Jeff Hardy Takes Responsibility For Failed AEW Run
Jeff Hardy wanted a fair chance to redeem himself in AEW, although he blames himself for things not working out.
After Matt Hardy signed with AEW in 2020, Jeff eventually joined his brother in March 2022, but things quickly went off the rails.
Jeff was arrested for driving under the influence and subsequently went to rehab for his well-documented addiction issues. The incident came just months after the star had been released by WWE for acting erratically at a live event and refusing to go to rehab.
His arrest saw a World Tag Team Title run scrapped, and even though Jeff later returned to action, he and Matt ultimately left AEW in mid-2024 following what became a lackluster spell with the company.
Matt And Jeff Hardy Reflect On AEW Run
In a new interview with Ariel Helwani, The Hardyz were asked about what went wrong in AEW, and Jeff was quick to admit that his personal problems ultimately got in the way.
“My personal problems. Getting in trouble with the law. I think I never got a fair chance to redeem myself. Coming back, at least that’s how I felt. I totally understood why they didn’t want to give me that chance. They probably can’t trust me. I’m just a liability. I was telling myself all these terrible things about getting what I got and getting arrested again.
There is so much guilt and shame involved in that. Naturally, I beat myself up about it. I just don’t think we ever had a fair chance because of that. I blame myself all the time,”
When asked whether he agreed with Jeff’s breakdown, Matt suggested other factors could have also been at play. The occasionally Broken One questioned whether he and Jeff fit into the style of wrestling Tony Khan promotes and enjoys.
He was also quick to praise Khan, despite their run falling short of expectations.
“That probably factors into things, I think. He was back and I feel like he did pretty good to prove himself. I figured there would be a little bit of a testing period with him. With myself, Jeff, Adam [Cope], and Jay [Christian Cage] all together.
I figured they would at least have us in the ring and if we’re doing something together, it would be a hell of a segment because there is so much value in the four of us being together because of our history. It didn’t happen.
Tony Khan is a great guy. Paid me very well. I like him. Got along with him. He has his style and choice of wrestling that he likes to see and I don’t know if all of us factored in.”
During the same conversation, The Hardyz admitted that they’d love “one last hurrah” in WWE before being inducted into the Hall of Fame. The pair made a brief return to the company in early 2025, appearing in NXT before defending the TNA World Tag Team Championship against Fraxiom at Roadblock.
H/t to Fightful