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Jeff Hardy Back On WWE

His own fate twisted
By Craig Tello
August 4, 2006

After spending three years combating his personal demons, a refocused and rehabilitated Jeff Hardy is prepared to return to the place where he began his career as a teenager.

WWE.com has learned that WWE officials have rehired former Superstar Jeff Hardy, more than three years after his release from the company.

For this unique athlete, it has been a turbulent, arduous road back to WWE. In 2003, just as Hardy began to make his ascent to the top of World Wrestling Entertainment, he came crashing down, reportedly because of a drug dependency.

After showing up late for several WWE events and demonstrating a deterioration in his in-ring performance, Hardy’s last match in WWE was on March 24, 2003. In May of that year, after refusing to go into drug rehabilitation, Hardy was subsequently released from WWE.

In 1993, at the age of 16, Jeff and his brother Matt, 19, started working for WWE, wrestling against contracted WWE Superstars. It wasn't until 1998 that the brothers were given full-time WWE deals. That year, the Hardy Boyz almost instantly became top-tier contenders in WWE's tag team division.

Both talented risk-takers with dynamic in-ring chemistry, the Hardyz revolutionized sports-entertainment, employing wild aerial maneuvers that did damage to both their opponents and themselves. Capturing both the WWE and WCW Tag Team Championships, the Hardyz made their strongest impact in their epic Tables, Ladders and Chairs Matches with the Dudley Boyz and Edge and Christian.

Shortly after the WWE brand extension in 2002, Matt and Jeff were split apart and Jeff found success as a singles star on RAW. After the split, Hardy began to display his most unorthodox side, adding uniquely colored body paint to his ever-changing hair color.

Perhaps the highlight of his singles career was his Ladder Match with Undertaker for the WWE Championship in July 2002. In a match that no one believed Hardy could win, Jeff brought his abilities to a higher level unlike anyone had ever seen in him before. That night, Jeff did not walk out as WWE Champion, but he earned the respect of not only The Phenom, but of all who watched the contest. People started to acknowledge Hardy’s true talent – a talent that was curtailed and snuffed out due to his addiction.

Holding a number of championships, Hardy was en route to reaching the summit of his sports-entertainment career until it all came to an abrupt end due to his erratic behavior and drug use.

Overcoming addiction is arguably the greatest victory of Hardy’s life. And as a renewed Jeff Hardy prepares to reintroduce himself to WWE fans, one can only expect Hardy to earn his greatest career victories and even larger triumphs when he makes his long-awaited return home.