Source: WWE.com
This week, on August 30th, Jeff Hardy turns 41-years old. It is astonishing to think that with a professional wrestling career spanning 24 years and with all of the body aching bumps he’s taken over the years, Hardy is still taking it to the extreme week in and week out.
Jeff Hardy reached early success in 1998 at the height of the Attitude Era alongside his brother, Matt. Together, the Hardy Boyz won several WWE Tag Team Championship and became one of the era’s hottest acts thanks to their feuds with The Dudley Boyz and Edge & Christian that defined the tag team division.
Unfortunately, success like that isn’t meant to last forever, and Jeff would eventually be forced to break away from his brother as a singles star. Luckily for Jeff, the Charismatic Enigma was just as popular–if not more–as a singles superstar than he was as a tag team act.
As a singles competitor, Jeff Hardy won the European Championship, the Light Heavyweight Championship, the United States Championship, three Hardcore Championships, four Intercontinental Championships, two World Heavyweight Championships, and the WWE Championship. Needless to say, Jeff Hardy has had a great run as a singles star.
As many classic matches he has had in the tag division, he has had just as many classic matches under his belt in one-on-one action. In light of his birthday, we chose to take the time to look back at his singles career, and pick out the ten best matches that he has had under the WWE banner.
Source: WWE.com
10. VS Undertaker – SmackDown November 14th, 2008
Six years after The Undertaker made Jeff Hardy famous in a classic ladder match, the two squared off in an Extreme Rules match that once again took Hardy’s career in a new trajectory. Most importantly, it’s where The Rainbow Haired Warrior debuted his signature facepaint.
At this point in Hardy’s career, he had been suffering a rut. After failing to capture the WWE Championship from Triple H at No Mercy the month before, this continued a trend where Jeff Hardy would come close with no cigar when it comes to big matches. After goading from Smackdown GM Vickie Guerrero for not being extreme enough or having what it takes to win the WWE Championship, Hardy snapped.
He attacked The Undertaker, and cost him his Survivor Series #1 Contendership match against Vladimir Kozlov. Later that night, he demanded an Extreme Rules match against The Undertaker for the following week. Flash forward a week later, and Hardy showed a far more ruthless side of him than we had ever seen before at this point.
The new intensity not only helped him etch out a win against Taker–along with some interference from Big Show–but it also gave us one hell of an Extreme Rules match.
Source: WWE.com
9. VS John Morrison – SmackDown July 31st, 2009
Mere days after having defeated CM Punk at Night of Champions to claim his second World Heavyweight Championship, Jeff Hardy had his first title defense against John Morrison in the main event of Friday Night SmackDown.
Hardy’s feud and impending matches against Morrison date all the way back to when Morrison was a member of MNM as Johnny Nitro. The two had plenty of noteworthy battles against each other–including a memorable Ladder Match on the November 20th, 2006 episode of Raw–but July 31st, 2009 would mark the first and only time that these men would collide for a World Title.
Having faced each other so many times, both men knew each other well, and it made for tremendous chemistry. The advantage would switch back and forth between the two former rivals, as each man had a seamless counter for each other’s moves.
The Friday Night Delight put up a good fight. So much, in fact, that there were split seconds where it seemed like he would take the title from Hardy, despite the latter only just winning the championship days prior. However, Hardy was able to overcome and retain his World Heavyweight Championship in a hard fought contest.
Source: WWE.com
8. VS The Miz – SmackDown May 8th, 2018
Ever since Jeff Hardy returned to WWE in 2017, some of his best singles matches have been against The Miz. Whether it be their Raw matches over the Intercontinental Championship or their SmackDown matches over the United States Championship, the two have displayed some surprisingly superb chemistry despite showcasing two completely different styles.
Their best match yet would come on the May 8th edition of this year’s Smackdown, and the stakes were the highest they had ever been between these two. The winner would be inserted into the Money in the Bank match at the pay-per-view of the same name.
The two former WWE Champions displayed a fantastic–yet polarizing–dynamic throughout the match. Every time The Charismatic Enigma would try to quicken the pace with high aerial offense, The A-Lister would try to slow it down with high impact mat-based offense, which included a neckbreaker onto the apron. Plus, since the crowd absolutely adored Hardy while absolutely despising The Miz, it created an infectious ppv worthy energy across the arena that kept our eyes glued to the match.
This persisted back and forth until a stunning ending befit for a Hollywood blockbuster. Hardy hits the Swanton Bomb, but The Miz reverses Hardy’s pin attempt into a crucifix pin of his own to get a brilliant win.
Source: WWE.com
7. VS Chris Jericho – Raw March 10th, 2008
A week prior to this match, Intercontinental Champion Jeff Hardy was a guest on Chris Jericho’s Highlight Reel. During the segment, Jericho acknowledged that since both men qualified for the Money in the Bank Ladder Match at WrestleMania XXIV, they were no longer friends as the match meant every man for himself. Honoring Jericho’s “anything goes” attitude, he laid him out with a Twist of Fate. The altercation would lead to Hardy defending his title against Y2J the following week on Raw.
This is somewhat of a bittersweet entry, as shortly following this match, Jeff Hardy would start his 60-day suspension for violating WWE’s drug policy for a second time. This would also mean that Hardy was removed from the WrestleMania Money in the Bank Ladder Match, which he was booked to win.
However, Jeff Hardy would not let the suspension lingering over his head stop him from giving a 110% performance against Jericho on this night. Jericho and Hardy have had countless matches against each other, but this is by far the best of the bunch. Their interaction from the previous week created a new aggression between the two competitors, generating a big fight feel rather than a regular contest.
Source: WWE.com
6. VS Shawn Michaels – Raw February 11th, 2008
Jeff Hardy and Shawn Michaels were two of the most beloved high flyers of their respective eras. In fact, in his earliest years in WWE, Hardy would often draw comparisons with HBK long before the Heartbreak Kid even returned to the ring in 2002. When they collided in the main event of Monday Night Raw on the go-home show of No Way Out, it was considered a dream match.
The set up was simple. Both men would take part in the Elimination Chamber match that Sunday, and decided to square off with one another as a warm-up. On the surface, both men were hoping to carry some momentum into their ppv match, but the bigger picture was that Michaels seemed to be trying to pull something extra out of Hardy, similar to what Triple H tried to do in his match with Hardy a few months prior.
If he wasn’t slapping Hardy, Michaels was putting some extra oomph into every grapple and hold, forcing Hardy to do the same. It was wrestling’s past versus wrestling’s future, and the similar styles made for a good pairing. Establishing himself as the next big thing in WWE, Hardy edged out a win against the future Hall of Famer.
Source: WWE.com
5. VS Umaga – Raw January 7th, 2008
Umaga and Jeff Hardy have had some surprisingly great chemistry with each other despite wrestling wildly different styles, and being in completely different weight classes. Perhaps their differences always allowed them to compliment each other in the ring. The combination of Speed vs Strength made for exceptional match-ups, including their Falls Count Anywhere Match from One Night Stand 2008 which we couldn’t possibly forget.
On the January 7th episode of Raw, the two went at it inside of a Steel Cage. Their chemistry was up to par as usual, but there was an interesting story in the match that put a neat twist on their dynamic. Hardy struggled to defeat Umaga inside of the cage, but was not able to escape the cage because his rival–WWE Champion Randy Orton, who was booked to defend his title against Hardy in a couple weeks at the Royal Rumble pay-per-view–was blocking his exit every step of the way.
Hardy’s solution? Beat Umaga with a death defying Whisper in the Wind from atop of the cage. Maybe not the most safe or sane solution to a problem, but when has Hardy’s character ever proven to be either? It certainly made for an unforgettable moment to end an exciting match.
Source: WWE.com
4. VS CM Punk – SummerSlam 2009
Jeff Hardy spent most of his final year in WWE feuding with CM Punk. At first, it was simply because both men wanted the World Heavyweight Championship after Punk cashed in his Money in the Bank on Hardy to win it. However, as time went on, things got more personal between the two. The Straight Edge Superstar would bring up Hardy’s drug problems, and after Hardy reclaimed his title from Punk, the Chicago native would clamp Hardy’s head inside of a chair, and slam it into the turnbuckle post.
Both men were out for blood now, and it looked like the only way to cool their feud down was with a TLC Match. Up until now, the matches that Hardy and Punk had against each other in their feud weren’t all they were cracked up to be, but they more than made up for it in this intense ladder match. Both competitors made sure to remind fans just how heated their feud was by clobbering each other with each blow, and denting every weapon they slang at each other.
The match would conclude when Hardy would dive off a 20ft ladder and crash onto CM Punk through a Spanish announce table. Both men would subsequently make their way back into the ring and climb the ladder, only for Punk to punch Hardy off the ladder, and grab the title himself. The following Smackdown, Punk would run Hardy out of WWE after defeating him in a Title vs Career Steel Cage Match.
Source: WWE.com
3. VS Triple H – Armageddon 2007
Usually, when people bring up some of Jeff Hardy’s best matches, they usually bring up his WWE Championship match against Triple H from No Mercy 2008, but their oft forgotten match that the two had a year before at Armageddon is just as deserving to be in the same conversations; if not more.
At this point in time, Triple H and Jeff Hardy had competed against each other numerous times in the past–most memorably in 2001 when Hardy got a surprise win over Haitch to win his Intercontinental Championship–but this 2007 match-up would come in the middle of Hardy’s first serious main event push in WWE. Now, Jeff Hardy was on the path to the WWE Championship.
The only thing standing in his way was Triple H, who forced Jeff Hardy to push himself to the limit during their match. Hardy went into the match respecting The Game, but a slap and a demand for Hardy to “Fight me!” turned this into something more. Each time he had the chance, Trips would hit Hardy as hard as he could to force him to bring the best out of the young vet. In due time, Hardy would deliver.
Jeff Hardy fought hard for the #1 contendership, and for HHH’s respect. By the end of the match, Mr. Enigmatic Soul earned both.
Source: WWE.com
2. VS Randy Orton – Royal Rumble 2008
Jeff Hardy’s win at Armageddon earned him a title match against WWE Champion Randy Orton. A match between Legend Killer and Legend Thriller was set, but the former would promise to make things personal between himself and his challenger.
On the December 31st, 2007 episode of Raw, Orton would end the year by attacking Matt Hardy, and punting him in the head backstage. An enraged Enigma would retaliate diving off of a 30ft stage onto a prone Orton on the ground some weeks later.
Their Royal Rumble encounter had all the elements for an intense match-up, and that’s exactly what we got with a riotous crowd on their feet. Fans were dying to see the Age of Orton end, and were just as anxious to see Hardy finally realize his boyhood dream for the first time.
The drama was there, the two superstars had amazing chemistry, and everyone watching was engrossed in the spectacle. All of this components made for a near perfect title match. It all culminated in an eye popping finish that truly came outta nowhere. Hardy would not win his first WWE Championship until the end of this year, but based on the heat surrounding this match alone, he just have easily could have won it on this night.
Source: WWE.com
1. VS Undertaker – Raw July 1st, 2002
Yes, we did start this slideshow with an Undertaker match and ended it with another Undertaker match–yeah, we know, “subtle”–but this is the Undertaker match that helped put Jeff Hardy on the map as a singles star.
A few weeks beforehand, after confessing to his brother that he didn’t think they were extreme enough, Jeff Hardy made an extreme statement by dropkicking WWE Champion Undertaker into a puddle of Tommy Dreamer’s puke. Undertaker would make short work of Hardy in a singles match, but the Extreme Enigma was still certain he could beat Taker. So he challenged Big Evil to a title match the following week in a Ladder Match.
Just by taking an unadulterated beating from The Undertaker and getting back up every time was enough for fans to fall in love with the kid. But it was the few times where Hardy nearly pulled the title down that made the crowd erupt. What really etched both Jeff Hardy and this match in the history books is Jim Ross’s commentary. Lines like “Climb that ladder, kid! Make yourself famous!” remain one of the most memorable quips to be uttered on WWE commentary.
The Undertaker may have walked away as WWE Champion, but him raising Hardy’s hand out of respect after the match was enough to make Jeff Hardy a made man on the main event scene.