Jeff Hardy and Shinsuke Nakamura Will Shine in New Feud
By Tom Clark
Jeff Hardy’s road back to a prime spot in WWE began on the June 19 edition of SmackDown Live. The Charismatic Enigma cut a promo on Shinsuke Nakamura and for the first time since returning to the company, Hardy was in face paint.
Though this would probably not be considered a big deal any other time, it definitely put the fans on notice. This was not the Jeff Hardy the humble legend that came back for a nostalgia tour with his brother Matt. This Jeff Hardy is back in his old form and he’s ready to make an impact once again.
Fans have been waiting for this moment for quite some time. Jeff is one of the most popular Superstars in WWE history. Despite his personal problems and no matter the storyline, Jeff Hardy has consistently out-popped nearly everyone in the locker room.
There’s just something about Jeff that keeps him in the good graces of fans. Part of it is his look, which is timeless in any era. His body may not be young anymore but he still looks eternally youthful and that has helped his cause. He’s not an old man that’s begging for acceptance on a roster full of younger guys.
Jeff Hardy belongs because of his accomplishments and because of what he can still do. His spirit is perhaps the single most important aspect that keeps fans coming back for more. Jeff is not the typical underdog because he’s also a winner. But he wins because of his heart and his drive to be the best. John Cena’s credo may be “never give up,” but Jeff Hardy lives by it.
It’s because of this that Hardy remains as relevant today as he was 10 years ago. Fans see how much he loves the business and they appreciate the toll its taken on him physically. The TLC matches made him a star but he hasn’t really lived on that. He keeps pushing. More importantly, he keeps pushing himself.
When Matt Hardy became Broken Matt Hardy, Jeff could have continued to fight on his own. He could have left Matt to do his own thing and let the Hardy Boyz fade to black. But instead, Jeff took the challenge to reinvent himself and joined his brother in their bizarre new world.
It was definitely the right decision and it’s one that brought Jeff Hardy back to the spotlight once again. That spotlight was ruled by his brother, who was once overshadowed in nearly every respect. Jeff was the star and Matt was the supporting cast. But Matt Hardy’s own rebirth catapulted him to the top and Jeff was more than happy to follow behind him. The fact is that Jeff and Matt came into the business together and they will probably always come back together despite what’s going on around them.
However Matt is now Woken and enjoying a run with Bray Wyatt on Monday Night Raw. That leaves Jeff to find himself once again, which is precisely what he’s doing on the blue brand. This rejuvenated spin on his character could bring him back to the upper echelon of the company and there’s no better man to begin with than The King of Strong Style.
Shinsuke Nakamura was built for this feud. His character is equally as enigmatic and bizarre as Jeff’s. In fact they are two sides of the same coin. Nakamura is perhaps the Japanese version of Jeff Hardy and Hardy is the American version of Shinsuke. They would surely make a great tag team and that may happen at some point. But first they will go to war.
Nakamura was in his element against AJ Styles because Nakamura was in control. He kept AJ on the hook by constantly taking cheap shots at him and the low-blows forced Styles to keep coming back for more. Shinsuke wanted to get inside AJ’s head and he did exactly that.
The storyline between them was more about Nakamura attempting to destroy AJ mentally, rather than just a dream feud between two top Superstars. AJ lost his composure so many times during their run yet Nakamura remained in the driver’s seat. Shinsuke’s tactics ultimately failed to win him the WWE Championship but that may not have been the point. He broke Styles down. He did what he set out to do.
However this time, Nakamura is at a disadvantage. Jeff Hardy is no AJ Styles when it comes to his character. Styles is more straightforward but Hardy is more unpredictable. Jeff can come at Nakamura a variety of different ways and Shinsuke may not see Hardy until it’s too late.
Mind games will be ineffective this time. Jeff Hardy’s character is one half Prince and one half Captain Jack Sparrow. His creativity is equaled only by his flair for the dramatic. Jeff Hardy won’t be shaken. He won’t lose focus. Nakamura will try and it will not work. But it should be fun to watch.
Of course more entertaining than the promos that are sure to come will be the matches themselves. Nakamura faced the best that New Japan had to offer and became a megastar in that company. He’s been a main event guy for the bulk of his pro wrestling career and he has successfully translated his game to the world of WWE. Shinsuke Nakamura is one of the best in the business and he should match up perfectly with Jeff Hardy.
Hardy is a future WWE Hall of Famer and his career speaks for itself. He has been on top of the world and he’s fallen before but he’s always fought to get back up. He is a survivor and he’s doing what he loves in a company that loves him for it. Jeff Hardy may have a lifetime of great memories behind him but his best work may yet be in front of him.
This is one feud that could dominate WWE for the next few months to come. It’s a rivalry that fans will connect to and it’s one that should get over from the moment it truly kicks into gear. Hardy versus Nakamura is one for the ages and it should be a great ride.