Warning! The following contains spoilers for the AEW: Dynamite episode that aired Wednesday, February 9. Read at your own risk!
Jeff Hardy’s firing from the WWE was major news towards the end of 2021, and frankly, a concerning incident for fans when the organization sent the wrestler home following a bizarre house show incident. Now the wrestler is without a job and currently waiting out his non-compete clause, though he might join AEW soon enough after his brother Matt hilariously trolled the whole situation during AEW: Dynamite.
The moment happened during Keith Lee’s debut in AEW. In the middle of the match, Matt Hardy walked out on Lee’s opponent Isiah Kassidy mid-match. Hardy exited through the crowd, which prompted commentator Tony Schiavone to say the following:
I would call that pretty erratic behavior if you ask me.
The moment, which I’m sure wasn’t lost on many wrestling fans, was more or less a direct reference to Jeff Hardy’s falling out in the WWE. The WWE removed Jeff Hardy from its tour, and shortly after video emerged of Hardy looking a bit off in the ring. Suddenly, without explanation, Hardy exited the ring and walked through the crowd to exit. Not long reports surfaced that WWE officially fired Hardy, with allegations of him exhibiting “erratic” behavior.
Matt Hardy directly referencing the moment in AEW seems like a huge clue that when Jeff Hardy returns to wrestling, it’ll be in AEW. Of course, I think a number of people following Jeff’s exit expected him to reunite with his brother on Tony Khan’s growing wrestling outfit, especially since together they made one of the most memorable tag-teams in wrestling history.
The whole stunt by AEW happened not long after Matt Hardy clarified some details about his brother’s exit from the WWE in early February. Hardy revealed on his Twitch stream that Jeff Hardy’s final drug test with the WWE came back clean, dismissing speculation that his brother’s release was tied to drugs. Matt Hardy said Jeff told him the incident was tried to the stress of working in the company, and that he knew he “was done” when he left the match and jumped into the crowd.
Recent rumors (via ComicBook.com) alleged that the WWE tried to bring Jeff Hardy back into the fold following his release, apparently with the promise of inducting him into the WWE Hall of Fame as an added bonus. Hardy declined the offer, and there’s a thought that the company only made the offer as they realized there’s a solid chance he’ll reunite with his brother in AEW. Again, we’re not entirely sure that’s going to happen at this time, though Matt Hardy’s recent trolling of his brother’s firing certainly makes it look like that could happen eventually.
Jeff Hardy isn’t currently wrestling with any company, though wrestling fans can check out his greatest moments with a Peacock premium subscription. In the meantime, be sure to keep an eye on Matt Hardy and see what other clues he might drop that his brother is AEW-bound.
