Original nixed AEW title plans for The Hardys before Jeff Hardy's arrest reportedly disclosed
Matt and Jeff Hardy were originally supposed to win the AEW World Tag Team Championships, as per reports from wrestling journalist Bryan Alvarez.
The Hardys were initially set to compete in a three-way ladder match featuring The Young Bucks and Jurassic Express on the Road Rager edition of AEW Dynamite this week. However, an unsettling event that occurred 48 hours before the show led AEW to change the advertised bout on Wednesday night.
Jeff Hardy was apprehended by Florida police over multiple traffic violations, with DUI and driving with a suspended license being the two main misdemeanors. In the wake of this shocking news, AEW President Tony Khan suspended the Charismatic Enigma without pay. Meanwhile, the company went ahead with the title match but excluded The Hardys from the bout.
Speaking on the Brian & Vinny Show, Bryan Alvarez reported that the company was planning to put the straps around Matt and Jeff Hardy's waists. However, those plans changed following Jeff's performance at Double or Nothing 2022, which prompted him to have a brain scan:
“The idea was the Hardys were going to win the tag titles in this ladder match, that was the plan for awhile,” Alvarez said. “Apparently, at the pay-per-view when the Hardys and the Bucks had their match, Jeff was not looking good. Apparently, they examined him afterwards and he was all beat up and he didn’t remember the match .Remember when Jeff got pulled over and said he was on his way to a brain scan? He was on his way to a brain scan," Alvarez said. (H/T- WhatCulture)
#AEW releases the official statement regarding Jeff Hardy.
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Alvarez also revealed that the former WWE Champion was never going to compete in the three-way ladder match due to his brain scan. The company initially planned on booking an angle before the bout, which would have prevented The Hardys from wrestling on the show.
On Wednesday night, the Young Bucks dethroned Jurassic Express in a ladder match to end their reign at 161 days.
What did Matt Hardy say about Jeff Hardy's DUI arrest?
Although Jeff Hardy was bonded out of jail at a $3,500 surety bond, the news of his arrest upset many of his his admirers.
His brother, Matt Hardy took to Twitter to break his silence, noting that it was "disheartening" for the entire family to hear about Jeff's DUI arrest.
The former AFO leader assured that he would do everything in his power to help his brother overcome his addiction:
It was disheartening to hear the news about my brother yesterday. Recovery isn’t a linear process & I’ll continue doing whatever I can to help my brother be healthy. Being healthy & well is the most important thing for Jeff, his wife, his children & our family at this time.
Matt also revealed that Jeff felt "so embarrassed" following the unfortunate incident this past week.
Moving forward, The Charismatic Enigma will now only be able to return to AEW if he maintains his sobriety. Meanwhile, it will be interesting to see what the company has in store for Matt Hardy.
Will he embark on a solo run in his brother's absence? Only time will tell.