Jeff Hardy Reveals Painful Injury He’s Been Hiding Since NXT Title Loss—Still Cleared to Wrestle
Jeff Hardy has revealed that he’s been quietly battling a serious injury ever since the Hardy Boyz lost the WWE NXT Tag Team Championships—and it’s already changed how he’s been wrestling.
The former world champion confirmed that he’s been dealing with neck issues dating back to late 2025, when Matt and Jeff Hardy dropped the NXT Tag Team Titles to DarkState’s Dion Lennox and Osiris Griffin at NXT Halloween Havoc. Despite the setback, Jeff insists he’s still medically cleared and pushing forward with a packed schedule across multiple promotions.
Speaking on the Budget Cut podcast, Jeff opened up about the physical and mental toll the injury has taken on him.
“What’s different about me this year? I’ve been dealing with an injury since we dropped the titles at NXT,” Jeff said. “I actually have two bulging disks on the left side of my neck. It’s definitely better than it was at first, but we’ve been slower for two months now and that’s a little stress creator for me. I’m cleared. I can go. I just have to be safe.”
Even while dealing with lingering pain, Jeff Hardy isn’t slowing down. He’s set to appear on the debut episode of Thursday Night iMPACT! on AMC on January 15, followed by a major title defense at TNA Genesis on January 17. His immediate focus is retaining the TNA World Tag Team Championships alongside Matt Hardy against The Righteous.
The revelation comes during a historic stretch for the Hardy Boyz, who became the first team to hold WWE tag team gold across four different decades. While Matt Hardy has hinted at a possible WWE main roster return or Premium Live Event appearance in the near future, Jeff’s priority remains staying healthy while continuing to wrestle at a high level.
Despite the injury, Jeff Hardy made it clear that retirement isn’t on his mind — but wrestling smarter definitely is.
