Jim Ross Reflects On Jeff Hardy’s WWE Release In 2003 “Go To Rehab Or We Can’t Use You”

Jim Ross recently talked about a wide range of topics on his Grilling JR podcast. 

During it, the WWE Hall of Famer looked back on WWE releasing Jeff Hardy in 2003 due to his substance abuse problems. 

“I think he was burned out, quite frankly, I think you hit the nail on the head there. He just wasn’t ready to settle down and to play by the rules. I remember I had, look Connie, I had several sit downs with Jeff, and probably more than I normally would have. I liked him. I still like him. I’m glad he’s with AEW, he’s a big addition to what we’re doing. So, but it was hard, it was hard for him.

He wasn’t sure what he wanted. But I knew what I wanted. I wanted a guy that was not getting high before he wrestled. I mean, that’s just insanity, suicide, can’t do it. So I think he’s a little bit burned out, you know, and some guys handled pressure and their ascension to the top of the card in different ways. It’s not an automatic fit. And I don’t know that he was ready for his ascension.”

“Again, I had a great interest in Jeff’s success, but the main thing, my interest was health. And then he took that down one notch. And then there you got there you got Jeff, you know, trying to wrestle impaired. And that’s just insanity. We can’t do it. And I remember telling him that I said, you know, you got to go to rehab again, or we can’t use you. And it wasn’t a, there wasn’t a debatable topic. You know, it wasn’t a debatable topic, we’re not going to discuss, or what if we did this? What if, what if we do this, you get help. And if you get help, we will do business with you. And you’ll make a lot of money. You’re just, you’re getting over. But he didn’t, he didn’t see it that way.”

H/T to Inside The Ropes

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