Jeff Hardy Interview
Posted by David Damage on Saturday, November 12, 2011
Under: Interviews
Turning Point for Jeff Hardy
Hardy returns to TNA PPV on Nov. 13
By Scott Fishman
Miami Herald Writer
Turning Point isn’t just the name of Total Nonstop Action’s pay-per-view on Sunday, Nov. 13.
It’s two words that would also describe where Jeff Hardy is in his life.
Hardy took questions during a media conference call on Tuesday to promote the event as he will make his in-ring return to PPV during Turning Point, squaring off against Jeff Jarrett at Universal Studios Orlando.
The last time Hardy readied for a PPV match at the IMPACT Wrestling Zone was in March in the main event against Sting at TNA’s Victory Road. With the Charismatic Enigma in no condition to compete, the TNA title match ended abruptly.
Hardy was sent home. He returned to the company in September, apologetic and taking full responsibility for his mistakes.
Around that same time Hardy finally got closure (a two-year process) in regards to drug charges in North Carolina. The Moore County Superior Court approved a plea deal that included a $100,000 fine and a 10-day jail sentence, which he served. The popular performer is ready to move forward.
“It’s over,” Hardy said.
“I’ve done my 10 days. I’m on intensive probation right now, but it’s cool that I’m still able to work. I have a curfew when I am at home. I have to be in at six o’clock. I can’t have any company after six o’clock. I’m two months into that, so I have four months of that left. Then I have 30 months of regular probation. I’ve moved on. It was a rough, dark time in my life, and it was a lot of stress, but I feel better that I’m finally over that.”
Hardy believes he is in a good place.
“I’ve been doing really well,” Hardy said.
“We just got back yesterday from doing four live events in Michigan, Ohio and Canada. We had four great shows. Physically, I’m in really good shape. I run every morning, I work out more than I probably ever have in probably my whole life, so everything’s extremely positive, and I think that’s playing a big part in the way I feel in the ring. I feel awesome. Each match I’ve had since I’ve been back has felt really good. I’m excited about my future.”
• His drawn out legal woes, combined with the fact that he has a wife and daughter at home, have altered the way he approaches life and his profession.
“I take better care of myself, both in and out of the ring,” Hardy said.
“I try to be smart about what I do inside the ring. Outside the ring being a father has helped dramatically in my personal life...
“Long-term says it all. When you bring a life into this world, you have to think about long-term. Now I think I’ve got to this place in my life where I have a little girl, and she just turned a year old. I have to be there for her and have to do everything in my power to stay healthy and in good shape.
“She just turned a year, and I’ve got a lot more of those birthdays to go; so definitely long term is all I think about now because I want to be around a long time to see her grow up and do all the good stuff life has to offer. I think about that every day. That is basically why I’ve toned down what I do in the ring and basically changed my life.”
In the period leading to his ring return, the TNA star says he didn’t have doubts he would come back.
“I think wrestling will always, in some way, be a part of my life,” Hardy said.
“Going way back, there was actually some doubt, after my arrest. The ‘Oh my God, my life is over’. That initial fear is crazy. It’s real intense, but as time passes you move on with things. Wrestling will always be a part of my life. There was probably a little bit of doubt but never full throttle.”
• Hardy reappeared in TNA at a time when stars like Beer Money shine in more prominent roles, and a crop of emerging talent is making the most of an opportunity. One of them happens to be the current X Division champion.
“Austin Aries is extremely talented,” Hardy said.
“He is a great talent to have onboard. There are so many guys. A lot of the guys in the X Division because I am always like, ‘Wow’… It’s like a superhero world when you are watching that stuff. There is plenty of talent, but I would say Austin Aries is one because I just got off the road with him and have watched his match every night. He has got it. There are several other people who got it.”
• TNA has built Hardy’s current rivalry with Jarrett around his turbulent period outside the ring.
“I don’t mind it,” Hardy said.
“I messed up. Basically, you get to my time over there, and I think I’m probably the only one to cut promos on my suspension as far as I know. I think, in a way, it’s rehabilitation to get that out there that you messed up. Move on, especially, since what happened at Victory Road and in my personal life. Nobody really knows about the things I’ve been through and my legal situation finally coming to rest. My life is just extremely positive right now. So it’s kind of a good way to put it out there and prove to people I’ve always deserved this chance. I think I’m proving of that right now.”
A man of many interests and outlets of expression, Hardy wants to also focus on his music.
“We were just in Toledo Saturday night. Jr. [Merrill], my guitar player from Cincinnati [was there], and we ran through all of our songs,” Hardy said.
“It was just so fun to get together with him again because we are so far apart. Hopefully, through TNA, we’ll do the first ‘Peroxwhy?gen’ album. That is definitely something I want to do. I just love it so much. Even with my new theme song, I will never forget when I got the instrumental.
“I wrote it at the IMPACT Zone in Orlando. When I came home, I think I recorded the vocals dry. Once you record something and you play it back and really like it, you just get this glorious feeling about what you’ve just created. I definitely want to do something with music. First and foremost with that is my band’s album. Hopefully, it will be done before I’m done wrestling in the next couple of years, through TNA.”
Hardy also sees the potential of a book.
“I thought a lot about that,” Hardy said. “There is plenty of material. When I was actually in jail, I kept a really cool journal and all these cool sketches that would be perfect for my first solo book. That’s a definite in the future as well.”
The book would be a follow up to he and his brother Matt’s joint autobiography written during their successful WWE tenure. Matt is currently in a WWE-sponsored rehabilitation center.
“He is good,” Hardy said. “He is in great spirits. I don’t talk to him that much … Every time I talk to him he seems to be doing really well; so I think everything is really positive.
“I can’t really say [what’s next for him] but deep down Matt has always wanted to open a wrestling school. He is probably going to focus on that more than anything. He has been beat up, but anything is possible. He has such a great mind for professional wrestling. He would make a great agent … I think he would always want to be a part of it because he loves it a lot more than I do. He will be involved it in some way. I just don’t know here or there, but I think definitely the first thing he will focus on is the wrestling school.”
The younger Hardy is optimistic about his current TNA run as it continues to evolve. He thinks it could be a good idea for the company to tape more TV outside Orlando.
“I think so because it’s really cool when we do,” Hardy said. “We did TV last in Macon [GA]. We did one in Fayetteville [NC] a while back, and it was awesome just to be there. It feels different just watching it at home. It feels so much better. At the same time give the IMPACT Zone a rest, make people more eager to see it again for, I don’t know, five or six months. Then go back and do a show there. I think now more than ever is the perfect time to get out on the road…”
• Other notable comments from the Hardy conference call:
Hardy on his longevity:
“A lot of luck basically. I just got back off the road yesterday, and I wrestled Bully Ray every night. We were sitting back talking one night about how lucky we have been because neither one of us have had surgeries yet. I think it has a lot to do with luck. I’m just extremely lucky. Overall being a good person goes a long way in some spiritual manner.”
Hardy on his inspirations:
“Jushin Liger was someone I’ve watched and really inspired to be like. Then merging that with Shawn Michaels and Rey Mysterio, that is like the perfect super wrestler. You have the agility of a Jushin, Rey Mysterio’s talent and Shawn Michaels. Then with [Hulk] Hogan and Sting, I’m so lucky and blessed to be in TNA with these guys. Overall basically Hogan more than anybody when you go back to breaking through into professional wrestling, and now to be able to hang with them is pretty cool.”
Hardy on the media firestorm over the years:
“It was horrible. The local newspapers down there were just ridiculous. I mean the couple years it took, just the front page with Jeff Hardy with the same old story and the same old story. It got really old. I will never forget my dad coming up to me and saying, ‘Well you’re on the cover of the Pilot again.’ It was just so unnecessary, but it’s got to be because we are just local guys who made it big in professional wrestling, and they just got to keep bringing it up.
“That’s one reason I will never give those guys an interview just because they kept on putting me on the front page because of my name. It’s got to be. I just deal with it. I didn’t like that at all. I don’t hate anybody for it, but I don’t think it was right.”
• Hardy returns to PPV at Turning Point against Jeff Jarrett 8 p.m. EST Sunday, Nov. 13 from the IMPACT Wrestling Zone at Universal Studios Orlando.
• Impact Wrestling is 9 p.m. EST Thursdays on SpikeTV.
• “Enigma: The Best of Jeff Hardy Vol. 2” is now available everywhere, including through shoptna.com.
• Follow Jeff Hardy on Twitter @JEFFHARDYBRAND, where he will post some of his stellar artwork.
Hardy returns to TNA PPV on Nov. 13
By Scott Fishman
Miami Herald Writer
Turning Point isn’t just the name of Total Nonstop Action’s pay-per-view on Sunday, Nov. 13.
It’s two words that would also describe where Jeff Hardy is in his life.
Hardy took questions during a media conference call on Tuesday to promote the event as he will make his in-ring return to PPV during Turning Point, squaring off against Jeff Jarrett at Universal Studios Orlando.
The last time Hardy readied for a PPV match at the IMPACT Wrestling Zone was in March in the main event against Sting at TNA’s Victory Road. With the Charismatic Enigma in no condition to compete, the TNA title match ended abruptly.
Hardy was sent home. He returned to the company in September, apologetic and taking full responsibility for his mistakes.
Around that same time Hardy finally got closure (a two-year process) in regards to drug charges in North Carolina. The Moore County Superior Court approved a plea deal that included a $100,000 fine and a 10-day jail sentence, which he served. The popular performer is ready to move forward.
“It’s over,” Hardy said.
“I’ve done my 10 days. I’m on intensive probation right now, but it’s cool that I’m still able to work. I have a curfew when I am at home. I have to be in at six o’clock. I can’t have any company after six o’clock. I’m two months into that, so I have four months of that left. Then I have 30 months of regular probation. I’ve moved on. It was a rough, dark time in my life, and it was a lot of stress, but I feel better that I’m finally over that.”
Hardy believes he is in a good place.
“I’ve been doing really well,” Hardy said.
“We just got back yesterday from doing four live events in Michigan, Ohio and Canada. We had four great shows. Physically, I’m in really good shape. I run every morning, I work out more than I probably ever have in probably my whole life, so everything’s extremely positive, and I think that’s playing a big part in the way I feel in the ring. I feel awesome. Each match I’ve had since I’ve been back has felt really good. I’m excited about my future.”
• His drawn out legal woes, combined with the fact that he has a wife and daughter at home, have altered the way he approaches life and his profession.
“I take better care of myself, both in and out of the ring,” Hardy said.
“I try to be smart about what I do inside the ring. Outside the ring being a father has helped dramatically in my personal life...
“Long-term says it all. When you bring a life into this world, you have to think about long-term. Now I think I’ve got to this place in my life where I have a little girl, and she just turned a year old. I have to be there for her and have to do everything in my power to stay healthy and in good shape.
“She just turned a year, and I’ve got a lot more of those birthdays to go; so definitely long term is all I think about now because I want to be around a long time to see her grow up and do all the good stuff life has to offer. I think about that every day. That is basically why I’ve toned down what I do in the ring and basically changed my life.”
In the period leading to his ring return, the TNA star says he didn’t have doubts he would come back.
“I think wrestling will always, in some way, be a part of my life,” Hardy said.
“Going way back, there was actually some doubt, after my arrest. The ‘Oh my God, my life is over’. That initial fear is crazy. It’s real intense, but as time passes you move on with things. Wrestling will always be a part of my life. There was probably a little bit of doubt but never full throttle.”
• Hardy reappeared in TNA at a time when stars like Beer Money shine in more prominent roles, and a crop of emerging talent is making the most of an opportunity. One of them happens to be the current X Division champion.
“Austin Aries is extremely talented,” Hardy said.
“He is a great talent to have onboard. There are so many guys. A lot of the guys in the X Division because I am always like, ‘Wow’… It’s like a superhero world when you are watching that stuff. There is plenty of talent, but I would say Austin Aries is one because I just got off the road with him and have watched his match every night. He has got it. There are several other people who got it.”
• TNA has built Hardy’s current rivalry with Jarrett around his turbulent period outside the ring.
“I don’t mind it,” Hardy said.
“I messed up. Basically, you get to my time over there, and I think I’m probably the only one to cut promos on my suspension as far as I know. I think, in a way, it’s rehabilitation to get that out there that you messed up. Move on, especially, since what happened at Victory Road and in my personal life. Nobody really knows about the things I’ve been through and my legal situation finally coming to rest. My life is just extremely positive right now. So it’s kind of a good way to put it out there and prove to people I’ve always deserved this chance. I think I’m proving of that right now.”
A man of many interests and outlets of expression, Hardy wants to also focus on his music.
“We were just in Toledo Saturday night. Jr. [Merrill], my guitar player from Cincinnati [was there], and we ran through all of our songs,” Hardy said.
“It was just so fun to get together with him again because we are so far apart. Hopefully, through TNA, we’ll do the first ‘Peroxwhy?gen’ album. That is definitely something I want to do. I just love it so much. Even with my new theme song, I will never forget when I got the instrumental.
“I wrote it at the IMPACT Zone in Orlando. When I came home, I think I recorded the vocals dry. Once you record something and you play it back and really like it, you just get this glorious feeling about what you’ve just created. I definitely want to do something with music. First and foremost with that is my band’s album. Hopefully, it will be done before I’m done wrestling in the next couple of years, through TNA.”
Hardy also sees the potential of a book.
“I thought a lot about that,” Hardy said. “There is plenty of material. When I was actually in jail, I kept a really cool journal and all these cool sketches that would be perfect for my first solo book. That’s a definite in the future as well.”
The book would be a follow up to he and his brother Matt’s joint autobiography written during their successful WWE tenure. Matt is currently in a WWE-sponsored rehabilitation center.
“He is good,” Hardy said. “He is in great spirits. I don’t talk to him that much … Every time I talk to him he seems to be doing really well; so I think everything is really positive.
“I can’t really say [what’s next for him] but deep down Matt has always wanted to open a wrestling school. He is probably going to focus on that more than anything. He has been beat up, but anything is possible. He has such a great mind for professional wrestling. He would make a great agent … I think he would always want to be a part of it because he loves it a lot more than I do. He will be involved it in some way. I just don’t know here or there, but I think definitely the first thing he will focus on is the wrestling school.”
The younger Hardy is optimistic about his current TNA run as it continues to evolve. He thinks it could be a good idea for the company to tape more TV outside Orlando.
“I think so because it’s really cool when we do,” Hardy said. “We did TV last in Macon [GA]. We did one in Fayetteville [NC] a while back, and it was awesome just to be there. It feels different just watching it at home. It feels so much better. At the same time give the IMPACT Zone a rest, make people more eager to see it again for, I don’t know, five or six months. Then go back and do a show there. I think now more than ever is the perfect time to get out on the road…”
• Other notable comments from the Hardy conference call:
Hardy on his longevity:
“A lot of luck basically. I just got back off the road yesterday, and I wrestled Bully Ray every night. We were sitting back talking one night about how lucky we have been because neither one of us have had surgeries yet. I think it has a lot to do with luck. I’m just extremely lucky. Overall being a good person goes a long way in some spiritual manner.”
Hardy on his inspirations:
“Jushin Liger was someone I’ve watched and really inspired to be like. Then merging that with Shawn Michaels and Rey Mysterio, that is like the perfect super wrestler. You have the agility of a Jushin, Rey Mysterio’s talent and Shawn Michaels. Then with [Hulk] Hogan and Sting, I’m so lucky and blessed to be in TNA with these guys. Overall basically Hogan more than anybody when you go back to breaking through into professional wrestling, and now to be able to hang with them is pretty cool.”
Hardy on the media firestorm over the years:
“It was horrible. The local newspapers down there were just ridiculous. I mean the couple years it took, just the front page with Jeff Hardy with the same old story and the same old story. It got really old. I will never forget my dad coming up to me and saying, ‘Well you’re on the cover of the Pilot again.’ It was just so unnecessary, but it’s got to be because we are just local guys who made it big in professional wrestling, and they just got to keep bringing it up.
“That’s one reason I will never give those guys an interview just because they kept on putting me on the front page because of my name. It’s got to be. I just deal with it. I didn’t like that at all. I don’t hate anybody for it, but I don’t think it was right.”
• Hardy returns to PPV at Turning Point against Jeff Jarrett 8 p.m. EST Sunday, Nov. 13 from the IMPACT Wrestling Zone at Universal Studios Orlando.
• Impact Wrestling is 9 p.m. EST Thursdays on SpikeTV.
• “Enigma: The Best of Jeff Hardy Vol. 2” is now available everywhere, including through shoptna.com.
• Follow Jeff Hardy on Twitter @JEFFHARDYBRAND, where he will post some of his stellar artwork.
In : Interviews