During his long tenure as WWE’s head of talent relations, Jim Ross has seen many talents, but one particular tag team sticks out the most for him, as he revealed on his Grilling Jr podcast.
The current AEW commentator recalled how the two were wearing homemade gears when they got to WWE and named them the best team ever developed by WWE: “The Hardys are the greatest team ever developed in WWE. Think about it. I’m not talking about Arn and Tully or the Dudleys, some of those other great teams that came through there, but they were teams when they got there, a lot of them. Matt and Jeff came in wearing their own homemade wrestling tights that they sewed with their own sewing machine. I just love the story and I love their enthusiasm and their youthful passion. I don’t think there’s ever been a better tag team that’s developed in WWE than The Hardys. I hope that someday they go into the Hall of Fame. I don’t know how that’s going to happen or work out because Jeff leaving, unfortunately, but they deserve accolades because WWE has never developed a better tag team, homegrown, than the Hardy Boyz, in my opinion.”
Ross also had advice for Jeff, recently released by WWE: “We don’t know all the details. So we all rush to judgment that it’s probably the worst-case scenario, and I don’t know that to be true. I don’t know the particulars of this matter. Look, I’ve had more one-on-one talks with Jeff Hardy than maybe anybody in the business. I know of which I speak on this one. He’s got a good heart, he’s got a good soul, but he’s had some weaknesses that he’s had to deal with. If he called me and said ‘Give me some advice,’ I’d say get healthy, enjoy your family, finish your Christmas shopping, and enjoy the family at the holiday. Appreciate what you’ve got. Count your blessings. That’s what I’d say to him.”
According to Ross, having Jeff in AEW would also be a huge get as there are many dream matches that could happen against AEW’s best teams: “I hope one day he’s wrestling for AEW. It’s a no-brainer. Can you imagine The Young Bucks and the Hardys? The Hardys and The Lucha Bros? The Hardys and FTR, the battle of North Carolina? I’m all about this stuff. There’s a year right there easy. When the lay of the land is conducive, Tony Khan has proven time and time again he’s got a great eye for talent and he’s still a fan. We don’t have to do it today, but somewhere down the road, that would be the thing to do, and it would help the tag team scene immensely.”
