On a recent edition of his “Grilling JR” podcast, Jim Ross spoke about Jeff Hardy’s run with AEW and what he feels went wrong with the veteran. He said,
“It might have come down to reliability. You know, he had so many – I don’t want to say false starts, but he had several chances to get his ball rolling and get back in the game. It might be that. Because some of these experiences that preceded him were not real complimentary. You know, I remember talking to him, and I wanted to send him to rehab. And I told him that.
“I found it better when you’re dealing with talent just to tell them the truth. Tell them the truth and let the cards fall where they may. And I believe that’s how you do business with anybody. Tell them the truth and be upfront, and let the chips fall where they fall. So I think maybe it was that, at least part of it. But there’s no obvious reason that Jeff should not have been used more prominently. So I don’t know the bottom line, but I think history and precedent had something to do with it.”
Jeff joined AEW in early 2022 after a controversial release from WWE which saw the company cut ties with him after he walked out of a live event.
The decision to cut Jeff came about after the company suspected he had been under the influence. A drug test revealed that Hardy was clean.
Despite being one of wrestling’s most popular stars, Hardy’s time with AEW saw him deal with injuries and a lengthy suspension following a DUI arrest.
The case against Jeff was later dropped. In December 2023, Hardy said he felt like a ghost in AEW, an attitude his brother Matt agreed with.
