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Jeff Hardy Suspended by AEW Without Pay After DUI Arrest

Jun 14, 2022
Jeff Hardy makes his way to the ring during the WWE World Cup Quarterfinal match as part of as part of the World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) Crown Jewel pay-per-view at the King Saud University Stadium in Riyadh on November 2, 2018. (Photo by Fayez Nureldine / AFP)        (Photo credit should read FAYEZ NURELDINE/AFP via Getty Images)
Jeff Hardy makes his way to the ring during the WWE World Cup Quarterfinal match as part of as part of the World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) Crown Jewel pay-per-view at the King Saud University Stadium in Riyadh on November 2, 2018. (Photo by Fayez Nureldine / AFP) (Photo credit should read FAYEZ NURELDINE/AFP via Getty Images)

All Elite Wrestling suspended Jeff Hardy without pay following his arrest on charges of driving under the influence in Florida.

AEW President Tony Khan said Tuesday that Hardy "can only return to AEW upon successfully completing treatment and maintaining his sobriety."

Hardy's most recent arrest for alleged DUI was his third in 10 years, and his substance use is well documented.

Matt Hardy addressed the news Tuesday:

TMZ Sports obtained dashcam video from the Florida Highway Patrol of Jeff's arrest. Multiple officers appear to try to communicate with Hardy while he remained in his vehicle. They then drew their weapons when he didn't exit the car.

One officer finally opens the door, at which point Hardy walks out and is guided to the front of a patrol car to be interviewed.

Per ESPN's Marc Raimondi, authorities measured Hardy's blood alcohol content at 0.294 and then 0.291, well above the legal limit of 0.08 in Florida.

Hardy made his AEW debut in March after having been released by WWE last December. The 44-year-old has maintained a steady presence on AEW programming and teamed with Matt to beat The Young Bucks at the Double or Nothing pay-per-view in May.

The Hardys were scheduled to compete in an AEW tag team title ladder match on Wednesday's edition of Dynamite, but that match has been pulled from the card.

The Wrestling Observer Newsletter's Dave Meltzer reported prior to Hardy's suspension that "WarnerMedia was told to stop all promotion of Jeff Hardy in any commercials or anywhere else immediately."

AEW's Jeff Hardy Arrested on Multiple Charges, Including Felony DUI

Jun 13, 2022
PHILADELPHIA, PA - JUNE 01:  Professional wrestler Jeff Hardy of WWE The Hardy Boyz attends Wizard World Comic Con Philadelphia 2017 - Day 1 at Pennsylvania Convention Center on June 1, 2017 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.  (Photo by Gilbert Carrasquillo/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA - JUNE 01: Professional wrestler Jeff Hardy of WWE The Hardy Boyz attends Wizard World Comic Con Philadelphia 2017 - Day 1 at Pennsylvania Convention Center on June 1, 2017 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Gilbert Carrasquillo/Getty Images)

AEW star Jeff Hardy was arrested Monday in Florida on multiple charges, including felony DUI.

The Volusia County Corrections website lists the charges as a third drug- or alcohol-related DUI offense within 10 years, driving with a suspended, canceled or revoked license and violation of restrictions placed on a driver's license.

According to Marc Middleton of WrestlingHeadlines.com, the DUI charge is a third-degree felony, while the other two charges are second-degree misdemeanors.

Middleton reported that Hardy was still in custody at the S. James Foxman Justice Center in Daytona Beach, Florida, as of Monday afternoon and was scheduled to appear in front of a judge Tuesday.

Marc Raimondi of ESPN reported Hardy's first blood-alcohol breath test came back at 0.294 and a second delivered a reading of 0.291. Florida's legal limit is 0.08.

The 44-year-old Hardy, who is one of the most decorated stars in WWE history, has been arrested on multiple occasions during his pro wrestling career for various reasons, including DUI or DWI.

Prior to Monday, Hardy's most recent arrest occurred in October 2019 for DWI while he was under contract with WWE. He was also arrested three months before that for public intoxication and in March 2018 for DWI.

Hardy has had multiple stints with WWE from 1998 to 2003, 2006 to 2009 and 2017 to 2021.

His most recent WWE run ended in December when WWE released him after he exited through the crowd during a six-man tag team match he was involved in at a house show.

Jeff's brother, Matt Hardy, later confirmed that Jeff turned down WWE's offer to go to rehab, leading to his release. Matt said Jeff didn't feel like he needed rehab at the time, and Matt agreed with the assessment.

The three-time WWE world champion, five-time WWE intercontinental champion and nine-time WWE tag team champion made his AEW debut in March by saving Matt from an attack at the hands of Andrade El Idolo and others.

Jeff and Matt have been teaming ever since, most recently beating The Young Bucks in a tag team match at Double or Nothing last month.

The Hardys had been scheduled to compete in a three-way ladder match against Jurassic Express and The Young Bucks for the AEW World Tag Team Championships on Wednesday's episode of Dynamite, but that match may now be in jeopardy.

Paige Open to AEW; Toni Storm Reveals WWE's Love Triangle Pitch; NXT Star Released

Jun 13, 2022
NEW YORK, NY - FEBRUARY 12:  WWE Wrestler Paige speaks at MGM Studios, WWE, and SheIs special screening of 'Fighting With My Family' at AMC 34th Street on February 12, 2019 in New York City.  (Photo by Eugene Gologursky/Getty Images for MGM Studios)
NEW YORK, NY - FEBRUARY 12: WWE Wrestler Paige speaks at MGM Studios, WWE, and SheIs special screening of 'Fighting With My Family' at AMC 34th Street on February 12, 2019 in New York City. (Photo by Eugene Gologursky/Getty Images for MGM Studios)

Bleacher Report catches you up on the latest news from the WWE Universe and All Elite Wrestling.

Paige Open to Signing with AEW

After announcing that her WWE contract is set to expire next month, Paige divulged that she is open to the idea of signing with AEW.

According to Michael Perry of Ringside News, Paige discussed her situation during a Twitch stream, and when asked if she had interest in AEW, she responded, "Sure, if the money is right."

Last week, Paige tweeted a statement, noting that July 7 will be her last day with WWE, as her contract is officially expiring:

https://twitter.com/RealPaigeWWE/status/1535380532762095616

Paige also said during a Twitch stream (h/t WrestlingInc's Kellie Haulotte) that her departure is WWE's decision, as the company decided not to re-sign her.

The two-time Divas champion made it clear that she had interest in remaining with the promotion, but WWE decided to move in a different direction.

WWE didn't utilize Paige over the past couple of years in the wake of FS1's WWE Backstage getting canceled. The British Superstar had been a regular panel member on the show before it was halted during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Paige was once among WWE's top stars in the women's division, serving as the inaugural NXT women's champion and going on to hold the Divas title twice on the main roster.

Her in-ring career was cut short by a neck injury, however, forcing her into retirement in 2018.

Paige still had an on-screen presence after that as SmackDown general manager and later manager of The Kabuki Warriors, but she stopped appearing on television after her managerial run ended.

While Paige has said she isn't yet cleared for in-ring competition, it is her stated goal to wrestle again, which isn't outside the realm of possibility given that Edge returned from what was thought to be a career-ending injury after nearly a decade.

Still just 29 years of age, Paige has plenty of time to make her way back, whether it's with AEW, WWE or somewhere else.

Storm Talks Pitched WWE Angle with Ziggler, Boogs

Speaking recently about her time in WWE, AEW star Toni Storm revealed that there was a plan for her to get involved in a love triangle storyline before she left WWE.

Appearing on Talk Is Jericho (h/t Perry), Storm discussed the angle, which would have seen her trying to choose between Dolph Ziggler or Rick Boogs as her love interest.

There was some brief interaction between them in a backstage segment on SmackDown, but WWE seemed to quickly drop the storyline and instead had Storm challenge Charlotte Flair for the SmackDown Women's Championship.

Storm lost that match and then decided to leave the company after facing Flair and Sasha Banks at a house show in December 2021.

WWE subsequently granted Storm her release, and she made her AEW debut in March by beating The Bunny to qualify for the women's Owen Hart Foundation tournament.

Storm has said plenty about how unhappy she was in WWE since leaving, and she added to it in the interview with fellow AEW star Chris Jericho, saying:

"And then I was working with Charlotte and stuff seemed to be picking up from there, but then, with a lot of contributing factors, kind of just led to me saying, 'You know what? I can't f--king do this anymore and I need to change my life because, to be honest, I'm so depressed here.'"

Storm was early in her main roster tenure when she decided to leave WWE and seemed to have a bright future ahead of her.

The Aussie previously held the NXT UK Women's Championship and won the second Mae Young Classic tournament. She also had a successful run in NXT.

Even so, Storm wasn't fulfilled in WWE, leading to her making the leap to AEW. Although she hasn't yet won gold in AEW and fell to Britt Baker in the Owen Hart tournament, she has been presented as one of the top stars in the AEW women's division thus far.

WWE Releases NXT's Troy Donovan

WWE reportedly released NXT Superstar Troy "Two Dimes" Donovan from his contract Saturday.

According to Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter (h/t Haulotte), WWE released Donovan due to a "policy issue" and not because of budgetary or creative reasons.

Meltzer added that WWE told Donovan it would consider bringing him back to the company in a year.

WWE signed Donovan early this year, and he debuted on NXT just a couple of months ago as one of Tony D'Angelo's heavies along with Channing "Stacks" Lorenzo.

Donovan and Lorenzo teamed together a few times on NXT programming, including at NXT In Your House earlier this month when they and D'Angelo defeated Legado Del Fantasma in a six-man tag team match.

With the loss, Legado had to join D'Angelo's family, although they are now down a member with Donovan out of the picture.

Donovan made his independent wrestling debut in 2020 under the name Cole Karter and made a handful of appearances for AEW last year, primarily on Dark.

He also wrestled on the April 14, 2021, episode of AEW Dynamite, losing to Anthony Ogogo.

A return to AEW could now be a possibility for Donovan, or he could wait things out in an attempt to come back to WWE in the future.

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