WWE News: Top Superstar Arrested On ‘Friday Night SmackDown’
Jeff Hardy recently returned to WWE television after being absent for almost a year because of an injury and legal troubles due to alcohol-related incidents. His real-life woes have now been incorporated into a WWE storyline, as he was arrested during tonight’s Friday Night SmackDown for a possible hit-and-run.
As documented by WrestlingNews.co, Hardy was found by police officers in the bushes outside of the arena near a smashed-up car. This came after Elias was spotted being put into an ambulance following a car wreck of some kind. A police officer then revealed that Hardy reeked of alcohol, which smelled the same as the scent in the crashed vehicle. Hardy was then put in handcuffs and taken away on the suspicion of being intoxicated.
After the commercial break, Adam Pearce announced the news to the WWE locker room, only for Sheamus to call Hardy a “pathetic junkie.” Hardy and Sheamus have been at odds with each other in recent weeks as “The Celtic Warrior” took umbrage to Hardy’s redemption promo videos. This storyline suggests that he’s trying to frame Hardy for attacking Elias, as WWE probably won’t give a top babyface a gimmick that involves getting drunk and running over fellow fan-favorite superstars.
However, anything is possible in the world of sports entertainment. It’s also entirely possible that WWE will feature Hardy in a storyline that forces him to relive his personal woes for the sake of entertainment. Hardy is clean and sober at the time of this writing, but perhaps WWE wants to have his character reflect his bad reputation.
The company has used wrestlers’ alcoholism to fuel storylines in the past. One of the most notable examples involved Road Warrior Hawk during the Attitude Era, whose alcoholism was brought to light on television while he was trying to overcome his personal demons. Hardy’s troubles have featured in storylines in the past as well. When he feuded with CM Punk several years ago, the angle was built around Punk’s straight-edge lifestyle making him superior to Hardy.
It remains to be seen how this storyline will play out, but it’s bound to be controversial given Hardy’s past. However, Hardy appears to be in a good place right now, and the real-life aspect should make for more dramatic and compelling television. If Sheamus keeps bringing up Hardy’s past, he will gain more momentum as one of the top heels on the blue brand as well, since fans are sympathetic to Hardy’s troubles.
