Jeff Hardy has been through a lot in his career, including an infamous performance at TNA’s Victory Road in 2011, one that featured Jeff in such terrible shape that his match against Sting needed to end very early.
Jeff Hardy has publicly battled demons of addiction for years, and that’s no secret. His brother, Matt Hardy, has stood by his side that whole time. Now, Matt can speak on that 2011 event to provide a bit more clarity to the situation.
In the most recent episode of The Extreme Life of Matt Hardy, the veteran wrestler delved into the notorious TNA Victory Road 2011 event. This particular event featured both Matt and Jeff Hardy participating in separate matches, with Jeff Hardy notably losing to Sting in a main event. Unfortunately, Jeff was visibly unwell and in no shape to compete that evening. Here are some key points from Matt’s account of the event.
“He should’ve never been allowed to walk out through Gorilla if he was in such a weird state of mind. I remember hearing there were people saying that he tried to push his way out [and] he wanted to get out, whatever, and like, he really shouldn’t have been allowed to get out there.”
Matt Hardy said that Jeff Hardy was fine 45 minutes before the main event started. That obviously wasn’t the case when the main event rolled around.
“Then maybe he went off and did his own thing then. He was fine when I talked to him, but between then and when he went to the ring he had obviously taken more medication, which equated to him not being fine.”
When recollecting the main event of 2011’s Victory Road event, Matt Hardy said, “It’s like one of those things where your heart drops to your stomach, and it’s just like, ‘uh.’ It’s just so devastating to watch, and you just hate it for him so bad. But, it’s what’s happened, and now you have to deal with it.”
Jeff Hardy and Sting’s match did not end the way anyone wanted it to in 2011. Sting was not happy about how things went down either, and he voiced that displeasure as he made his exit after that brief main event match.
Thankfully, Jeff Hardy seems to be doing better now. That being said, he is not allowed to drive for a decade as penalty for his last DUI arrest.
What’s your take on this infamous TNA match with Sting and Jeff Hardy? Sound off in the comments to let us know what you think!