Jeff Hardy: The Next Champ?

[Jack-Hammer]

As we all know, Jeff Hardy is now the new #1 contender for Bobby Roode's TNA World Heavyweight Championship due to his victory over Jeff Jarrett at Final Resolution. This match will almost certainly take place at Genesis with TNA continuing Hardy's build as a sympathetic babyface.

I've found myself wondering if TNA will have Hardy go over Bobby Roode at Genesis and win the title for the 3rd time. There's nothing going on or anything I've read or heard about to give me reason to wonder so, yet the circumstances seem kind of odd. He hasn't been back in TNA for very long, we haven't seen him in many matches and he's been quickly pushed back into the World Championship picture.

This in and of itself doesn't mean that Hardy will get another run. Remember, however, that many of us thought it was quite unusual for TNA to push Hardy so hard into the title picture in the first place given his legal & drug troubles. We all know how that turned out, but Hardy's legal problems seem to be behind him and he seems to be keeping a clear head. At the same time, to me, it just seems too soon for Hardy to be a top contender for the top championship in the company. While things do seem to be going ok for Hardy so far, it just strikes me as odd that TNA would push him so quickly back to the main event picture when his personal & professional mistakes are still so fresh and without any real length of time for some of the doubters to really be convinced.

At this point in time, Hardy is still a bigger name than Roode and it wouldn't be the first time TNA took the title from a homegrown talent and put it on a more well known name even if it seems ultimately unnecessary. I think Roode's been doing a good job as champ thus far and think it'd be a mistake for Hardy to have another run at this time. While it's true main event segments lately haven't been particularlygood draws as of late, it's not entirely fair to blame that on Roode. He's still new as a main eventer and it can take time for people to warm up to new faces in such a spot. Besides, the fall season is loaded with competition.

Do you believe Jeff Hardy is ready or even deserves to be champion again at this point in time?

Should TNA trust in Roode and give him more time?

 

[SpecialFNK]

short answer. yes.
Jeff Hardy will be the next champion.
but I don't think it will be at Genesis. I think it will happen on an episode of Impact Wrestling after Genesis. TNA has had many times shown that they feel Impact means more to them than the PPVs.
I think Hardy will wrestle Roode at Genesis and Roode will win by cheating or doing something cheap to win. Sting will then give Hardy a rematch on an episode of Impact, and that's where Hardy will win.

I don't think it's if Hardy will be champion again, I think it's a matter of when.

I think there are a lot of people who don't know about his personal problems, and a lot more who don't really care. Jeff Hardy is a elite level talent, one of the biggest names in TNA.

I may be in the minority here, but I don't think Roode has done as well as champion. TNA has done so much to make sure people see him as a heel, I think they've made him look weak and cheap in the ring.

I think soon enough Hardy will win the title from Roode, then after that Roode can/will/should feud with Storm. we haven't seen a Roode/Storm feud yet since their split. Roode won the title in a match with his friend/partner at the time when he used the beer bottle and turned heel. the next episode is when Storm was "attacked by Angle" and then passed out in the ring which saw Roode roll him up for a cheap win. after that Storm had his concussion and feuded with Angle.

when Roode looses the title, it's not going to be the end of him in the main event scene. a lot of what Roode has been doing as champion is doing what it takes to keep the title by any means necessary. I'd like to see how he is without the title. he can still be heel, but get back to quality wrestling.
you have to figure Roode is going to lose sometime. who would be better to beat him? would it be Hardy? (now or later?). or maybe he holds the title awhile longer and loses it back eventually to Storm? someone else?

 

[IHW]

Sadly, yes.

But,
I would love to see Roode hold the belt for at least 6 month. The move on Hardy.

By that time Roode would have really built up a legit character and Hardy can prove his loyalty to TNA and away from addiction.

 

[Clem]

I would prefer them to keep the Title on Roode for the time being, but TNA have a blindspot for Hardy, which leads me to believe they'll move the belt over to him.

Look at it this way, they're trying to tell a redemption story with Hardy. What use is a redemption story if the hero doesn't come out the other side victorious?

Personally, I trust Jeff Hardy as far as I could throw him (which isn't very far, let me tell you). TNA would be insane to put their World Heavyweight Championship on this flakey junkie. His ringwork is sloppy, he gets by on ludicrously dangerous spots, he can't cut promos to save his life and he's prone to relapses.

They'd do better investing in their future aka Bobby Roode, who'll be maineventing for years to come, while Jeff passes away in a drooling heap and gives the industry a massive blow on the way out.

 

[kidmetal24]

I have to sadly agree that Jeff Hardy will unfortunately become the next TNA champion. I love Roode and the idea of him blowing all this steam and dropping the title to some junkie punk is ridiculous. Hardy hasn't changed ever. Same in WWE and now in TNA. I think that TNA needs to keep him a Main Eventer but not a title holder. If anything at all maybe bring some prestige o the TV title just because of his name.

 

[iwinulose]

ha, bad question, hardy is the guy that hogan has chosen to be the next big thing. roode winning the title was because angle and storm were both injured. i was shocked that aj didn't get the title, but then i realised hogan doesn't care for styles so it made sense. hardy will lose, but then win at the next ppv then they will have a rematch. that's my prediction any ways. but who knows, maybe tna will do the unexpected (fat chance).

 

[kokoBawesome]

Is there a chance that TNA feels like they owe him on some level? Clearly he fucked up on his own, but is there a chance TNA feels like they let him down and they wanna make it up to him? They let him go out there and make a fool out of himself on a pay per view. This could be some redemption in their eyes.

Is Jeff Hardy ready? no. Maybe giving him a redo in a main event is good enough and he doesn't have to win.

Should they trust in Bobby Rhoode? not if they're trying to get ratings.

 

[Shane Pro Wrestling]

Honestly I reckon James Storm will be next champ.
Bobby Roode is the most hated heel in TNA today and is pretty much working 2 feuds with both Hardy and Sting.
Roode will probably have 2 PPV matches with Hardy and will win/retain the title then move to a feud with Sting.
In the meantime Roode's is pushing Stings buttons and in the coming months Sting will hit boiling point, eventually they'll have a match and maybe its a 'Title vs Commissioner' match, Sting will loses his top job in TNA and Roode will feud with Storm once again where James Storm will regain the title. I see Roodes title reign being a long one defeating all faces being Anderson, Styles, Sting, Hardy etc but the reign will stop at Storm.

 

[SpecialFNK]

really, what does Hardy's personal problems have to do with things? right now Jeff Hardy is still a bigger name to viewers watching than Roode is. when you're putting on a TV show, something like that is important.
Jeff Hardy is a real person, but Jeff Hardy is also a character in a TV show. right now he has a great story going. coming back as a face wanting another chance after doing something wrong as a heel. it's as if it was ALL written.

 

[Cracka Jack]

Do you believe Jeff Hardy is ready or even deserves to be champion again at this point in time?

This depends on whether he truly does have his head on straight now. If he's clean, and if he's healthy, then I think, based on his own merits, Jeff is in a worthy position to at least be a contender. I've always been a fan of his in-ring work (not so much his mic work), which is why his struggles with drugs have always annoyed me. The guy is very talented, but he squanders it regularly by getting high, missing shows, etc. I can deal with him being a little eccentric, but he needs to stay clean to deserve anything.

Should TNA trust in Roode and give him more time?

This is why I wouldn't give Jeff the title, at least not right away. I feel that Roode is developing wonderfully as a heel, and the more time he carries the belt the better he'll eventually be. Right now, his gimmick revolves around doing anything and everything he can to keep that title, and being selfish. While that works very well right now, until he develops more of a concrete character, he needs the title. I look forward to a long reign for Roode, establishing him as the top heel of the company for a few years.

 

[Clem]

really, what does Hardy's personal problems have to do with things? right now Jeff Hardy is still a bigger name to viewers watching than Roode is. when you're putting on a TV show, something like that is important.
Jeff Hardy is a real person, but Jeff Hardy is also a character in a TV show. right now he has a great story going. coming back as a face wanting another chance after doing something wrong as a heel. it's as if it was ALL written.

Jeff Hardy's personal problems are the most important thing to consider! What happens when TNA put their World Title on him, start booking him in high profile matches and then he relapses? They'll have destroyed Bobby Roode's momentum for a pathetic junkie who tanks entire PPVs with his antics!

Even before Jeff crashed and burned at Victory Road, if you go back and watch his matches from Genesis and Against All Odds, he was a wreck then too! Hell, they didn't even want him on the official card. They sent him down in street clothes and hotshotted a title change.

The fact of the matter is - Jeff Hardy doesn't wrestle. At least not anymore. He's a spot monkey. Take his cage match at Final Resolution as an example. Besides him diving off the top of the cage in a suicidal swanton (that was NEVER going to hit), the so called "match" was garbage.

He's not getting pushes out of talent or workrate, merely a perceived fanbase (who should know better).

 

[SpecialFNK]

Hardy doesn't have to be a good in ring wrestler. having big spots is enough. he is a big name for TV viewers and that is the number one thing. Hardy can put on a show for the people watching. TNA wrestling is a TV show first. if wrestling was more about wrestling and not names/story lines then it wouldn't even be on TV.

if Hardy crashes again they could probably just write it into a story line. general viewers probably don't even remember specifics of past matches. people remember the last time Hardy showed up the way he did at Victory Road because TNA mentioned it recently when Hardy first came back. I know I personally don't remember much of the specifics from previous matches before that. the main things I remember about heel Hardy as champion.. he was with immortal, he had his own personalized title belt, he called himself the anti Christ of professional wrestling. as far as his in ring wrestling ability, I remember maybe a few moves that he does, but that's it.

 

[Clem]

Hardy doesn't have to be a good in ring wrestler. having big spots is enough. he is a big name for TV viewers and that is the number one thing. Hardy can put on a show for the people watching. TNA wrestling is a TV show first. if wrestling was more about wrestling and not names/story lines then it wouldn't even be on TV.

if Hardy crashes again they could probably just write it into a story line. general viewers probably don't even remember specifics of past matches. people remember the last time Hardy showed up the way he did at Victory Road because TNA mentioned it recently when Hardy first came back. I know I personally don't remember much of the specifics from previous matches before that. the main things I remember about heel Hardy as champion.. he was with immortal, he had his own personalized title belt, he called himself the anti Christ of professional wrestling. as far as his in ring wrestling ability, I remember maybe a few moves that he does, but that's it.

No offense to you, but I'm abit saddened by that point of view.

That you would actively sit there watching a wrestling show and not give a damn about the wrestling.

The funny thing is Jeff Hardy SHOULD be looking to put on memorable matches, as he doesn't have a damn thing going for him otherwise. His promo work is absolutely terrible.

There will come a point where he physically can't take those crazy bumps anymore or he'll flat out kill himself in the process. Then he'll be completely exposed for all to see and he'll be lucky to have a job, let alone a world title reign.

 

[SpecialFNK]

when you're watching other shows on TV, do you watch for great acting ability?
when I'm watching TV shows I'm not paying attention to wheather the actors/actresses are great with their acting ability.
wrestling is the same way.
I'm not saying it doesn't matter at all. no one wants a wrestling company full of guys like Rob Terry. you should have some wrestling ability no doubt. the biggest icon on wrestling history is Hulk Hogan, and there's no question about that. he himself wasn't some great wrestler in the ring.
I don't specifically remember Hardy promos from the past, but I think his promos since returning have been good/decent.

 

[Jack-Hammer]

Yeah, I'm sorry but the idea of Hardy's personal problems not being an important factor in whether or not he should be given another shot at being the top guy in the company is ludicrous.

Pro wrestling doesn't exist in a bubble, nothing does in this day and age especially. The wrestling industry has been scandalized over the course of the past several years due to the easy availability of drugs and the rampant problems that they've caused. One advantage TNA's place has over WWE in the mind of the American consciousness is that they haven't been caught in the firestorm of negative public opinion and generally negative portrayal in the mainstream media as WWE has. When the Benoit situation happened, all eyes turned to WWE. Whenever you hear a story regarding drugs or the deaths of wrestlers, most eyes still turn to WWE even if the story has nothing to do with them or wrestlers signed with them. At one point, Congress was considering stepping in and regulating WWE, which is ultimately what truly got Vince's attention in addressing issues regarding drug use among WWE wrestlers. TNA has been able to avoid such shitstorms thus far and I'm sure they're hoping to keep it that way.

Jeff Hardy is still one of the biggest names in wrestling, but that's not enough when you look at the whole picture. Is Jeff Hardy more well known among wrestling fans in general than Boddy Roode? Yes he is. Has that translated into a definitive and long term increase in the viewership of TNA's television show? No it hasn't. With or without Jeff Hardy, TNA would be drawing in the same 1.4-1.5 million viewership range on a weekly basis that it's been doing for most of the past 5 years or so. If Hardy's presence was drawing in large numbers of viewers and keeping them there, then a stronger argument could be made for his star power as a whole.

For someone to have the top spot, of course, the powers that be have to have confidence in him. That means that he has to be able to do what they're asking and expecting of him. If Hardy isn't physically or mentally capable of doing that because of substance abuse problems, then his presence at the top can only be a hindurance. Why? Because we've already seen it happen before. Hardy wasn't particularly good as champion, his matches weren't all that much to speak of, his physical & mental conditioning left a lot to be desired and it all came to a head in the main event at a ppv thousands of people paid to watch.

If Jeff Hardy really has all his ducks in a row as far as his substance abuse problems go, that's great. For me, it just seems like the responsible thing to do is for TNA to give it a good amount of time to see if things keep going wel for him. It's best for them as a company and for Hardy as a human being. Just turning a blind eye, as TNA did, to what was going on could turn out to be even more disasterous next time around if things aren't as straight as they seem to be on the surface. I don't want to see Jeff Hardy become the next great wrestling tragedy, so I see no reason why TNA can't and shouldn't do all they can to see that it doesn't come about. There's only so much they can do, of course, but at least they can say that they did what they could even if it's just to cover their own ass.

Again, all that applies IF there's something still going on with Hardy. If there isn't, then what's the harm of waiting a while so as to be more certain?

 

[Leb_Hustla]

really, what does Hardy's personal problems have to do with things? right now Jeff Hardy is still a bigger name to viewers watching than Roode is. when you're putting on a TV show, something like that is important.
Jeff Hardy is a real person, but Jeff Hardy is also a character in a TV show. right now he has a great story going. coming back as a face wanting another chance after doing something wrong as a heel. it's as if it was ALL written.

FINALLY someone that doesn't think they are CEO of a wrestling company!! all i read here is rating this ratings that cant people just enjoy the PRODUCT???
Now back to posting, Bobby Roode, as good as he has developed in the past 12 months doesn't have the drawing power of a Jeff Hardy plain and simple. And there is no better storyline then someone who has been down and out and is fighting for redemption, you can generally get behind them. Junkie, unreliable whatever the case maybe the audience can connect with Hardy and that is something Roode is sorely lacking heel of face.

Let Roode drop the title, if he is as good as everyone thinks he is (IWC) he will get another opportunity when he hones his craft a little more. Let him and storm fight it out and PROPERLY develop a feud, play it out and then put the strap back on him IMO

 

[Dagger Dias]

I personally think that TNA should keep the World Championship on Roode for now. Hardy does deserve another chance as well as another push. He is popular enough to hold the world title and seems to be on a better path now than he was a year ago. The only thing stopping me from saying Hardy should win is that Roode would benefit greatly from going over someone as popular as Jeff Hardy. I hope that Roode keeps the title for now because his reign should continue to help establish him as a permanent top guy and the one who deserves it more than anyone else to dethrone him is James Storm. Hardy could always return to the world title scene later on and win the title. This is Roode's time.

 

[FitFinlay4Life]

I believe that Hardy will fail at Genesis due to outside interference from Bully Ray leading to a short feud between the two (this does appear to be Ray's role at the moment after all). Storm will finally get beyond Kurt and the Roode / Storm series will be on as both guys will head into it on the back of vanquishing guys that, in the past, would have got the nod over homegrown guys.

At least, this is how I would like it to go - here's hoping!!

 

[SpecialFNK]

are we allowed to talk about the Against All Odds poster that Dixie tweeted? on twitter Dixie tweeted a sneak peak of the poster for Against All Odds, the PPV in February after Genesis in January. it could be considered a spoiler with who is on the poster. since I'm asking here one could guess who is one of the wrestlers on the poster.

 

[charismaticenigma15]

well,I think jeff must be champion.he deserved that..I like him,his style...he's amazing

 

[He's Phenomenal]

Do you believe Jeff Hardy is ready or even deserves to be champion again at this point in time?

I don't think there's any doubting Jeff Hardy is ready. He has looked more motivated and dedicated during his return than I can remember TBH. There seems to be a fire within Jeff and I think he realises this is his last big chance and he seems very grateful for the run he's been given. Obviously I don't know Hardy personally, so I have no idea what his mindset is, but just judging by what I'm seeing on my TV I'd say he's taking this chance with both hands. Given that Hardy is a big star in pro wrestling that pretty much answers whether he's deserving or not. There's definately others I'd rather see as Champion before Jeff, but I don't think anyone could argue with the fact he'd be a better choice for World Champion than Bobby Roode. Although I don't think Hardy will be the next World Champion.

Should TNA trust in Roode and give him more time?

Honestly? No. In the years I've watched TNA I've never found myself skimming through the opening segments like I do now. Roode is a good wrestler and would do a good job at the top end of the mid card, he's just not a World Champion. He's flat out boring on the mic and the World Champ needs to be able to capture people's attention, which I don't think Roode does. Some of his actions have been quite interesting, but when he's on the mic you know you're not missing much by skipping through it. Jeff Hardy may not be great on the mic either, but he at least connects with a crowd and has them reacting to pretty much anything he says. If TNA are going to allow him more time as Champ (and beat Hardy, which I think he most likely will), then I think that will only last until he meets James Storm. Who IMO will be the next World Champion.

 

[The Eighties]

Jeff Hardy will always get "One more chance" because he is massively over and that is gold in the wrestling business. However I don't think it's about whether he's ready, I think it's mnore a question of is it smart? to me the answer is no.

I think Roode has been awesome as champion so far despite those horrible, cringe inducing "docu-style" videos of his family being all upset because he cheated. His mic work and ring work is top drawer. Maybe his feud with AJ didn't do big numbers but firstly AJ's hardly a mic God and secondly no one believed AJ was winning the belt.

Logic dictates that Storm vs Roode is THE match for TNA and that Storm will be the guy to take the belt off him. Right now Angle is giving Storm the main event rub, Hardy should give Roode the same, setting them up for a showdown at Lockdown.

 

[Johnny Scumm]

Do you believe Jeff Hardy is ready or even deserves to be champion again at this point in time?

Do I believe Hardy deserves it? Not at all. After last time, there's no way that it should be given to him. Do I want him to win? Yes I do. Bobby Roode has done such a good job at being heel, but I just don't want him to win. Hardy IS ready to be Champion, even if he doesn't deserve it right now. After beating Jeff Jarrett in a very enjoyable feud, Hardy's looking good. Being the Number One contender now, I think that winning the title might make me believe that he does deserve it, as long as he works well and doesn't screw up again.

Should TNA trust in Roode and give him more time?
I don't know here. I don't want Roode as my champion anymore, which is strange I know. As brilliant as he is, I just would prefer it if he didn't have the belt. If he was to lost to Hardy, I think he'd do great chasing the title.

 

[Red Head With Attitude]

Even though I would love Jeff to win the title at some point, I feel that TNA should trust Roode to have it a little longer because he fought a lot to win that title.

 

[TheAllStarBlogger]

As we all know,Jeff Hardy will challenging for the TNA World Heavyweight Championship at Genesis(January 8th,2012)against the current champion Bobby Roode. The real question is,will TNA give Hardy the belt at Genesis? Does TNA have full faith restored back for Hardy? Is this the right move here? Would it make sense to randomly take the belt off of Roode so soon,during his "Generation Of Selfishness"? Would it boost ratings?

It looks like TNA has full faith in Hardy again giving him HUGE momentum with his huge victory in his tag team match with Sting against Roode & Bully Ray. TNA will most likely give Hardy the belt at Genesis or the Impact after,now you're probably wondering,why would they give him the belt so soon? They obviously want to push him back to the championship spotlight because he is,no doubt the most popular wrestler on the roster,him being champ would put him even more over as a babyface & boost the ratings high,because he would be the face of the company,especially as a babyface.

I personally think Hardy has truly changed,with him being married & having a daughter & having 6 months off,the most time he's had off in a while,because the last time he had that much time off was 2003-2004. He looks better than he ever has & is in tremendous shape for his age(34).

The only problem here is,them taking the belt off Roode would completely hault his "Generation Of Selfishness" & ruin his heel persona. Where & how would Roode go on with his new found persona if he loses the belt?

The obvious BIGGEST mistake here is putting Hardy back in the main event title picture too fast & to top that it just had to be during Roode's heel reign as the champion.

Hopefully it all gets sorted out & TNA works something out.

What are your thoughts? Do you think TNA will give Hardy the belt at Genesis? Do you think TNA will ruin Roode's heel title reign?