When a WWE superstar hasn’t been seen in the ring or on television for a while, their return is sometimes just as big as a major debut. It has been almost a full year since Jeff Hardy has made an appearance on WWE due to injuries and some personal issues, but the time has come for the “Charismatic Enigma” to return. It has now been confirmed that Hardy will return to the ring on this week’s episode of Friday Night SmackDown .
Jeff hasn’t had a match since last April, when an unfortunate knee injury required surgery to repair. At the time of his injury, The Hardy Boyz were the SmackDown Tag Team Champions, so his injury couldn’t have happened at a worse time.
Since then, Jeff has been rehabbing to get back to in-ring shape, while also dealing with a few legal issues outside of the ring. WWE has stated that he has to deal with those problems on his own, but Jeff has also been waiting for the right storyline angle to come his way in order for him to return.
On Tuesday, the official website of WWE revealed that Hardy is confirmed to return this week. It’s not yet known what he’s going to do or say, but something will likely be set up for him at WrestleMania 36 , as the pay-per-view is less than a month away.
The last time Jeff was on WWE television, he teamed up with his brother Matt Hardy . Now, he’s going to be fully on his own, as Matt allowed his WWE contract to expire, making him a free agent in the world of professional wrestling.
There has been a lot of speculation as to what Matt will do now that he is no longer under contract to WWE. Of course, whispers on social media have him heading to All Elite Wrestling. The promotion has even hinted that Matt could end up being “The Exalted One,” but that remains to be seen.
Jeff’s contract was set to expire around the same time as Matt’s, but his ended up being extended due to his injury. WWE has a habit of keeping a superstar beyond their contract term if they miss a great deal of time. It is unclear how much time Jeff has remaining on his current WWE contract, nor is it clear if his return to the blue brand signals his interest to stay with WWE for the long run.