Jeff Hardy captivated the imagination of the wrestling fan base throughout his long career with a unique in-ring style. The daredevil mindset of Hardy allowed him to break out by continuing to wrestle to the beat of his own drum. Hardy truly is one of a kind as his persona is not one that’s loud or intense yet he connected to the audience by being himself.
We will look at the best overall matches to come from Jeff in his career. The incredible growth from a legendary tag team wrestler to a top main event star to the run in TNA to a return to WWE all showcased just how deep his library of matches are. Find out just which bouts stand out the most. These are the top ten matches of Jeff Hardy’s career.
10 The Hardy Boyz vs Edge and Christian (No Mercy 1999)
The first ladder match between the Hardy Boyz and Edge and Christian had a unique prize hanging above the ring. Both teams competed to win $100,000 along with the managerial services of popular WWE diva Terri Runnels.
All four wrestlers used this match at No Mercy 1999 to become stars. The dazzling moves in the ladder match put Jeff and Matt Hardy on the map along with their opponents. Fans started truly investing in the Hardy Boyz after this impressive victory.
9 Jeff Hardy vs Rob Van Dam (Invasion 2001)
WWE struggled to make the Invasion storyline work in the long run, but one rivalry gave fans complete entertainment. Rob Van Dam joined WWE to represent the ECW side of The Alliance in a feud with Jeff Hardy for the Hardcore Championship.
Both men had instant chemistry with a show-stealing match at the Invasion PPV. Van Dam became the breakout star of The Alliance. Hardy however was also benefitting from getting the first real chance to showcase his potential as a singles star in the hardcore classic.
8 The Hardy Boyz vs The Young Bucks (ROH Supercard of Honor)
Jeff and Matt Hardy had a short run in Ring of Honor in between leaving TNA and joining WWE in 2017. The short program with the Young Bucks created huge interest as the Hardy Boyz were using the popular Broken gimmick at the time.
Their rivalry culminated during WrestleMania weekend at ROH’s Supercard of Honor event. Matt and Jeff went back in time with a vintage ladder match performance putting over the Young Bucks along the way. This match was even more impressive since the Hardy Boyz returned to WWE the following night to work another ladder match at WrestleMania 33.
7 Jeff Hardy vs Edge (Extreme Rules 2009)
Edge and Jeff Hardy progressed from having a legendary tag team rivalry to an incredible singles rivalry over the course of a decade. Hardy and Edge would take it back old school with the stipulation of a ladder match having them using the weapon again.
Both men left it all in the ring with an outstanding PPV main event. Hardy pulled off the victory to win the World Championship. Unfortunately for him, CM Punk cashed in his Money in the Bank title shot minutes later to end the title reign and start their feud.
6 Jeff Hardy vs Matt Hardy (TNA The Final Deletion)
The creative freedom of Jeff and Matt Hardy in TNA paid off in 2016 with Matt’s Broken character. It became a wild angle with both wrestlers having a few fights and matches at their compound in North Carolina with a unique filming style presenting it on the show.
Fans cared about TNA for the first time in years when Matt and Jeff faced off in the Final Deletion. This was the perfect middle ground between a wrestling match and a blockbuster movie as both Hardy brothers gave their all to it. The Broken characters became the hottest thing in wrestling due to this event.
5 Jeff Hardy vs CM Punk (SummerSlam 2009)
CM Punk instantly became the perfect rival for Jeff Hardy during their feud in 2009. A heel turn would see Punk adopt his straight edge lifestyle as the motive to run down Jeff and the fan base. Punk specifically talked down about Hardy’s substance use that led to many issues in his career.
The element of reality made the angle must-see television as it carried WWE into Summerslam 2009. Both men had a classic for the World Championship in a TLC match main eventing the second biggest show of the year. Punk won the outstanding match as Hardy only had one date left on his contract before leaving WWE.
4 The Hardy Boyz vs Edge and Christian vs The Dudley Boyz (Summerslam 2000)
The success of the WrestleMania 2000 triple ladder match would WWE take it to another level a few months later. Mick Foley introduced the first ever TLC match using tables, ladders and chairs as the weapon of choice for each of the three teams.
Edge and Christian defeated the Hardy Boyz and the Dudley Boyz in the instant classic that proved these six men would always create magic when in the ring together. Jeff always had the highlight spots in these matches since he loved taking the risks more than the average wrestler.
3 Jeff Hardy vs Edge vs Triple H (Armageddon 2008)
Jeff Hardy’s long road to the top of WWE would see him struggle a few times. That made the moment even sweeter when Hardy finally made the world title picture. Armageddon 2008 would be main evented by Edge, Triple H and Jeff for the WWE Championship.
All three guys delivered strong performances that would have made it a great match regardless of the winner. However, the emotion involved from Jeff and the fans when he scored the winning pin fall made it special. Hardy became the WWE Champion for the first time in his career with an incredible performance to take home the gold.
2 Jeff Hardy vs The Undertaker (Raw June 24, 2002)
The night that most wrestling fans realized that Jeff Hardy could be a successful main eventer if things worked out featured him facing The Undertaker. WWE booked a ladder match on Raw with the dominant heel champion Undertaker facing off against the young underdog now on his own without his brother.
The match was designed to make the audience invest in Hardy and it worked to perfection. Every false finish of Jeff climbing the ladder received a huge pop with the collective heart of the viewer breaking when Undertaker won the match. Hardy would earn the respect of Undertaker and the fans in this classic Raw match.
1 The Hardy Boyz vs Edge and Christian vs The Dudley Boyz (WrestleMania 17)
The Hardy Boyz, Dudley Boyz and Edge and Christian had their best match and one of the all-time great WrestleMania matches at WrestleMania 17. This is considered arguably the top show in WWE history with the TLC match playing a huge role in the reputation of the card.
A major change would see Lita, Spike Dudley and Rhyno all interfere on behalf of their tag team. The match was an instant classic as the three teams somehow found a new way to raise the bar. Edge and Christian once again the match for the WWE Tag Team Championship, but all six men added to their legacies.