10 Wrestlers Fans Have No Idea What They're Truly Capable Of

4. Jeff Hardy

Shinsuke Nakamura Intercontinental Title
WWE

The title : list entry dissonance seems strange, yes.

Jeff Hardy has enjoyed a legendary WWE run immune to WWE's usual bullsh*t. He's smaller than the prototypical WWE star, but was so over in 2009 that, had he not left, he may well have become a legitimate tippy top, last-on-at-WrestleMania attraction. He is amongst the most tenured performers in an era in which some runs simply never end. WWE fans are well aware of what Hardy can do at this point, and they adore him as a result.

But that's the point: WWE fans love Jeff Hardy, who routinely draws major pops even from the doorknob-dead crowds of 2021. They love him in spite of his uneven, dismally apathetic booking, where he simply exists as a 24/7 geek one week and a United States title challenger the next. His status as a legend means nothing of substance nor purpose in WWE canon. He's just Jeff Hardy: wins some, loses some, but isn't 'No More Words' a banger?

Jeff Hardy could and should be playing WWE's version of Dustin Rhodes: a profoundly respected legend who is booked as an ageless midcard gatekeeper in carefully selected appearances that serve to get the new generation over. Hardy would excel in the role. He is a convincing, emotive seller, and fans will never not love him.

But a victory over him actually has to mean something.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!