On the latest episode of Friday Night SmackDown , Jeff Hardy was arrested due to suspected involvement in an alcohol-related car incident that saw Elias get put into an ambulance. The storyline has already resulted in WWE receiving some criticism, especially from former superstar Chris Jericho .
As documented by Sportskeeda , Jericho was asked about the storyline on the latest edition of his Saturday Night Special show. The former WWE superstar didn’t mince any words when sharing his thoughts on the matter, stating that he thinks it’s a bad idea.
“I think it sucks, I think it’s stupid. I think it’s a bad move on their part.”
Hardy returned later on in the show to help Daniel Bryan defeat Sheamus in the Intercontinental Championship tournament, suggesting that “The Celtic Warrior,” who has been feuding with Hardy in recent weeks, framed him.
WWE also released a statement claiming that Hardy wasn’t intoxicated. However, even though Hardy appears to have been absolved of any wrongdoing, the storyline has left a bad taste in people’s mouths as it is seemingly exploiting Hardy’s real-life addiction issues to get heel heat on Sheamus.
Hardy only returned to the company this year after spending the majority of 2019 absent due to an injury and legal drama pertaining to alcohol-related incidents. One of the occasions saw him get arrested and charged with a DUI, so the Friday Night SmackDown segment was very on the nose.
Jericho, who now competes for All Elite Wrestling, didn’t elaborate on the situation further. However, it’s clear that he thinks the storyline is in poor taste and feels that WWE will regret the decision. It isn’t the first time that the company has mined real-life drama for storyline purposes though, nor will it be the last.
Another former WWE superstar who didn’t appreciate the segment is Hardy’s brother, Matt. As The Inquisitr previously reported, Matt took to Twitter following this week’s Friday Night SmackDown and threw shade at WWE, revealing that he’s glad to be working for AEW president Tony Khan.
Matt’s personal woes have also been incorporated into WWE storylines in the past. He feuded with Edge following the public revelation that “The Rated-R Superstar” had an affair with Lita while she was in a relationship with Matt.
It will be interesting to see if WWE abandons this element of Hardy’s current storyline now that it’s received some backlash. However, given that Sheamus called him a “pathetic junkie” on this week’s episode, it seems like the angle is going to be built around Hardy’s troubles.
