The WWE has decided to cut ties with Jeff Hardy and shred their $2 million contract with the wrestler. The release came just days after Hardy was sent home from a WWE tour after abruptly walking out.
A post shared by Jeff Hardy (@jeff.hardy)
Last week at an untelevised WWE live event in Texas the 44-year-old was involved in a six-man tag team match. Toward the end of his sluggish performance, Hardy left the ring and walked out through the crowd.
Fan footage of the event shows that Hardy was not his usual self, and there were several tell-tale signs that something was off. Hardy has battled drug and alcohol addiction throughout his career, and many feared that he had relapsed.
According to the New York Post, WWE offered Hardy the option of going to rehab. When he declined, they terminated his contract.
“Jeff is okay. He is at home and okay. It’s not my business or story to tell or explain,” Matt Hardy, Jeff’s brother, said in a Twitch stream. “Besides that, it’s not my story to tell because it’s not my perspective. I love my brother and I want him to be okay and healthy.”
Jeff Hardy’s wife also posted to Twitter that Jeff was doing fine after the incident.
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Fans and wrestlers alike also took to social media to offer their support to Hardy. One Twitter user wrote:
“I think Jeff Hardy is one of those guys that just garners empathy and compassion from crowds. His gravity-defying stunts obviously helped get him to the place he is today, but people identify with his struggles, and what he has overcome. I imagine they will continue to do so.”
While WWE champion BIG E offered well wishes:
Jeff Hardy is so beloved by his fans and his peers. I’ve never heard a negative word about him & he’s always treated me with such kindness. Just wishing him and his family the very best.
WWE’s decision to terminate Hardy’s contract is a financial setback for the wrestler. He was halfway through the $2 million deal. His 30-year wrestling career has helped him build a fortune worth $12 million.
This was Hardy’s third stint at WWE. The wrestler had a tumultuous career with the company. He was fired for similar behavior in 2003 and suspended in 2008 for violating the companies wellness policy.
Many fans are hoping this won’t be the end to his 30-year career in wrestling.
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Sources: New York Post, CBS Sports
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