10 Things WWE Wants You To Forget About Jeff Hardy

3. SmackDown’s DUI Arrest

Jeff Hardy
WWE.com

Keep in mind, Jeff had been legitimately arrested on 3 October 2019 for driving under the influence. On 29 May 2020, WWE thought reproducing this real-life incident would make for a hot opening on SmackDown. So, they teased that Hardy had rocked up to the arena drunk and mowed down Elias.

Seriously.

Fake cops rushed to the scene and put cuffs on Jeff before he could protest. Meanwhile, Renee Young did her best to tie everything together and soften the blow by telling viewers that Elias was actually alright. Or, at least, alive. How this was supposed to maintain Jeff's popularity is anyone's guess.

Worse, WWE flunked on a plot thread that would've seen Sheamus outed as the real perpetrator. He'd "set up" Jeff to take the fall, the announcers claimed. No-one explained why even hinting at driving drunk (something Hardy had done for real) was the way to go with SmackDown's storylines.

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Lifelong wrestling, video game, music and sports obsessive who has been writing about his passions since childhood. Jamie started writing for WhatCulture in 2013, and has contributed thousands of articles and YouTube videos since then. He cut his teeth penning published pieces for top UK and European wrestling read Fighting Spirit Magazine (FSM), and also has extensive experience working within the wrestling biz as a manager and commentator for promotions like ICW on WWE Network and WCPW/Defiant since 2010. Further, Jamie also hosted the old Ministry Of Slam podcast, and has interviewed everyone from Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels to Bret Hart and Trish Stratus.