Jeff Hardy is one of the most extreme wrestlers in World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) today. While he has held many titles in the past, multiple times, including the (now defunct) Hardcore and Light Heavyweight Championships, He’s also held the European and World Heavyweight Titles. He’s been WWE Champion twice, the Intercontinental Champion four times, and a World Tag Team Champion (with his brother Matt) seven times.
Real Name : Jeff Nero Hardy
Alias(es) : The Extreme Enigma Jeff Hardy, The Iceman, Gladiator, Galaxion, Wolverine, Willow The Whisp, Jeff Harvey, & Mean Jimmy Jack
Date Of Birth : August 31, 1977 Height : 6’1 Weight : Approx. 225lbs
Pro Debut : October 15, 1993
Wrestling Organization : World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE)
Trainer(s) : Dory Funk Jr. & Michael Hayse
Finisher(s) : The Swanton Bomb, Whisper In The Wind, & The Twist Of Fate.
Independent Promotions
Even before Jeff signed with the World Wrestling Federation, he was in a promotion called OMEGA, started by his brother Matt Hardy, holding both the “New Frontier Championship” and “Tag Team Championships” (with his brother Matt). This promotion folded in 1998 with the brothers’ full-time signing to the WWF.
Jeff Hardy in the World Wrestling Federation
The “Hardy Boyz” were officially formed in 1998 and by 1999 Jeff and Matt started feuding full time with the Brood, a vampire group consisting of Gangrel, Edge, and Christian. Former Freebird Michael Hayes joined the Hardyz as their manager, and on July 5, 1999 they won their first “Tag Team Championship” against the Acolytes (Bradshaw and Faarooq). Then, lost it back to them approximately a month later. The Hardyz joined with Gangrel to become the “New Brood” and started feuding once again with Edge and Christian. In late 1999 at “No Mercy”, Jeff and Matt faced Edge and Christian for the managerial services of Teri Runnels in the first ever “Tag Team Ladder Match”. This match was phenomeonal consisting of all kinds of nasty things you can do to someone with a ladder, many of which, I’ve never seen again. The Hardyz won the match and the services of Ms. Runnels for a short time.
Jeff Hardy in Team Xtreme
In 2000, “Team Xtreme” was born when the Hardy Boyz recruited Lita to their ranks and continued their battles with Edge and Christian, twice defeating them for the “Tag Team Titles”. “Summerslam” 2000 marked the debut of the “Tables, Ladders, and Chairs Match” where Team Xtreme faced not only long time rivals Edge and Christian, but the Dudley Boyz (Brother Ray and Brother Devon) as well, for the “Tag Team Championships”. The Hardyz did not win the titles, but the match gained them fan attention due to their high risk stunts. “Wrestlemania 17″, 2001, again the Hardyz took on Edge, Christian, and the Dudleyz to no avail.
Jeff began making a name for himself as a singles wrestler in 2001 beating Triple H for the “Intercontinental Championship”, Jerry Lynn for the “Light Heavyweight Title”, and both Rob Van Dam and Mike Awesome (on seperate occasions) for the “Hardcore Championship Title”. At the end of 2001, Matt and Jeff split up and did battle at “Vengence” 2001 where Jeff defeat Matt in a controversial victory. Shortly after, Jeff lost his “Hardcore Championship” to the Undertaker and within the next two weeks, all three of “Team Xtreme” were eliminated by the Dead Man and were not seen again until the “Royal Rumble” in 2002. In July of 2002, Jeff won his third “Hardcore Championship” by defeating Bradshaw proving, once again, his worth as a singles competitor.
Hardy took on the Undertaker in a “Ladder Match” for a spot in first and only “Undisputed Heavyweight Championship”. Jeff didn’t win, but the match was so extreme fans couldn’t help but recognize the effort he put forth. Even the Dead Man showed his respect after the match. Jeff then went on to defeat William Regal for the “European Championship” only to be defeated a few weeks later by RVD. In 2003, The Hardy Boyz were completely seperated by different wrestling shows and Jeff hooked up romantically with Trish Stratus. This led to the two of them tagging against Stevie Richards and Victoria. In April of 2003, Jeff was released from the WWF for a slew of reasons and wouldn’t be seen on television again until 2004.
Jeff Hardy in Total Nonstop Action (WWE)
June 23, 2004, Jeff Hardy appeared on TNA in a “X-Division” title match against AJ Styles, but the match ended in a draw due to outside interference. He battled Jeff Jarrett for the “NWA World Heavyweight Championship” title twice and lost both times. He had several feuds with Scott Hall, Kevin Nash, and Jeff Jarrett to finally defeat Hall at “Final Resolution” 2005. During his time in TNA he feuded with Raven, Abyss, Robert Roode, Rhino, Sabu, and Monty Brown. In December of 2005, Hardy was suspended from TNA due to no-shows.
Jeff Hardy returns to World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE)
Jeff Hardy returned to the WWE on August 21, 2006 and on his re-debut, he defeated then champion Edge by disqualification. Johnny Nitro and Jeff would then pursue a series of matches that would bring Jeff the “Intercontinental Championship” 2 more times and in November of 2006, after five years, Jeff re-joined brother Matt once again as a tag team. At “Armageddon” 2006 the Hardy Boyz fought Paul London and Brian Kendrick, William Regal and Dave Taylor, and MNM in a brutal “Four Way Tag Team Ladder Match”. Jeff continued feuding with Johnny Nitro over the “Intercontinental Title” until eventually, at “New Year’s Revolution” 2007 Hardy retained his title in a “Steel Cage Match”. He then tagged with his brother Matt at the “Royal Rumble” and “No Way Out” defeating MNM both times. The night following “No Way Out” on Raw, Umaga demolished Jeff and took the “Intercontinental Belt”.
Jeff Hardy as the King of Extreme
The Extreme Enigma that is Jeff Nero Hardy began to shine brightly at “Wrestlemania 23″ during a “Money-In-The-Bank Ladder Match”. Matt placed Edge on a ladder and Jeff, jumping almost twenty feet in the air, landed on Edge with a leg drop that put them both out of the match. The very next night on Raw, the Hardy Boyz took the “Tag Team Titles” in a “10 Tag Team Battle Royal” that led to many feuds with Cade and Murdoch. The Hardyz retained the titles through “Backlash” and “Judgement Day” 2007, but lost them before “Vengence” and never regained them from Cade and Murdoch.
Jeff, unsuccessfully, continued his quest for the “Intercontinental Title” against Umaga at the “Great American Bash” and then disappeared again until the July 23 episode of Raw where he beat Mr. Kennedy via disqualification (due to Umaga’s interference). The following week on Raw, Jeff started his fourth “Intercontinental Championship” reign. Hardy then headed to “Survivor Series” 2007, where his team won the traditional “Elimination Match” where only he and Triple H were left standing. This led to a short lived tag team with The Game and some respectful rivalries between the two.
Around the time of the “Royal Rumble” 2008, Randy Orton attacked Jeff’s brother Matt, kicking him in the head. In retaliation, Jeff dropped Orton off the entrance stage and swanton bombed from the top of the Raw set. But, during the Rumble, Jeff could not beat Orton. A month later, at “No Way Out” Hardy made it to the final two competitors before being eliminated by Triple H. On March 10th’s edition of Raw Jeff lost his “Intercontinental Championship” to Chris Jericho and disappeared again until March 12, 2008 when Jeff Hardy re-appeared and finally defeated Umaga via pinfall. This restarted the feud between the two until at “One Night Stand”, in a “Falls Count Anywhere Match”, Jeff climbed atop an eigthteen wheeler outside the arena and swanton bombed Umaga allowing him to get the pinfall.
On June 23, 2008 Jeff was drafted to the Smackdown brand and began his quest for the “WWE Championship”. But it eluded him through “Unforgiven”, “No Mercy”, and “Cyber Sunday” until finally, in December of 2008 at “Armageddon” Jeff Hardy finally won the “WWE Championship”.
Jeff Hardy vs. Matt Hardy
Hardy’s next series of problems occurred in January 2009 where he was attacked in a stairwell outside his hotel and didn’t show for a match. He was then a victim of a hit-and-run accident, his house burnt down and killed his dog, and his pyrotechnics blew up in his face. Most thought, including Jeff, that Edge was behind all these “incidences”. It was, in fact, revealed at the 2009 “Royal Rumble” that Matt Hardy (Jeff’s brother) was responsible for all of Jeff’s accidents over the past few months. Matt hit Jeff squarely in the face with a steel chair causing him to lose his “WWE Championship Match” against Edge. Jeff again disappeared for a few weeks while Matt spoke, weekly, about how Jeff was never going to return and if he did, it would be the end of his career.
Jeff appeared, a few weeks later, refusing to fight his brother until Matt finally pissed him off enough that at “Wrestlemania 25″ the Hardy Boyz fought each other in an “Extreme Rules Match”. Jeff didn’t win at Wrestlemania, but redeemed himself at “Backlash” 2009 during an “I Quit Match” by securing Matt to a table and threatening to jump off a ladder through the table. Matt quit, but Jeff, for revenge’s sake took the plunge anyway breaking Matt’s hand in the process. For the following weeks, Matt attacked Jeff until finally being drafted to a different brand.
Jeff Hardy – WWE Heavyweight Champion
At “Extreme Rules” 2009 Jeff Hardy defeated Edge for the “WWE Championship” in a grueling “Ladder Match”, but immediately after the match, CM-Punk cashed in his “Money-In-The-Bank” briefcase and beat Hardy. Although Hardy felt screwed by CM Punk’s actions, he got his re-match at “The Bash”, winning the match via disqualification but losing the belt. Hardy continued his feud with CM-Punk for the next four weeks while wrestling various different matches in WWE. There was much hype leading up to the Night Of Champions which featured Jeff and Punk in a World Heavyweight Title match, but Hardy was able to win the bout and solidify his place in WWE history. Immediately following Night Of Champions, Hardy worked nightly defending his newly found title and feuding with incumbent CM Punk all the way up to SummerSlam where the two faced off in a tables, ladders, and chairs match. Hardy and Punk dominated the pay-per-view with a performance that took pro wrestling to a new level of viewing pain. Hardy retained his title that night, barely and neither wrestler was in top shape for what was to happen next. On August 31rst, 2009, Jeff Hardy decided to take a much needed hiatus from wrestling while at the top of his game and dropped the title to CM Punk in a steel cage match, live on Smackdown! unlike anything ever seen before. Jeff went out in style and claims he will return to WWE wrestling in the future.
Jeff Hardy should be called the “King of Ladders” since he has probably been in more high profile ladder matches that any other pro wrestler in any brand. His dare-may-care style and willingness to take us all to the extreme will keep him a fan favorite and leave him a legacy in pro wrestling.