Below are some top news stories of the day, involving Dolph Ziggler and Jeff Hardy.
• When Dolph Ziggler won the World Heavyweight Championship by cashing-in his Money In The Bank contract on Alberto Del Rio on RAW after WrestleMania 29, Vince McMahon promised Ziggler that he’d no longer lose every single night.
However, that promised meant nothing as Ziggler lost the very next week in a non-title match.
Here’s what Ziggler said on The Takedown On SI:
“When I became World Champ, the first match I had, I remember Vince told me once, ‘you finally cash-in this contract, you won’t lose every single night. Everyone forgets about it. It’s all out the window. And you’re the World Champ.’
I cash-in. I was the World Champ. And the next Monday, I lost a five-minute match. Jack Swagger and I went, ‘what the f**k are we doing here? Like what?’”
WATCH: Charlotte Flair’s Complete Uncensored NipSlip From WrestleMania 38:
• Jeff Hardy reflected on his turbulent time in AEW, his eventual departure, and his decision to rejoin TNA alongside his brother Matt Hardy during an interview with Chris Van Vliet.
After signing with AEW, Jeff’s journey was disrupted by a DUI arrest just three months into his contract, derailing plans for a World Tag Team Title run. Although he returned in April 2023, he struggled to regain his momentum.
In June 2024, Jeff left AEW after his contract expired, following Matt’s exit earlier that year. The brothers reunited in TNA, a promotion Jeff praised for supporting him during tough times. “I am so glad to be back in TNA. Super excited, TNA has been there for me in dark times, man,” Jeff said.
Jeff also opened up about trying to reinvent himself in AEW by teasing a heel turn on social media. He admitted his approach was unprofessional but credited it for reigniting his passion. “There’s never been a real heel Hardy run, and I was so excited about that in AEW, but I know, I own what I’ve done. It was my fault, I really let Matt down with the whole AEW thing,” Jeff said.
He elaborated on his mindset at the time: “Before I broke my nose wrestling Sammy Guevara, my thinking was like, ‘Man, we’re not being used. What if I can be a heel on social media and send out some tweets.’ It evidently wasn’t professional, but again, it’s not like I was being serious. I ended up getting three matches out of that with Swerve Strickland, Jon Moxley, and then Sammy. In all those matches, I had that passion, I could feel it again within myself.”
However, injuries, including a broken nose, derailed his progress. Reflecting on his departure from All Elite Wrestling, Jeff revealed he nearly stayed but was ultimately drawn back to TNA by memories of his previous success.
“There was even one moment where I found out Matt went back to TNA, I watched the footage, I was like, ‘Oh, maybe I need to stay with AEW and continue to prove myself.’ Then I was like, I had such a good run in TNA last time. The merchandise they came out with was so cool. Everything was so good the last time in TNA.”
Jeff described his decision as fate, saying, “I said, ‘No, this is exactly the way it’s supposed to be.’ I called Matt and agreed to show up.”
WATCH: Revealing Video Of Renee Young:
