"We were able to resume contact with Jeff Hardy this afternoon. AEW does not condone Jeff alleged behavior. We'e made it clear to Jeff that we'll assist him in getting treatment for substance abuse issues, which he has indicated that he's open to receiving. In the interim, he is suspended without pay, and he can only return to AEW upon successful completing treatment and maintaining his sobriety. If you or a loved one needs help, please reach out to SAMHSA's National Helpline: 1-800-662-HELP (4357)"
Hardy and brother Matt were subsequently removed from their planned ladder match with Jurassic Express and The Young Bucks on this Wednesday's "Road Rager" edition of Dynamite. Matt had tweeted his support for Jeff earlier in the day ahead of the match being changed to reflect the changes.
Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation for nearly 10 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 35 years.
As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 65,000,000 total downloads. Within the podcasting space, he also co-hosts Benno & Hamflett, In Your House! and Podcast Horseman: The BoJack Horseman Podcast.
He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, Fightful, POST Wrestling, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has provided in-person coverage of some of the biggest pay-per-views and Premium Live Events in wrestling history, including WrestleMania, Survivor Series, All In & Double Or Nothing in destinations such as New York, New Jersey, Chicago, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live.