Jeff Hardy Reveals Plans to Request AEW Release Back in January

Jeff Hardy’s AEW contract was set to expire in June and all signs pointed towards him returning to TNA after he became a free agent. That’s exactly what happened as he returned at Against All Odds, and it appears Hardy planned on asking for his AEW release in January.

In June 2022, Jeff Hardy was arrested for DUI in Florida. Having struggled with substance abuse issues in the past, Hardy entered a plea of nolo contendere and avoided jail time. However, his driver’s license was suspended for 10 years, meaning he won’t be able to drive legally for a decade.

While speaking to Busted Open Radio, Jeff Hardy revealed that he was prepared to ask for his release from AEW in January, the same day he was scheduled to face Darby Allin at a Rampage taping. Hardy was considering a return to the independent circuit and had tweeted about his dissatisfaction with the company’s show scheduling, expressing a preference for Dynamite over Collision, which he referred to as designed for ‘punks.’

Hardy was trying to provoke a reaction on social media to create a heel persona, and although his comments were unprofessional, they resulted in him getting matches, including the one with Darby Allin. This match reignited his passion for wrestling, which he had been struggling with. Despite losing the matches, he felt rejuvenated and found joy in the craft once again. Hardy admitted that he was at a low point before this experience, but wrestling Darby restored his enthusiasm for the sport and made him realize why he loved it.

”That happened actually the second time I wrestled Darby Allin. I went into work that day and I was ready to just ask for my release and go back on the indies and really start loving the craft again… But I was trying to be somewhat of a heel on social media and so I said something that wasn’t professional at all but I got a match out of that and a few more good matches. I didn’t win any of them but, I was out there on TV and I was finding that love for the craft again. But, after I wrestled Darby that night, again, it refilled my soul then, as a 46-year-old human being. I was like, ‘Oh my God. This is fun and this is why I love it.’ But I was in a real low place and I was ready to go back to the indies and just try to find the love for the craft again because I’d kind of lost it.”

Jeff Hardy also regrets how his AEW run ended. As Jeff Hardy continues to rebuild his career in TNA Wrestling, fans are eagerly anticipating how he will fare in the coming weeks, but some will always feel Hardy should have done more in AEW.

What do you think of what Jeff Hardy had to say about wanting to ask for his AEW release earlier this year? Let us know in the comments section below!