"Suspended without pay" - Tony Khan breaks silence following AEW star Jeff Hardy's DUI arrest
AEW president Tony Khan has finally commented on the situation regarding Jeff Hardy after the former WWE Champion was arrested.
Hardy was arrested after being found to be driving under the influence. He was also charged with driving with a suspended license. The 44-year-old was jailed for the evening but eventually released after posting a $3,500 bail.
Many fans have been wondering how this most recent arrest would affect his standing with AEW. Tony Khan answered that question today with an official statement on his Twitter page, confirming that Hardy will be suspended without pay.
The statement reads:
"We were able to resume contact with Jeff Hardy this afternoon. AEW does not condone Jeff's alleged behavior. We've made it clear to Jeff that we'll assist him in getting treatment for substance abuse issues, which he has indicated that he's open to receiving. In the interim, he is suspended without pay, and can only return to AEW upon successfully completing treatment and maintaining his sobriety."
https://t.co/pDJA55cyaN
At the time of writing, it is unclear what the timeframe will be regarding Jeff's absence from the ring; however, it's clear that AEW fans all over the world will be eager to see him return to the company, but only if he is healthy.
How does Jeff Hardy's arrest affect the ladder match on this week's AEW Dynamite?
One thing that was majorly affected in the wake of Jeff Hardy's arrest was the status of the upcoming AEW Tag Team Championship ladder match that was meant to be between The Hardys, The Young Bucks and the Jurassic Express on this week's Dynamite.
AEW stopped promoting the match on their social media accounts, with the hair vs. hair match between Chris Jericho and Ortiz, Wardlow's 20-on-1 handicap match, and Ethan Page vs. Miro being the only bouts listed.
#AEWDynamite: #RoadRager THIS WEDNESDAY LIVE @ 8pm ET / 7pm CT on @TBSNetwork
- #HAIRvsHAIR: @Ortiz_Powerful v @IAmJericho
- 20-On-1 #ClassAction Handicap Elimination Match: the Plaintiffs v @realwardlow
- All-Atlantic Championship Qualifier: @OfficialEGO v @ToBeMiro https://t.co/OBgvPXwVjW
It's possible that Tony Khan will keep it as a two-on-two match, or perhaps add another top-five ranked tag team. But one thing is for certain, it's going to be very interesting to see what steps are taken in the tag team division next.
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