AEW has been left reeling from Jeff Hardy’s recent arrest, as the popular wrestler has been charged with three felonies, including driving under the influence.
Prior to his arrest, Jeff and Matt were scheduled to face AEW World Tag Team Champions Jurrasic Express and the Young Bucks in a triple-threat Tag Team Title Ladder match.
The match went ahead without the Hardys, and while the Bucks won, becoming the first two-time AEW World Tag Team Champions, the company had much different plans at first.
The Plan
According to Bryan Alverez, the original plan for the match was for Matt and Jeff to win the AEW World Tag Team Titles, which would have marked their first reign in the company.
However, those plans changed following Jeff’s performance at May’s Double or Nothing Pay Per View, as it was deemed that the former WWE World Champion looked too bad in the ring.
There were at one point, plans for the Hardys to be attacked before the match began, but neither Jeff nor his older brother was used at all for the match.
Jeff’s arrest as expected played a massive role in the decision to change plans, and it’s reported that his openly telling the officers that he was going to undergo a brain scan was also an issue.
What’s next for Jeff?
Jeff Hardy has been suspended from AEW without pay, according to a statement given by Tony Khan over Twitter.
This marks Hardy’s third DUI arrest within a decade which could lead to a hefty jail sentence for “The Charismatic Enigma.”
In the state of Florida, where Hardy was arrested, a third DUI in under ten years can lead to a maximum five-year prison sentence.
Jeff could also face up to $5,000 in fines, and a minimum 10-year driver’s license revocation.
