) stated he was sent home from a WWE live event loop over the weekend.
Hardy reportedly looked "sluggish" during a six-man tag team match that saw him team with Drew McIntyre and Xavier Woods against Roman Reigns and The Usos at a live event in Edinburg, Texas, on Saturday. Hardy exited the ring during the match and left through the crowd with security following behind.
Sapp also reported Thursday that WWE offered to get Hardy help in the form of rehab, but the 44-year-old declined.
Hardy has a history of substance misuse with both drugs and alcohol, which has led to him getting arrested multiple times.
His most recent publicly known issues occurred during his latest WWE run, as he was arrested in July 2019 for public intoxication and in October 2019 for driving while impaired.
Hardy said during an interview in September 2020 that he would be "done" in WWE if he were to "screw up" again:
WWE on BT Sport @btsportwwe"I can't screw up again if I do I'm done. Living one day at a time has been huge for me."<br><br>"When I heard what happened to Chadwick Boseman, it touched my soul. I want to be an example, a good person."<br><br>Seeing <a href="https://twitter.com/JEFFHARDYBRAND?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JEFFHARDYBRAND</a> this happy makes us happy ☺️ <a href="https://t.co/Ox7cLWvWOP">pic.twitter.com/Ox7cLWvWOP</a>
Hardy was released by WWE in 2003, and he later revealed on Steve Austin's The Broken Skull Sessions podcast that his refusal to go to rehab played a role in the decision.
Jeff's brother, AEW star Matt Hardy, provided an update on Jeff on his Twitch stream Monday (h/t H Jenkins of Ringside News), saying:
"I did speak to Jeff for a little bit today. He's okay. He's good. I think he'll be fine. Once again, this isn't my business. If he wants to go into it with more detail, he'll do it himself. Jeff is okay. He is at home and okay. It's not my business or story to tell or explain. Besides that, it's not my story to tell because it's not my perspective. I love my brother and I want him to be okay and healthy."
Hardy's WWE release comes amid what has been a successful run for him on SmackDown since the WWE Draft.
The Charismatic Enigma was the final remaining member for Team SmackDown in the men's five-on-five elimination match at Survivor Series last month, and he was recently the last person eliminated in a battle royal to determine the No. 1 contender for Roman Reigns' Universal Championship.
All signs pointed toward the former WWE and world heavyweight champion eventually getting a title shot against Reigns at a pay-per-view.
Hardy is one of nearly 80 in-ring performers to get released by WWE this year, but while most of the others were due to budget cuts, it doesn't appear as though Hardy's release was financially motivated.