10 Blockbuster WWE Returns That Would Improve Ratings Immediately
4. Jeff Hardy
Along with brother Matt, Edge and Christian, and The Dudley Boyz, Jeff Hardy revolutionized tag team wrestling from 1999 to 2001 - and became super-popular while he did it. Problems with substance abuse sank Hardy's career, leading to dismissal from the company in 2003, but when he returned in 2006, he was a new man. Hardy became a valued midcard player, but eventually, fan reaction was so great that the company pushed him hard. By the time he left WWE again in 2009, he had won the WWE Title once and the World Heavyweight Title twice - and he was a clear draw when it came to the company's Pay-Per-View buys. Unfortunately, Hardy's second tenure with the company wasn't spotless. He was suspended twice for wellness policy violations, and shortly after leaving WWE, he was arrested and charged with drug trafficking. A WWE return - formerly considered inevitable after a brief rest for the superstar - now seemed unlikely. Hardy pled guilty to the charges, served ten days in jail, and paid a fine of $100,000 - and since 2011, he's seemed to have gotten his personal life back on track. Recently, rumors have started to spring up that Jeff - and possibly Matt, as well - could be on his way back to the company. As a proven superstar who always got a reaction and looks to have cleaned up his life, he'd be a welcome addition to Raw.
Scott Fried is a Slammy Award-winning* writer living and working in New York City. He has been following/writing about professional wrestling for many years and is a graduate of Lance Storm's Storm Wrestling Academy. Follow him on Twitter at https://twitter.com/scottfried.
*Best Crowd of the Year, 2013