Former WWE Champion Jeff Hardy has reportedly turned down a quick return to the company and also rejected an induction into the WWE Hall Of Fame.
Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful first reported on the 9th of December that WWE had come to terms on the release of the former WWE Champion. That followed an incident at a live event in Edinburg, Texas that led to Hardy being sent home.
PWInsider had reported that Hardy was not at the live event held in Corpus Christi, Texas on Sunday, 5th of December saying that the SmackDown star had been sent home.
Reports then emerged that Hardy had been released by the company after refusing to enter rehab. The tag team icon has had a history of issues related to substance and alcohol abuse.
However, Dave Meltzer in his Wrestling Observer Newsletter has now reported that Jeff Hardy has been the subject of an approach from WWE Head Of Talent Relations John Laurinaitis to return to the company. The offer was said to have come “a few weeks ago” and reportedly included an induction into the WWE Hall Of Fame.
The report states that Hardy has rejected the advances and instead had requested the results of his drug tests, which he is said to have waited six weeks to receive. The belief regarding the tests is said to be that Hardy knew he wouldn’t test positive for any recreational substances.
Meltzer also notes that the push to have Jeff Hardy return to WWE is because the company doesn’t want to see the star wind up in AEW where he will inevitably reunite with brother Matt as part of what is an increasingly stacked tag team division in the company.