Rise to Success: Career Highlights of Jeff Hardy
Discover the career path of Jeff Hardy, from the first major opportunity to industry-changing achievements.
Jeffrey Nero Hardy, best known as Jeff Hardy, is a highly acclaimed American professional wrestler currently signed to TNA, where he's a TNA World Tag Team Champion. He also makes appearances in WWE's NXT brand. Prior to TNA, he was a prominent figure in AEW. Renowned for his daring, high-flying wrestling style, Hardy is celebrated as one of the greatest and most innovative performers of his generation.
May 23, 1994: Jeff Hardy's First WWF Match
On May 23, 1994, Jeff Hardy had his first World Wrestling Federation (WWF) match against Razor Ramon in Youngstown, Ohio, under the ring name Keith Davis. Randy Savage mentioned, "Welcome to the big time" on commentary.
June 25, 1994: Hardy Wrestles The 1-2-3 Kid on Superstars
On June 25, 1994, Jeff Hardy wrestled against The 1–2–3 Kid, and the match aired on the episode of Superstars.
1994: The Hardy Boyz Work as Enhancement Talents for WWF
In 1994, the Hardy Boyz began working as enhancement talents for the World Wrestling Federation (WWF).
December 19, 1995: WWF Superstars taping
December 19, 1995, Jeff Hardy defeated Razor Ramon by countout on WWF Superstars when Goldust's handler distracted Razor which was aired on January 13, 1996.
January 13, 1996: Hardy Defeats Razor Ramon by Countout
On January 13, 1996 (taped December 19, 1995), Jeff Hardy defeated Razor Ramon by countout on WWF Superstars when Goldust's handler distracted Razor.
April 1998: OMEGA Folded After WWF contracts
In April 1998, the Organization of Modern Extreme Grappling Arts (OMEGA) folded when Jeff and Matt Hardy signed contracts with the World Wrestling Federation (WWF).
May 1998: Hardy wrestles as jobber.
As late as May 1998 Jeff Hardy wrestled as jobber.
1998: The Hardy Brothers Sign with WWF and Train at Funkin' Dojo
In 1998, after catching the eyes of the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) and being signed to a contract, the Hardy brothers were trained by Dory Funk Jr. in his Funkin' Dojo.
1998: The Hardy Boyz Sign Full-Time Contracts with WWF
In 1998, the Hardy Boyz signed full-time contracts with the World Wrestling Federation (WWF).
February 7, 1999: Appearance on That '70s Show
On February 7, 1999, Jeff Hardy appeared on "That '70s Show" in an episode called "That Wrestling Show", along with Matt, as an uncredited wrestler.
1999: Hardy Boyz Feud with The Brood and Win First WWF Tag Team Championship
In mid-1999, the Hardy Boyz feuded with The Brood, adding Michael Hayes as their manager. On July 5, they won their first WWF Tag Team Championship by defeating the Acolytes.
April 2, 2000: Hardy Boyz Participate in First Tag Team Triple Threat Ladder Match at WrestleMania 2000
On April 2, 2000, The Hardy Boyz competed in the first-ever tag team triple threat ladder match against The Dudley Boyz, and Edge & Christian at WrestleMania 2000. Edge & Christian won the match and during the match, Jeff Hardy performed a Swanton Bomb to Bubba Ray Dudley off a 20-foot ladder.
2000: Forming Team Xtreme and WWF Tag Team Championship Wins
In 2000, the Hardy Boyz aligned with Lita, forming "Team Xtreme." They continued their feud with Edge and Christian, and during 2000, they defeated them for the WWF Tag Team Championship on two occasions.
April 1, 2001: WrestleMania X-Seven TLC Match
On April 1, 2001, at WrestleMania X-Seven in Houston, the Hardy Boyz faced Edge & Christian and the Dudley Boyz in a TLC match for the Tag Team Championship, considered one of the greatest matches in WWE history. The Hardy Boyz ultimately lost to Edge & Christian.
2001: Appearance on Tough Enough
In 2001, Jeff Hardy and Matt appeared on Tough Enough, talking to and wrestling the contestants.
2001: Singles Success and Feud
In 2001, Jeff Hardy experienced a push as a singles competitor, securing the Intercontinental, Light Heavyweight, and Hardcore Championships. Later in 2001, a storyline began where The Hardys feuded, leading to a match at Vengeance where Jeff defeated Matt. Following this, Jeff and Lita began feuding with Matt.
2001: Featured in Rolling Stone Magazine
In 2001, Jeff Hardy, Matt and Lita appeared in Rolling Stone magazine's 2001 Sports Hall of Fame issue.
2001: "The Hardy Boyz: Leap of Faith" DVD Release
In 2001, as part of WWE, Jeff Hardy appeared in the DVD, The Hardy Boyz: Leap of Faith
January 20, 2002: Return at Royal Rumble
On January 20, 2002, The Hardy Boyz and Lita returned at the Royal Rumble after being off-screen due to a storyline injury inflicted by The Undertaker. The WWF did not have a storyline for them at the time.
February 25, 2002: Fear Factor Appearance
On February 25, 2002, Jeff Hardy appeared on Fear Factor, competing against other wrestlers and being eliminated in the first round.
July 2002: Hardcore Championship Win
In July 2002, Jeff Hardy captured his third Hardcore Championship by defeating Bradshaw.
2002: Jeff Hardy's Singles Career Takes Off
In 2002, after splitting up as a team, Jeff Hardy's popularity as a singles wrestler began to grow.
2002: Teaming with Rob Van Dam and Bubba Ray Dudley
In late 2002, Jeff Hardy teamed with Rob Van Dam and Bubba Ray Dudley. At Survivor Series on November 17, 2002, they defeated 3-Minute Warning in a six-man tag team elimination tables match.
January 2003: Brief Heel Turn
In January 2003, Jeff Hardy briefly turned heel after attacking Van Dam and attempting to attack Shawn Michaels. The heel turn ended a month later when he tried to save Stacy Keibler from an attack by Christian and Chris Jericho.
April 22, 2003: Release from WWE
On April 22, 2003, Jeff Hardy was released from WWE due to erratic behavior, drug use, refusal to go to rehab, deteriorating ring performance, and tardiness. Hardy also cited burnout as a reason for his departure.
May 24, 2003: OMEGA Appearance as Willow the Wisp
On May 24, 2003, Jeff Hardy made his first wrestling appearance after being released by WWE. He appeared at an OMEGA show as his old gimmick, "Willow the Wisp," and challenged Krazy K for the OMEGA Cruiserweight Championship, but was defeated.
2003: Autobiography Published
In 2003, Jeff Hardy and Matt, along with Michael Krugman, wrote and published their autobiography "The Hardy Boyz: Exist 2 Inspire."
2003: Formation of PeroxWhy?Gen
In 2003, Jeff Hardy formed a band called PeroxWhy?Gen with members of Burnside 6 and Shannon Moore.
June 23, 2004: TNA Debut
On June 23, 2004, Jeff Hardy debuted in TNA at the Second Anniversary Show, facing A.J. Styles for the TNA X Division Championship. He debuted his new entrance theme "Modest", and his nickname, "The Charismatic Enigma". The match ended in a no contest.
January 16, 2005: Victory over Scott Hall
On January 16, 2005, at Final Resolution, Jeff Hardy defeated Scott Hall in a singles match, substituting for Héctor Garza.
October 2005: Feud with Abyss, Rhino, and Sabu
Throughout October 2005, Jeff Hardy feuded with Abyss, Rhino, and Sabu in TNA. The feud culminated in a Monster's Ball match at Bound for Glory on October 23, which Rhino won. During the match, Hardy delivered a Swanton Bomb to Abyss from a height of approximately 22 feet.
2005: "Enigma: The Best of Jeff Hardy" and "Pro Wrestling's Ultimate Insiders: Hardy Boys" DVDs
In 2005, Jeff Hardy was featured in the Total Nonstop Action Wrestling release Enigma: The Best of Jeff Hardy and Pro Wrestling's Ultimate Insiders: Hardy Boys – From the Backyard to the Big Time.
May 2006: Live Events with UWF
In May 2006, Jeff Hardy appeared on several live events promoted by TNA in conjunction with Dave Hebner and the United Wrestling Federation.
June 2006: Release from TNA
In June 2006, Jeff Hardy was released from his TNA contract after being suspended in December 2005 for no-showing the Turning Point event.
August 4, 2006: WWE Re-Signing Announcement
On August 4, 2006, WWE announced that Jeff Hardy had re-signed with the company, marking his return after being released in 2003.
January 7, 2007: Intercontinental Championship Steel Cage Match Win
On January 7, 2007, at New Year's Revolution, Jeff Hardy defeated Johnny Nitro in a steel cage match to retain the Intercontinental Championship.
2007: "The Ladder Match" DVD Release
In 2007, as part of WWE, Jeff Hardy appeared in the DVD, The Ladder Match.
January 27, 2008: WWE Championship Match at Royal Rumble
On January 27, 2008, Jeff Hardy faced Randy Orton for the WWE Championship at the Royal Rumble but was ultimately unsuccessful in winning the title.
April 29, 2008: "Twist of Fate: The Matt and Jeff Hardy Story" DVD Release
On April 29, 2008, WWE released "Twist of Fate: The Matt and Jeff Hardy Story" on DVD, featuring footage of the brothers in OMEGA and WWE, and briefly mentioning Hardy's first run with TNA.
2008: Hardy Captures First WWE Championship
In 2008, Jeff Hardy captured his first of six world championships, the WWE Championship.
2008: WWE Championship Win at Armageddon
In 2008, Jeff Hardy was drafted to SmackDown. At Armageddon on December 14, 2008, Jeff Hardy defeated Edge and Triple H in a triple threat match to capture the WWE Championship, marking his first world championship win.
January 2009: Loss of WWE Championship at Royal Rumble
In January 2009, Jeff Hardy's storyline involved scripted accidents. At the Royal Rumble on January 25, 2009, Jeff Hardy lost the WWE Championship to Edge after his brother, Matt, interfered and turned on him.
September 2009: Signs Deal for Reality Television Show
In September 2009, Jeff Hardy signed a deal with Fox 21 to appear in a reality television show.
December 2009: "Jeff Hardy: My Life, My Rules" DVD Release
In December 2009, WWE released a DVD about Jeff Hardy entitled "Jeff Hardy: My Life, My Rules."
January 4, 2010: TNA Return on Impact!
On January 4, 2010, Jeff Hardy returned to TNA on the first live Monday episode of Impact! He was attacked by Homicide but retaliated. It was later reported that Hardy had signed a new contract with TNA.
2010: Twist of Fate Renamed to Twist of Hate
During his time as a heel in 2010, Jeff Hardy renamed the Twist of Fate to the Twist of Hate.
August 23, 2011: TNA announces Hardy's return
On August 23, 2011, TNA announced that Jeff Hardy would return to the promotion at the Impact Wrestling tapings on August 25 in Huntsville, Alabama, just five days after Matt Hardy was released from his TNA contract.
2011: "Enigma: The Best Of Jeff Hardy Volume 2" Features Victory Road 2011 Incident
The 2012 release of the "Enigma: The Best of Jeff Hardy Volume 2" DVD documents the Victory Road 2011 incident.
January 8, 2012: Match against Bobby Roode at Genesis
On January 8, 2012, at Genesis, Jeff Hardy defeated TNA World Heavyweight Champion Bobby Roode via disqualification, but the title remained with Roode.
2012: "Enigma: The Best Of Jeff Hardy Volume 2" DVD Release
In 2012, Total Nonstop Action released "Enigma: The Best Of Jeff Hardy Volume 2", a followup to the 2005 release featuring a 2 disc long documentary following Hardy's return to TNA, his heel turn, and the Victory Road 2011 incident.
January 13, 2013: TNA World Heavyweight Championship Defense at Genesis
On January 13, 2013, at Genesis, Jeff Hardy defeated Austin Aries and Bobby Roode in a three-way elimination match to retain the TNA World Heavyweight Championship.
October 20, 2013: Ultimate X Match at Bound for Glory
On October 20, 2013, at Bound for Glory, Jeff Hardy debuted a new theme song and competed in his first Ultimate X match for the TNA X Division Championship but was unsuccessful as Chris Sabin won the match after an interference from Velvet Sky.
November 7, 2013: "Plurality of Worlds" Album Release
On November 7, 2013, Jeff Hardy's first solo album "Plurality of Worlds" was released through TNA Music.
February 2014: Return to TNA as Willow
In February 2014, vignettes began airing advertising Jeff Hardy's return to TNA under his OMEGA character, Willow.
October 22, 2014: Number one contenders tournament
On October 22, 2014, The Hardys entered a number one contenders tournament for the TNA World Tag Team Championships defeating The BroMans (Jessie Godderz and DJ Z) in the first round of the tournament.
March 16, 2015: Hardys win TNA World Tag Team Championship
On March 16, 2015, The Hardys won an Ultimate X match for the TNA World Tag Team Championship for the first time as a team and individually.
May 8, 2015: Hardys vacate TNA World Tag Team Championship
On May 8, 2015, The Hardys were forced to vacate the TNA World Tag Team Championship due to Jeff Hardy suffering a broken leg in a legitimate dirt bike accident.
July 27, 2015: PeroxWhy?Gen Releases "Within the Cygnus Rift"
On July 27, 2015, PeroxWhy?Gen released their second album, "Within the Cygnus Rift".
2015: "The Best of Jeff Hardy Volume 3: Humanomoly" DVD Release
In 2015, Total Nonstop Action released "The Best of Jeff Hardy Volume 3: Humanomoly", featuring some of his greatest matches throughout his TNA tenure.
January 5, 2016: Appearance to Support Matt Hardy
On January 5, 2016, Jeff Hardy made an appearance on Impact Wrestling's live Pop TV debut backstage and ringside to support his brother Matt in the semi-finals and finals of the TNA World Title Series.
January 12, 2016: Return and Victory
On January 12, 2016, Jeff Hardy returned on Impact Wrestling. Ethan Carter III denied Hardy a TNA World Heavyweight Championship opportunity, instead arranging a match for Hardy against Shynron, which Hardy won.
January 12, 2017: Tag Team Title Defense
On January 12, 2017, on Impact Wrestling, The Hardys successfully defended their tag team titles against The Wolves; Jeff Hardy rolled up Davey Richards to retain the titles.
March 4, 2017: ROH World Tag Team Championship Win
On March 4, 2017, at Manhattan Mayhem VI, Jeff Hardy and his brother Matt defeated The Young Bucks for the ROH World Tag Team Championship.
April 2, 2017: Surprise Return and Raw Tag Team Championship Win at WrestleMania 33
On April 2, 2017, at WrestleMania 33, Jeff Hardy made a surprise return to WWE with his brother Matt Hardy, winning the Raw Tag Team Championship in a ladder match, marking their first win as a team at WrestleMania and Jeff's first WrestleMania victory.
2017: "Precession of the Equinoxes" Album Release
In 2017, Peroxwhy?Gen released their third album, "Precession of the Equinoxes".
2018: Reduced Use of Swanton Bomb due to Injuries
By 2018, Jeff Hardy used the Swanton Bomb less frequently due to his accumulated lower back injuries.
January 27, 2019: Royal Rumble Participation
On January 27, 2019, Jeff Hardy participated in the Royal Rumble match at the Royal Rumble pay-per-view, but was unsuccessful.
March 13, 2020: Return from Injury and Victory Over King Corbin
On March 13, 2020, Jeff Hardy returned from injury, defeating King Corbin on SmackDown.
January 26, 2021: Royal Rumble Participation
On January 26, 2021, Jeff Hardy entered the Royal Rumble match at number 5, but was eliminated by Dolph Ziggler.
February 2022: AEW Signing Plans
In February 2022, Jeff Hardy confirmed plans to sign with All Elite Wrestling (AEW) after his WWE non-compete clause expired.
June 14, 2022: Arrested for DUI and License Violations
On June 14, 2022, Jeff Hardy was arrested in Volusia County, Florida, for driving with a suspended license, violating license restrictions requiring an Ignition Interlock Device, and felony DUI. He was suspended without pay by AEW and required to complete alcohol rehabilitation and maintain sobriety to return.
April 12, 2023: Jeff Hardy Returns, Assists Brother and Hook
On April 12, 2023, Jeff Hardy made his return to assist his brother, Isiah Kassidy, and Hook from an assault by The Firm members Lee Moriarty, Ethan Page, and Big Bill.
May 6, 2023: Hardy and Allies Defeat The Firm
On May 6, 2023, Jeff Hardy, alongside his brother Matt, Hook, and Isiah Kassidy, defeated The Firm, which consisted of Lee Moriarty, Ethan Page, Big Bill, and Stokely Hathaway.
February 14, 2024: Hardy Suffers Broken Nose in Final AEW Appearance
On February 14, 2024, Jeff Hardy was defeated by Sammy Guevara in a no disqualification match on AEW Rampage, suffering a broken nose during the match. This marked Hardy's final appearance with AEW.
June 14, 2024: Jeff Hardy Returns to TNA and Reunites with Matt
On June 14, 2024, Jeff Hardy made a surprise return to TNA at Against All Odds (2024), assisting his brother Matt. The following night, Jeff and Matt reunited to face Eddie Edwards and Brian Myers for the Impact World Tag Team Championship, winning by disqualification.
August 31, 2024: The Hardys Defeat The System
On August 31, 2024, on an episode of Impact, The Hardys defeated The System in a non-title match. The Hardys also became the number one contenders for the tag team titles after defeating First Class at Victory Road (2024).
2024: The Hardy Boyz Win Impact World Tag Team Championship
In 2024, at Bound for Glory on October 26, The Hardy Boyz defeated The System (Myers and Edwards) and Ace Austin & Chris Bey in a three-way Full Metal Mayhem match to win the Impact World Tag Team Championship. At Final Resolution, they successfully defended the titles against The System in a tables match.
February 25, 2025: The Hardy Boyz Return to WWE on NXT
On February 25, 2025, while still contracted to TNA, the Hardy Boyz made a return appearance with WWE during the episode of NXT.
2025: The Hardys Trade Tag Team Titles
In 2025, at Rebellion, The Hardys lost the Impact World Tag Team titles to Nic and Ryan Nemeth, ending their reign at 183 days. However, at Slammiversary, they regained the championships in a four-way ladder match also involving the Nemeths, The Rascalz, and Fir$t Cla$$
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