Why 24-Time WWE Champion Turned Down Hall Of Fame Induction To Join AEW
WWE’s rivalry with AEW is well-documented; through representation, by default, it is the talents who usually bear the brunt of it.
One such instance involves The Hardy Boyz duo of Matt and Jeff Hardy.
A Twitter post claimed that the Stamford promotion wanted to induct Jeff into the WWE Hall of Fame, although as a solo honoree instead of along with his older sibling.
Long before achieving success with the company in the late 90s, the brothers had been jobbing for other wrestlers like Hunter Hearst Helmsley, Owen Hart, Razor Ramon, The Headbangers, and more.
It was their association with Michael Hayes in mid-1999 that carved Jeff and Matt their road to glory. Despite parting ways with Hayes a few months later, The Hardy Boyz found themselves feuding with Edge & Christian and the Dudley Boyz.
Over time, they became multi-time Tag Team Champions. Jeff Hardy even enjoyed a singles run, which led to him becoming a 3-time World Champion. Matt won the ECW Championship once after the brand was briefly revived in the mid-2000s.
The brothers have represented All Elite Wrestling in the past and are currently signed to Total Nonstop Action (TNA), where they are the reigning World Tag Team Champions.
Jeff Hardy Turned Down WWE Hall Of Fame Induction
WWE Hall of Fame is the validation that a wrestler’s contributions to the company were appreciated through the years.
Usually, when it comes to inducting tag teams, it is done in pairs, one of the few prominent exceptions being that of Edge & Christian [Christian has yet to be inducted].
Turns out, had Jeff Hardy accepted WWE’s offer, he would have been inducted into the Hall of Fame without his brother. While speaking on an episode of The Ariel Helwani Show in 2025, Jeff had said that it did not feel right to not have his sibling by his side.
After the latest tweet emerged, Matt Hardy responded to it by sharing additional information.
The 51-year-old claimed that Jeff’s drug test returned clean, but alcohol was an issue. Furthermore, the Stamford promotion wanted Jeff Hardy to re-sign with the company, thus preventing his possible signing with AEW.
However, Jeff decided to walk away from it, instead joining Matt in All Elite Wrestling.
For the record – WWE offered Jeff the HOF because his drug test returned as no drugs – But alcohol was the problem. The WWE wanted to keep Jeff from going to AEW by any means necessary, so they offered the HOF but he had to re-sign. Jeff chose to reunite with me at AEW.… https://t.co/VPPw45cv8p
— MATT HARDY (@MATTHARDYBRAND) July 18, 2026
Despite being signed to TNA, The Hardy Boyz competed on NXT in 2025, even winning the brand’s Tag Team Championship, due to the two companies being in a working relationship.