More Details On Jeff Hardy's 'Erratic' Behaviour Prior To WWE Release Reportedly Emerge
Hardy was sent home following a house show on Saturday
Dec 10, 2021
Further details have emerged about Jeff Hardy's erratic behaviour at a WWE live event from Edinburg, Texas on Saturday, December 4.
The 44-year-old was involved in a six-man tag team match at the house show and fan footage showed that Hardy grew sluggish as the match progressed. Hardy then tagged out of the match and left the ringside area through the audience. He was later sent home and missed Sunday's live event.
Fightful's Sean Ross Sapp revealed further details about the incident, noting that WWE had to construct the match around Hardy. The Charismatic Enigma had also missed some signings and appearances in the past.
Sean Ross Sapp said:
"This stemmed from various things but it came to a head on Saturday night. There was a house show, I believe, in Edinburg, Texas and the match was Jeff Hardy, Drew McIntyre & Xavier Woods against The Bloodline. After that match, Jeff Hardy was sent home and what happened between that was... pretty wild. Jeff was barely used in the match, from what I understand they had to construct the match around Jeff. People didn't see him for a lot of the day and then when he got to the ring, it was very clear [his behaviour] was a little unusual.
"When I asked if it was like Victory Road with Sting, I was told 'Well, not exactly.' But it was pretty clear he wasn't gonna have a ton of offence or anything like that. From what I heard from people around the situation, he worked the match, he tagged out and then he just hit the bricks. He went into the audience. He started taking pictures with people and his teammates were looking for him and going 'Where's Jeff? He's in the audience taking pictures.'
"WWE sent him home, he went home, Matt Hardy said that Jeff was doing okay. I mean, doing okay in the moments following is one thing but... It's pretty clear it was a rough situation, it was a rough day and it was a dangerous situation. I can't speak to that moment, I can't speak to Saturday night and say that he was under the influence of something because I don't know that to be true. Maybe it was crazy circumstances but I can't say for sure he was under the influence.
"Saturday night, Jeff Hardy was in a six-man tag team match and his behaviour was erratic. We have not reported if he was on some sort of substance, under the influence of a substance or intoxicated. We don’t know. The match was changed and adjusted on the fly because Jeff was not gonna be able to do his moves – it was very clear. By the time they knew something was off off, Jeff had tagged out, rolled out of the ring and went into the audience [mid-match].
"He was sent home the following day and WWE has released him. They offered him rehab and help, he did reject it. We're told that he missed some signings and appearances, things like that, in the past and other wrestlers would step up and fill in for him."
WWE released Hardy on Thursday after he rejected the company's offer to send him to rehab. The former WWE Champion has battled alcohol and drug addiction throughout his career and he entered an in-patient rehab facility following a DUI arrest in October 2019.
H/T to Inside The Ropes