Jeffrey Nero "Jeff" Hardy (born August 31, 1977) is an American professional wrestler on the SmackDown brand of World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE).

Before gaining prominence in WWE, Hardy performed for the Organization of Modern Extreme Grappling Arts (OMEGA), a promotion he ran with his brother Matt. After being signed by WWE, the brothers worked as jobbers before gaining notoriety in the tag team division, partly due to their participation in Tables, Ladders, and Chairs matches. With the addition of Lita, the team became known as Team Xtreme and continued to rise in popularity. As a tag team wrestler, Hardy is a former six-time World Tag Team Champion and one-time WCW Tag Team Champion. Apart from his success as a tag team wrestler, Hardy has also had success as a singles wrestler. He is a four time Intercontinental Champion, as well as having held the Hardcore, European and Light Heavyweight Championships. He received his first major main event push towards the end of 2007, including challenging for the WWE Championship at the Royal Rumble in 2008.

Moreover, Hardy is involved in motocross, music, painting, and other artistic endeavors. He is currently a member of the unsigned band Peroxwhy?gen.

Early career

Hardy cites Sting, The Ultimate Warrior, and Shawn Michaels as his childhood inspirations to wrestle. Hardy had been on World Wrestling Federation (WWF) television as a jobber as early as age sixteen. His first WWF match was against Razor Ramon on May 24, 1994. The next day he wrestled against The 1-2-3 Kid, and the match aired on the June 25 edition of Superstars. He occasionally wrestled as a jobber as late as 1997 before beginning his first major run in 1998. Hardy, along with his brother Matt Hardy and friends, started their own federation, the TWF (Trampoline Wrestling Federation) and mimicked the moves they saw on television. Later on, the federation went under several different names, eventually being integrated into a county fair in North Carolina. The brothers and their friends then began to work for other independent companies. They drove all over the East Coast of the United States, working for companies such as ACW and other small promotions.

The Hardy Boyz (1998–2002)

Main: Hardy Boyz The Hardy brothers eventually caught the eyes of the World Wrestling Federation (WWF). After being signed to a contract in 1998, they were trained by Dory Funk, Jr. in his Funkin' Dojo with other notable wrestlers such as Kurt Angle, Christian, Test, and A-Train. When the team was finally brought up to WWF television, after months of 'jobbing' and house events, they formed the acrobatic tag team called the Hardy Boyz. While feuding with The Brood in mid-1999, they added Michael Hayes as their manager. On July 5, they won their first WWF Tag Team Championship by defeating the Acolytes, but lost it back to them a month later. After the dissolution of the Brood, the Hardys joined forces with Gangrel as the The New Brood and feuded with Edge and Christian. This stable did not last long, however, and on October 17, 1999 at No Mercy, the Hardy Boyz won the managerial services of Terri Runnels in the finals of the Terri Invitational Tournament in the WWF's first ever tag team ladder match against Edge and Christian.