5 directions for Jeff Hardy if he returns to WWE
Jeff Hardy began his career in WWE in the late 90s alongside his brother Matt. The duo captured the attention and interest of fans because of their high-flying in-ring style and innovative performances, becoming multi-time World Tag Team Champions in the process. The Hardys found success in the singles division as well, especially Jeff, who won multiple world championships in the Stamford-based promotion.
Jeff Hardy is currently signed with AEW, although he has been missing from action since February, 2024. Matt Hardy, on the other hand, has been appearing on TNA as a free agent. During a recent episode of The Extreme Life of Matt Hardy, The Broken One revealed that Jeff's AEW contract is set to expire around the middle of June. In light of this update, speculations have been circulating regarding the prospect of The Charismatic Enigma jumping ship from All Elite Wrestling to the Triple H-led company.
As such, let us look at five directions for Jeff Hardy if he signs returns to World Wrestling Entertainment.
#1: Jeff Hardy revisits his feud with CM Punk in WWE
The year 2009 saw CM Punk perform some of his best work as a heel in a bitter rivalry with Jeff Hardy. The two men clashed several times over the World Heavyweight Championship, and The Straight-Edge Superstar ended up with the last laugh after defeating Hardy in a steel cage match for the title on Smackdown. The loss forced Hardy to leave the company in storyline, although his contract with the promotion soon expired as well, leading to him joining TNA some time later.
CM Punk is currently recovering from an injury, and is in the midst of a heated rivalry with Drew McIntyre. If Jeff Hardy does return to WWE, a program with the Chicago-native which revisits their old feud could potentially make for must-watch wrestling television.
#2: Jeff Hardy renews his rivalry with Sheamus
Sheamus' WWE career has experienced a renaissance of sorts since his Clash at the Castle 2022 bout against Gunther over the Intercontinental Championship. The Celtic Warrior has competed against several top names in the global entertainment monolith, including Jeff Hardy, with whom he engaged in an intense feud in 2020. The two stars wrestled a number of matches, including a pay-per-view bout at Backlash 2020. The rivalry concluded after Hardy defeated Sheamus in a bar fight on the 24 July, 2020 episode of WWE Smackdown.
The 46-year-old Irishman has recently been locked in a feud with Ludwig Kaiser on RAW. Should Jeff Hardy sign with WWE, he could find himself on a collision course pitting him against Sheamus and resurrecting old hostilities once again.
#3: Jeff Hardy reunites with Matt Hardy to reform Team Xtreme
During a recent interview with Denise Salcedo, Matt Hardy expressed the view that he envisioned himself and Jeff Hardy potentially retiring in WWE. The Angelic Diablo admitted that the company played a major role in establishing the credibility and popularity of The Hardy Boyz. Interestingly, Hardy has been appearing on TNA at a time when the promotion seems to be collaborating with WWE, as evidenced by Knockouts World Champion Jordynne Grace showing up at WWE NXT.
Matt Hardy has repeatedly alluded to his desire to end his career alongside his brother. Therefore, the prospect of The Hardys reuniting and returning to WWE - similar to their blockbuster WrestleMania 33 comeback in 2017 - cannot be dismissed. The addition of Team Xtreme would rejuvenate the company's thriving tag team division.
#4: Jeff Hardy joins the Wyatt 6 with Matt Hardy
WWE has been heavily teasing the imminent return of Uncle Howdy to WWE programming in recent weeks. Matt Hardy, who used to team with Howdy's ally and brother Bray Wyatt, has responded to the mysterious broadcast glitches and QR codes on social media, seemingly hinting at his interest in being involved with the storyline. However, the North Carolina-native is not the only Hardy who has utilized gimmicks steeped in mystery and the supernatural.
Jeff Hardy developed his own version of the "Broken" gimmick as Brother Nero while teaming with Matt in TNA, ROH and elsewhere. He has also performed as Willow, an enigmatic, masked character that was enjoyed by many fans. If The Hardys return to WWE, they could potentially be slotted into the rumored Wyatt 6 faction alongside Uncle Howdy and the various other names speculated to be part of the stable.
#5: Jeff Hardy goes after Sami Zayn and the Intercontinental Championship
The Intercontinental Title was one of the last championships that Jeff Hardy held during his final four-year stint in World Wrestling Entertainment. He won the belt by defeating AJ Styles on Smackdown in 2020, but lost it to Sami Zayn in a triple threat match at Clash of Champions 2020 that also involved The Phenomenal One. Hardy challenged The Underdog from the Underground for the IC Title once again in October that year on Smackdown, but unfortunately came up short.
Four years later, Zayn is once again the Intercontinental Champion, and recently retained his belt against Bronson Reed and Chad Gable at WWE King And Queen Of The Ring 2024. If Jeff Hardy opts to make his WWE comeback after his AEW deal expires, he could rekindle his rivalry with the 39-year-old Canadian to pursue the Intercontinental Title.
It remains to be seen what the future holds for Jeff Hardy in pro-wrestling.