AEW commentator Jim Ross has said that WWE often struggled to “totally trust” Jeff Hardy due to his personal demons.
Jeff’s problems with substances, which have led to several arrests, have been well-documented, and have followed the veteran across multiple promotions.
Last June, Hardy was arrested and charged with his third DUI in a decade, but the charge has been dropped due to a faulty breathalyzer result.
Trust
Hardy’s personal demons have not stopped the ‘Charismatic Enigma’ from becoming one of the most popular stars in the history of wrestling.
In WWE, Hardy was never turned heel, though such a turn was briefly teased in 2003 before his release from the company.
Speaking on his Grilling JR podcast, Ross explained why WWE opted not to make Hardy a heel.
“I don’t know if he’s too big [of a merch mover]. I think maybe, my guess on this question would be another one with reliability issues. How far do you go with someone that you don’t totally trust?”
Jim Ross.
Ross added that any major plans for Hardy at the time were always seen through this ‘can we trust him’ lens, and said that at the time, the answer was “no.”
Hardy would turn heel as part of TNA Wrestling years later, but has remained a face in WWE through his multiple runs with the company.
Make Yourself Famous
In 2002, WWE tried to show Hardy they had faith in him (and encourage him to change his ways,) by giving him a prominent feud with The Undertaker.
To this day, their ladder match on the July 1, 2002, episode of Raw, is considered one of the best Raw matches ever, and Ross remembers it fondly.
“He’s one of my favorite talents to call matches for. I remember the match that he and Taker had. I said something like climb the ladder and make yourself famous or something to that effect. And I just admired his work so much, I adored it.“
Jim Ross.
Despite this show of good faith by WWE, Hardy would not get a handle on his problems, and would be gone from the company less than a year later.
