The rise of Jeff Hardy in 2008 helped him finally get to the top of the wrestling world. There were expectations placed on Hardy to become a world champion after the early success in the Hardy Boyz tag team with his brother Matt Hardy. Even though fans loved them together, everyone looked at the more unique persona and fascinating style of Jeff to help him break out.
The ups and downs put a lot of doubt into Jeff’s future since he was his own biggest enemy. WWE however would finally see Hardy show what everyone believed he could do if he was motivated and healthy enough. The shocking shift saw Jeff not only getting over at the highest level, but he thrived as the most popular overall star in WWE.
Jeff Hardy's 2008 Story Was About Overcoming Adversity
The entire year of 2008 was a roller coaster for Jeff Hardy showing the best and worst aspects of his career. Jeff started things off by having his first credible chance at challenging for the WWE Championship. Fans bought into Hardy when he faced Randy Orton for the top prize at Royal Rumble 2008, but Orton retained in an exciting match.
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WWE would have to punish Hardy for violating the wellness policy. Hispersonal demons have been well-documented, and it harmed his momentum here as one of the bigger names to get suspended. Jeff was also removed from the WrestleMania 24 Money in the Bank ladder match due to the suspension, despite rumors claiming he was scheduled to win.
The return from the suspension had fans hoping Hardy would prevail and overcome the biggest hurdle of his career to that point. Jeff realized his mistake and continued to perform at a high level when back. An impressive feud with Umaga helped Hardy gain back his momentum before moving from Raw to Smackdown in the draft to set up a brighter future.
Jeff Hardy's 2008-2009 Run Was Lightning In A Bottle
Smackdown has typically been considered the B Show of WWE, but they had a short stint of passing Raw in 2008. The main event core of Triple H, Jeff Hardy, Edge and The Undertaker helped make the show a nearly must-watch product for fans. Jeff started to take off by getting longer matches and the chance to interact with bigger names.
A small program between Triple H and Hardy saw the WWE Championship in play again after the former won it from Randy Orton. Even in a singles loss to Triple H, Hardy proved he was ready for a bigger role by having the audience on his side. Triple H was the most protected face at the time, but the story of Hardy getting his shot to finally win the big one was too much for WWE to deny fans of.
WWE eventually pulled the trigger on the moment everyone wanted during a triple threat match between Hardy, Triple H and Edge. The shocking finish of Hardy hitting a swanton bomb to break up a pin and score the victory gave him his first stint as WWE Champion. WWE booked a beautiful moment of the audience feeling they won when Hardy celebrated afterward.
Hardy Surpassed John Cena & Triple H In Popularity
John Cena and Triple H are objectively bigger stars than Jeff Hardy, but that was untrue for the latter half of 2008. Hardy and Triple H were competing for the top spot on Smackdown while Cena was dominating Raw. However, the momentum of Hardy was drastically different to create a more heartfelt story for the audience to connect to.
Cena and Triple H were already dynasty talents in WWE with multiple lengthy title reigns and more main events than either could name at the time. Hardy was scratching and clawing his way into the main event scene hoping to accomplish success at the highest level for the first time. The fan base represented that by treating Jeff as the biggest star in the entire industry.
WWE may have felt hesitant about putting the title on Hardy just a few months after he was suspended for violating the wellness policy, but they couldn’t let down the audience. Jeff had every demographic on his side, from the longtime diehard fans following his journey to the younger audience inspired by his character. WWE benefited from having the right performer at the right time and didn’t shy away from going for it. Hardy proved that he was capable of being the most popular star in WWE with his journey to the top of the food chain.
