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411’s WWE Chronicle Report: Jeff Hardy on His Sobriety, How He Wants His Career To End, More

July 12, 2020 | Posted by Robert Leighty Jr.
Jeff Hardy Smackdown, WWE Image Credit: WWE

411’s WWE Chronicle Report: Jeff Hardy

-The Network just keeps popping out these specials every Sunday and it’s already been announced a bonus episode of Taker’s Last Ride is on the way next Sunday. I am here for all this content, so let’s get to it.

-Air Date: 07/12/20
-Run Time: 28:49

-The producer asks Jeff is there was a moment he really felt he let his family down. Jeff says it was in Oct 2019 when he was bailed out of jail. He made it home and they had chairs stacked in front of of the door like they didn’t want him there. That’s when he realized how bad it could be.

-This is WWE Chronicle: Jeff Hardy!

-The following takes place from May 29, 2020 – July 10, 2020.

-”Jeff Hardy is one the most decorated and revered WWE Superstars of all time. Outside the ring, Hardy has found himself in trouble with drugs and alcohol, with several suspensions and arrests dating back to 2011. On October 3, 2019, while rehabbing a knee injury sustained at WrestleMania 35, Hardy was arrested for driving while impaired, his third arrest in two years. Shortly after, Hardy checked into an impatient rehab facility and began a path to sobriety. With a new-found sense of purpose and determined to write a final chapter worthy of his illustrious career, Hardy returned to the ring in March 2020.”

-June 22, 2020: Cameron, NC: Hardy tells us his knee went out on him at Mania last year. He hoped to be out 6 months, but it ended up being 9 months and he questioned if he could come back. That lead to him drinking and getting black out drunk. He passed out on the porch and his 4 year old brought out a blanket and pillow. His daughter told him “I helped you out dad. Even when you are drunk, you’re my best friend.” Oh man! Nothing like the love of a child! Talk about a wake up call as well. For Jeff it is one day at a time mentality and that should be a way everyone takes life even if your not recovering from addiction. He mentions how his mom quickly died from cancer. Mistakes are part of his life and made him who he is today. He feels like he is meant to be here for some strange reason and he wants his career to end in the WWE as that is where it started. He wants to be the best all around human being he can be.

-Jeff is playing outside with his daughter and gives us a tour of his motocross track called “Leaps of Faith.” He shows off some of the paintings and murals he has done. His daughter likes the art, but wants one with a smiley face.

-Jeff says he deserved to be caught as it probably saved his life. He knows he will lose everything if he messes up again. He talks about his mugshot and how he was smiling, but it was because he knew he would be going to in patient rehab for the first time in his life.

-June 23, 2020: Cameron, NC: Jeff is out to buy spray paint and is wearing a mask as really everyone should be doing. He also stops to sanitize his hands before shopping. Again, it’s not that hard! He needs spray paint to finish a barn outside his house that he has been working on. He doesn’t want to rush the project. He tells us that he was born an artist and remembers seeing a painting his mom did when she was younger. He never got to know his mom as she passed when he was young, so knowing she was an artist as well blew him away.

-He works on his barn and discusses what art means to him. He compares it to wrestling matches as in both cases he has a vision in his head and you don’t know what can go right or wrong. For this barn he is doing another profile and adding a clock with all 12s on it. He got that idea from his first time in a jail cell as all he could do was draw. It also stuck in his head during rehab with the 12 Step Process. He calls painting and art a 4th dimension high.

-Next he talks about rehab and how even with all the previous suspensions they never addressed the problem. He had in-patient rehab and has learned a lot about himself. He has no problem saying he is an alcoholic because he knows he is. It is like therapy and he knows the conversations can be uncomfortable because the issue is uncomfortable at times.

-June 14, 2020: Backlash, WWE PC: Jeff and D-Von meet up before the show. D-Von talks about Father Time catching up to people and when the day comes that Jeff can’t do all his crazy stuff. Jeff talks about wrestling and how inside the ring is one of the best ways for him to express himself. He is looking through God’s eyes at his career now and looking at how he ends something he has done since he was 12 years old. For him it is a success story and he wants to wrestle each match like it is his last. There is no room for error and he is taking this very seriously.

-The producer asks what he loves about wrestling and why he keeps putting his body through this. For Jeff it is an artform and he is addicted to the high spots mentioning hanging from the titles with D-Von at TLC I or Edge spearing him at TLC II. He knows there are a lot of things he can’t do anymore and mentions not being able to jump as well. He has enough weapons to get by for a few more years though.

-Jeff warms up backstage and then heads through the curtain for his match with Sheamus. He puts over how intense Sheamus is and calls him the real deal. “He beat the hell out of me that night.” Sheamus wins the match with a Brogue Kick, but obviously that’s not the end of this story. Jeff shakes hands with Bruce and Vince in Gorilla and Vince is rather impressed with Jeff’s performance. D-Von then meets him and tells him that he loved the match. D-Von then says he will never do anything like they did in TLC I again and this is as close as he will get to the great Jeff Hardy. Jeff says his heart is still there, but he knows he needs to work on his endurance more.

-His vision was to return in front of a packed arena to help with the adrenaline, but that’s not what happened. He is hoping to look back on this time in 20 years as just a period of time in our history. He talks about the fans and how so many have never lost belief in him. He knows he is out of chances and can’t screw this one up.

-Jeff discusses his music and name drops Billy Corgan. They had a conversation where Jeff realized making music has a lot in common with pro-wrestling. It’s just another way for him to be creative.

-June 27, 202: Nashville, TN: Jeff is in a recording studio singing his new song “Vaccine” for his new album. It is in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Jeff doesn’t know what he would do if he couldn’t write and record music. He sings about a vaccine being needed and then discusses things with his producer. He jokes that he wrote a song that he can’t sing. He goes back to his mom passing from cancer and how he has a cosmetic link with her. He believes she is feeding him and giving him these ideas for songs.

-Back in North Carolina, Jeff talks about his upcoming court appearance in July. He is scared of what the judge is going to make him say or do, but he knows he put himself in this position. He has done all he can do to make the situation as good as it can be and he hopes the judge is okay with that. His main goal to finishing career is to go out with his sobriety.

-July 10: SmackDown, Orlando, FL: Hardy appears on The Dirt Sheet and Miz/Morrison propose a bar fight with Sheamus. Jeff says he is never going back to where he was, but he will take Sheamus out in that bar fight. He will never let anyone down again. Jeff tells us after the show it’s another way for him to face his demons. He is excited about life and that’s a cool vibe. He is glad he is doing all this as he is looking fear in the eyes and taking it on.

-The producer asks Jeff how he writes the end of his career. Jeff wants an amazing, feel good ending and wants to go out the best he can. He is happy to have the WWE behind him and giving him an outlet to do what he does. He brings up again his favorite number is 12 and in a weird way everything has worked out in a positive way. He knows there is a plan for him whether it’s God’s plan or his mother helping him, but there is something strange about his existence.

-Jeff narrates that art isn’t perfect and neither is he. It is the imperfections that make art and us as people unique. It is where we find ourselves and our souls. His wrestling career is a living, breathing painting. He has given people someone to look up to and someone to doubt. He has let people down, but most importantly he let his family down. He isn’t through with his career, but he knows the canvas is fading away. He can’t change what has been done, but he can add to what has been done. When he finishes he will be able to stand back and admire it: imperfections and all.

-Chronicle has always been a great series that lets the subject do the storytelling. The gold standard is still the Dean Ambrose one as it was like a descent into madness that would have explained his heel turn perfectly, but it only lived in the Network World. This one on Jeff was a bit too short but the main thing to take away is that Jeff seems to be in a good place and doing what he needs to stay in a good place. It was always fascinating to hear him say he knows his career is winding down and he wants to end it in the WWE. I think most out there feel he is unhappy and wants to be with his brother, but from this I think he is content where he’s at. I also appreciate he isn’t shying away from his past and using it to not only help himself, but by opening up help others. Good stuff again from Chronicle and as always, thanks for reading.