The WWE website announced today that former Intercontinental Champion Jeff Hardy has signed with the promotion. Hardy most recently worked for Total Nonstop Action, headlining TNA’s first three-hour pay-per-view in November 2004. Hardy was released from WWE in May 2003 after failing a drug test and refusing to enter drug rehabilitation.
WWE had made numerous overtures to Jeff Hardy, but Hardy did not opt to return. His refusal to undergo WWE-sanctioned drug testing was reportedly a major sticking point in the negotiations. Hardy had been suspended from TNA after no-showing a pay-per-view, but appeared on TNA-affiliated house show events as recently as May 27th in Greensboro, North Carolina.
The original WWE.com article, posted hours ago, has been dited to remove any specific mention of Hardy’s previous addiction to methamphetamine, now saying only that Hardy left the company due to a “drug dependency”. Hardy repeatedly denied any sort of drug use in numerous interviews after leaving WWE.
Hardy is expected to end up on WWE’s Smackdown brand and renew his tag team with brother Matt Hardy. The brothers captured the WWF tag team belts five times between 1999 and 2001.
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