Matt Hardy opens up on backstage concern over 3-time WWE World Champion having "too long" of a title reign
Former WWE superstar and current AEW wrestler Matt Hardy recently shared concerns about his brother Jeff Hardy's brief reign title reign back in 2009.
Jeff's first and only run with the WWE Championship began at Armageddon in 2008. It was cut short when Matt cost him the title at the 2009 Royal Rumble, limiting his reign to 42 days.
On a recent episode of The Extreme Life of Matt Hardy, Matt revealed that there were doubts backstage about Jeff's lengthy reign as WWE Champion, despite his immense popularity among fans.
"People were loving him," Matt recalled Jeff's reception as WWE champion. Some were pitching to delay the turn to WrestleMania [25]," Hardy said.
He further discussed turning heel on his brother in the main event of WrestleMania:
"Vince [McMahon] was open to it... but there were some people who probably were worried about Jeff having too long of a run." [H/T - Wrestling Inc.]
Others hesitated to let Jeff Hardy have a long championship reign because of his personal problems. As a result, Jeff's time as champion was cut short, and at WrestleMania 25, Matt and Jeff had an Extreme Rules match.
However, Matt Hardy didn't hold anyone responsible for the outcome and recognized that Jeff's challenges may have influenced the decision.
Former WWE Champion Jeff Hardy's return match announced
Jeff Hardy returned last week on Dynamite after being suspended for 10 months due to a DUI arrest. He received a warm welcome from the crowd and delivered a Swanton Bomb on Lee Moriarty to defend his brother.
In a backstage interview on the latest edition of AEW Rampage, Hardy announced that he would be joining his brother's team in a match against The Firm, which is set to take place inside the Hardy compound.
The newly formed team of @MATTHARDYBRAND @JEFFHARDYBRAND @730hook & @IsiahKassidy are ready to take on #TheFirm! Tune in to #AEWRampage on TNT! https://t.co/sggvjKP3VE
However, the official date of the match has not been confirmed. A recent report suggests it may be postponed for a few more weeks as Jeff Hardy is not yet medically cleared to compete.
Are you excited to see Jeff Hardy back in action? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.