Turning Point: The Cause of The Hardys’ Break Reveals Itself

“I’m here to work. Wrestle. Win. For me and… the Creatures!”

Brother Nero was almost robotic as he told Matt Hardy why he was out there. But still, the way he said “the Creatures!” showed that perhaps, somewhere deep inside, the Captivating Charisma that made Jeff Hardy still lived.

Josh Matthews, easily one of the most astute commentators in the game today, even asked as Brother Nero entered the ring “Can Jeff Hardy ever truly be broken?” It was as fair a question as “Could you be looking at your next number one contender in Grado?” as he had asked Lashley during the battle royal that took place prior.

Fittingly enough, Turning Point proved to be just that as far as this columnist goes, and how he views the current anarchy taking place in TNA. Calling it anarchy, however, doesn’t seem right. There are leaders; they just choose not to do anything. They choose instead to meddle with the Knockouts, to antagonize top talent, and to cause two of their Championships to be treated as total garbage.

So I’ll just say that it was during Turning Point that I considered something I hadn’t before. All this time, I’ve blamed Dixie Carter and Billy Corgan for sitting back for basically the entirety of 2016 and allowing Matt Hardy to do whatever he wants to whomever he wants, without any type of punishment. No suspensions, no fines – he’s even constantly placed back into matchups with high stakes in the hopes that perhaps he can garner a few more hashtags.

I was incredulous that they would allow Jeff Hardy – long one of their most prized stars – to be tormented at every turn by the Broken One, and again without any repercussions. While both VanGuard 1 and VanGaurd 1 hovered around, policing Jeff’s every move, at no point did TNA Management step in. When he was attacked at his home, nothing was done. How could they be so nonchalant while something so personally invasive was taking place?

But then, something else hit me. And it was all because of that response that Brother Nero gave. The one that seemed to be part Nero, and yet, part Jeff Hardy. He was still struggling. He was still fighting for himself. He is the only one fighting for himself.

And it hit me: Why hasn’t anyone tried to help Jeff Hardy? Sure, we had EC3 come out a couple weeks ago and give a little speech. But that’s basically been it. Have the Hardys been secretly despised by their peers the entire time?

Was the whole roster sick and tired of seeing both Matt and Jeff get chance after chance, opportunity after opportunity, and title shot after title shot, considering all of their past transgressions? Jeff specifically always seemed to benefit from TNA Management decisions, which is what has made their recent silence all the more confusing.

Jeff, twice, lost contests that stipulated he’d be under someone’s employment. Jeff, twice, was out of both situations in under three weeks time. It was as if someone was pulling strings and finding loopholes to free him up for another Heavweight Title shot.

If I’m, say, Gail Kim, I’m wondering why Jeff was freed up so quickly, while nothing has been done about Maria’s personal vendetta and mission in keeping me from ever challenging for the TNA Knockouts Championship again. Or if I’m, say, James Storm, perhaps I might not think it such a big deal when I ask for a rematch of a close match I lost, and perhaps I’ll lose my mind when I’m basically laughed at and goaded by my boss.

And I don’t think Gail Kim or James Storm would be the only two people who might eventually grow tired with the blatant favoritism afforded the Brothers Hardy. While Jeff earned his with daredevil antics and a never-say-die attitude, it always seemed like Matt simply had to say “I’m Jeff’s brother,” and he’d find himself in a great position again.

At what point, if you’re someone unlucky enough to not be named “Matt Hardy” or “Jeff Hardy,” do you decide that not only do you hate management, but you hate these guys, too? Especially Jeff.

Especially Jeff?!

Absolutely. Matt Hardy has, for at least the last six or seven years, proven that he’s only out for himself. He’s turned on his brother before. He’s gone Cold Blood on us. He’s shown that he’s willing to do and say anything to keep himself relevant in a wrestling world that changes nearly every week. His actions, while absolutely deplorable, are hardly surprising.

Jeff, however, had almost always (save for his confused time in Immortal) preached to be the “Good One.” He was an inspiration to so many, and he would – to his credit – defend others who found themselves losing the dreaded numbers game. But Jeff was also the one who was always more than happy to take opportunities that he didn’t earn. He was more than happy to embarrass the company with his ill-fated TNA Title defense against Sting. He was more than happy to come back and carry on, the company more than willing to bring back one of its top stars.

Part of his charm was the fact that he was vulnerable. Jeff, despite his win-loss record in TNA, was not invincible. He could be beaten on a rare night. He could give into demons. He could struggle. But he never seemed to be selfish. At least, not to the fans. But the fans weren’t the ones that were passed over for title opportunities. They weren’t passed over for main event spots. It didn’t matter how many matches one would win in a row, because if you weren’t Jeff Hardy, you just weren’t going to get put into the biggest spots.

So why would anyone help Jeff now? Why wouldn’t nearly everyone take joy in watching Matt bring Jeff down? In watching Matt preoccupy Jeff, keeping him out of those very title shots? If you’re Drew Galloway, Mike Bennett, or even EC3, are you really that sad that you don’t have to worry about Jeff Hardy showing up out of nowhere to get a title shot? Hell, it was Matt who did that very thing to both Galloway and EC3 at last year’s Bound For Glory, so I’d double down on them being happy to exist in a Hardy-free World Title scene.

And maybe, deep down where Jeff Hardy still exists inside of Brother Nero, maybe he knows it. Maybe that’s why he broke in the first place. Maybe he realized that he truly had no friends, no one willing to stand up for him. It’s not like Matt Hardy is some physical juggernaut – why hasn’t anyone simply attacked him so badly that he can’t return? It’s not that they’re afraid. It’s that they just don’t care. They figure that TNA Management will step in. Like they always have.

Only this time, they won’t. They’ve picked their side, and TNA will remain Matt Hardy’s playground until further notice. It’s up to Jeff to overcome Brother Nero. He’s all alone.

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