Jeff Hardy on teased attitude change, being drafted to SmackDown | “Out of Character”
By Ryan Satin
FOX Sports WWE Analyst
"Out of Character with Ryan Satin" gets taken to the extreme, as WWE Superstar Jeff Hardy is this week’s guest.
Hardy joined the show for an engrossing, 45-minute conversation covering topics such as being drafted back to SmackDown, teasing an attitude change and some of his famous ladder matches.
There’s also a landscaping discussion, but (pinky swear) it’s surprisingly interesting in context.
Subscribe to the "Out of Character with Ryan Satin" podcast feed on Apple Podcasts or Spotify for more candid conversations with your favorite Superstars, legends and on-air talent each week!
Besides turning grass into lawn art, moving back to SmackDown was at the forefront of Hardy’s mind throughout the conversation.
As you’ll recall, Jeff recently teased during a promo that he’d be showing a different side of himself on the blue brand, and on this week's podcast, he delved into that topic a bit more.
RS: What is it like for you to be in a veteran position on the roster now? For so long, you were the young guy coming up, but now you're on the other side of that. Does it feel weird?
HARDY: "It is, yeah, It's super weird. Because I know I'm not as fast as I used to be, and especially since I broke my leg back in 2015 and ended up having knee surgery, I just can't jump like I used to.
"So, yeah, things are a lot slower, but it's just cool, especially again with the paint and when I'm wearing it out there. When I see an action figure, still that never gets old. It's just so cool that that makes all that time I put into painting my face worth it, man. When I see the action figure, and I remember that image I had in my mind that day before I brought it to life.
"Yeah, it’s weird, but I'm just doing my job.
"It's my time to give back, but I think there's something that I got to figure out as well, that’s kind of needed — because I don't know how much longer I'm going to be wrestling. Almost like a darker side of Jeff Hardy, I think, needs to kind of come out. I haven’t figured it out yet, but I have these crazy ideas. I wrote down a few of them.
"But yeah, it's my time to kind of focus more on the character stuff instead of the high-flying moves and the TLC matches and all that stuff because I think there's something that's waiting to be unleashed within me."
RS: Does being a heel again interest you at this stage of your career?
HARDY: "Yeah, yeah, it does, but I don't think I can. I don't think I can. Like when I did the ‘Anti-Christ’ thing, it's really hard to make people hate me, and I think it would be kind of done in a different way, but it would definitely be something I've never really dove into before."
RS: Well, if you're talking about darker stuff and it's not necessarily a heel turn, does that mean you would like to be something more like Willow in WWE?
HARDY: "I would be lying if I said that I don't think about Willow all the time, especially when I saw The Fiend in real life and how cool that was. So that naturally got my wheels spinning.
"I've always talked about bringing Willow into WWE with a black wedding dress and all these images I have my in my head. But, like, what is it? I mean, he looks awesome, and he can do all this cool stuff in the ring, but where does it go? What's the longevity behind it all? That's what I’m still kind of trying to work out in my imagination."
@ryansatin Would you want to see Jeff Hardy as Willow in #WWE? - Full convo on YouTube and podcast platforms now #SmackDown #RAW #wrestling #HardyBoyz #WWF ♬ Pink Soldiers - 23
Regarding potential opponents on Friday Night SmackDown, "The Charismatic Enigma" made it clear that he has a big one in mind with whom he believes he could make some magic.
Unfortunately, that Superstar is seated comfortably at "The Head of the Table," so it won’t be easy to get.
HARDY: "I am looking forward to just a two-hour show and to be back on SmackDown. I'm a big fan of The Bloodline and what they're doing now. It's just so exciting. The Usos and Roman Reigns.
"Yeah, I think I'm going to have a little momentum making this change, so it's just super exciting with what's possible with me from here on out. I think SmackDown is going to be a good thing for me, a great thing."
RS: Now that you’re back on SmackDown, I take it a match against Roman Reigns is at the top of the list of things you want to do?
HARDY: "Oh, yeah, for sure. When people ask me about dream matches, I've been saying that like a maniac. Oh, yeah. I can see the beauty within the match, when I envision it in my head — how powerful it could be. Because his stuff is just so powerful and strong. So, yeah, that's definitely one."
Watch "The Charismatic Enigma" and the rest of the new SmackDown roster starting this Friday on FOX at 8 p.m. ET.
For more with Jeff Hardy, check out this week’s full "Out of Character" on YouTube or major podcast platforms.
Ryan Satin is a WWE analyst for FOX Sports. Satin previously appeared on FS1's "WWE Backstage" and founded Pro Wrestling Sheet, where he broke countless news stories as editor-in-chief.
