Jeff Hardy returned to the WWE in 2017, after nearly a decade spent plying his trade in the Orlando-based Total Nonstop Action.
He became a three-time TNA World Heavyweight Champion, as well as winning two tag team titles alongside his brother Matt. He left the WWE in 2003, and then again in 2009, to sign for TNA amid various drug and alcohol issues and losing his love for pro wrestling.
The company renewed his love for wrestling, and his immense star power helped TNA draw over one million viewers a week for years at their peak (the highest episode featuring Jeff Hardy’s 2010 return drew 1.4 million viewers, up against the WWE on Monday Night).
From 2010 to 2017, Jeff Hardy wrestled almost exclusively for the WWE, although he returned to the WWE for one last run by debuting as a shock entrant into a tag team ladder match (once again, alongside his brother Matt Hardy).
Here are the details about Jeff Hardy’s last match in TNA, where he competed against a former WWE Champion in a World Championship bout.
(Note: In this article, we will be referring to the entity now known as “Impact Wrestling” as TNA, or Total Nonstop Action. This is what the company was known as for Jeff Hardy’s run in the company, and changed not long after he wrestled his final match.)
Jeff Hardy’s Last TNA Match
Jeff Hardy wrestled his last match in TNA on the January 10, 2017 episode of TNA Impact.
Wrestling under the name Brother Nero (he had lost the rights to the Hardy name in a match against his brother Matt), the former WWE Champion wrestled against TNA World Heavyweight Champion Bobby Lashley in a world title match to end the show.
This was part of what Matt Hardy called their “Expedition of Gold”. It saw the brothers would teleport to different promotions and win that promotions’ tag team championship gold. They were successful in promotions like TNA, ROH and MCW, winning tag team gold all over the country.
However, singles World Championships eluded them, although Jeff Hardy tried to rectify that in his final match before returning to the WWE at WrestleMania 32.
Lashley beat Hardy in a non-title match two days prior, setting us this title match on a blockbuster edition of TNA iMPACT wrestling.
The match opened the show, giving Hardy and Lashley ample time to put on the best match they could. The pair always had good chemistry in the ring and had some great matches together, and this one was no different – although Hardy once again failed to beat the champion.
The episode of the show was called the “Open Fight Night”, and featured title defenses from Drew Galloway (Drew McIntyre) and DJ Z (who lost the X-Division title to Trevor Lee, or Cameron Grimes in the WWE).
Why Did Jeff Hardy Leave WWE To Join TNA?
Jeff Hardy left the WWE in 2009 after a long-running feud with CM Punk. He was arguably at the peak of his popularity, so leaving the biggest wrestling company to join the smaller TNA seemed like such a step backwards for the former WWE Champion.
Hardy was dealing with a series of injuries that left him in series pain and needed to be dealt with. However, he knew that if he stayed in WWE he would not be given the time to heal, as he would not let himself miss out on more main events and being top of the card. This was the driving force for him to call time on his WWE career and leave the company.
Click here to read more about why Jeff Hardy joined TNA after leaving the WWE in 2009