5 potential matches for Jeff Hardy in AEW

The Charismatic Enigma Jeff Hardy is a living legend in the business. Having held championships at every level, matches with icons like Sting and the Undertaker, Hardy has truly had a Hall of Fame caliber career.

As with any walk of life, Jeff Hardy has had both highs and lows throughout his career. As his most recent run in WWE comes to a premature end, the hope is that Jeff Hardy will get better and one day make his return to wrestling.

If and when he is ready to return, Hardy is sure to have the pick of wrestling promotions and opportunities to explore. The likes of AEW, GCW, and NJPW remain untouched in his career thus far.

Jeff Hardy is sure to have a bucket list of dream matches himself, but let's take a look at five potential matches for the once-known Brother Nero if he joins his brother, Matt, in All Elite Wrestling.

#5 Jeff Hardy vs Sting III

It's very hard to discuss Jeff Hardy without the unfortunate stain on his career that is Jeff Hardy vs Sting II for the TNA World Heavyweight Championship, at Victory Road 2011.

Jeff was scheduled to collide with his childhood hero in a rematch for the title he had lost a month prior, but arrived to his championship match inebriated and unable to compete in a safe manner.

It is a very real and scary reminder that the wrestlers we see as superheroes are real humans with real issues. Sting was forced to pin Hardy after just a minute and a half.

Nothing quite hooks wrestling fans like a wholesome redemption arc. Given the universal adulation the wrestling universe has for Jeff Hardy, and the fact that Sting is his childhood hero and inspiration, why not have Jeff Hardy vs Sting for the third and final time?

A whole decade has passed, and while Hardy at the time was considered to be in the prime years of his career, it would prove pertinent to have them go at it and right the wrongs of Victory Road.

#4 Jeff Hardy vs Christian Cage

Jeff Hardy and Christian Cage can look back on their careers with great appreciation for each other. As part of The Hardy Boyz and Edge & Christian respectively, Christian and Jeff have each other to thank for their glistening careers.

The Hardy Boyz and Edge & Christian collided in tag team action that served as the foundation to all four mens careers. We have also seen both of the Hardy brothers collide with Edge in singles action during their singles careers.

Jeff and Christian, never truly had the chance to embroil themselves in a singles feud against one another. Christian Cage made his return to professional wrestling at the Royal Rumble this past year, sharing a moment with his best friend and tag partner Edge, in what was Cage's final match with WWE.

He has since debuted for AEW, where he dethroned Kenny Omega for the Impact World Championship (Unified with the TNA World Heavyweight Championship) and further challenged The Cleaner for the AEW World Championship at All Out, but fell short in his quest for gold.

Since his reign with the Impact World Title concluded at the hands of Josh Alexander, Captain Charisma has been enjoying a run as a mentor figure to Jungle Boy and Jurassic Express. A lot has unfolded since the last time we saw Christian and Jeff Hardy share a ring together.

Jeff Hardy vs Christian Cage could serve as the final destination for the classic wrestling feud, as the little brothers of each tag team go at it one final time.

#3 Jeff Hardy vs Kenny Omega

So much is said about Jeff Hardy's charisma and resonance with fans and peers, that it can be forgotten that he is a terrifically talented and compelling in-ring performer. Jeff Hardy rallies the crowd with his authentic selling and daredevil style, wagering his life and leaving nothing undone in his pursuit of glory.

Kenny Omega represents the platinum standard of professional wrestling today, having amassed a resume littered with championships, accolades and industry defining matches. This year The Belt Collector has reigned atop AEW, Impact Wrestling and AAA. He has held the AEW World, Impact/TNA World, and AAA Mega Championships in a run that broke down promotional walls and brought about a new array of match-ups to excite the fans.

The run saw a conclusion to the sustained dominance of The Cleaner and the crowning finale to a two-year tale for Hangman Page, at Full Gear 2021. Omega has since taken time off to rest and recover from his injuries.

Considering Jeff Hardy will have a non-compete clause in effect until at least March 2022, it's possible that his debut in AEW could coincide with a return of the former champion.

As two of the most iconic wrestlers on the globe, it would be criminal if fans are never treated to a clash.

#2 Jeff Hardy as Willow vs Malakai Black

Jeff Hardy has earned the moniker of Charismatic Enigma thanks to his presentation and daredevil wrestling style. Similar to his brother Matt, Jeff has also crafted darker and layered iterations of himself to great effect. While Brother Nero emerged when Broken Matt Hardy finally "deleted" his younger sibling, there is a much darker and more storied alter ego that could possibly re-emerge.

Willow, also known as Willow-The-Wisp, was a character concocted by Jeff when he competed in OMEGA, a promotion run by himself and Matt. Willow drew inspiration from the Marvel Comics character Will O'The Wisp, a character that had been inspired by an English folktale in which someone was murdered and dumped in a swamp. Their spirit was left to become a malevolent being that drew travelers off the road and into the marshes.

Jeff Hardy wouldn't be the first to bring layered storytelling and character development to AEW, his brother Matt is the author of "Broken Universe" and the characters contained within. Malakai Black has been crafting his own tale stemming all the way back to when he was Aleister in WWE.

It would be an interesting collision and will be full of creativity if we saw the two dark personas come to blows. Willow is supposed to be a dark alterior of Jeff Hardy, representing the evil contained within the Charismatic Enigma that we don't usually see.

#1 Jeff Hardy vs Darby Allin

Wrestling fans will forever make comparisons between wrestlers, whether it be the muscle-clad comparison of Hulk Hogan and the Ultimate Warrior, the technicality of Bryan Danielson and Bret Hart, or the promo work of Jon Moxley and Steve Austin. Comparisons between Jeff Hardy and Darby Allin have arisen from their shared desire to break as many bones as possible while winning championships.

It is well documented that Hardy perceives himself as a stunt-man, or a spot-monkey to use the wrestling term, this means he constructs his matches based on highlight moments.

Darby Allin has adopted this daredevil style of wrestling himself, which has served him well as a truly innovative act and a stand-out performer in AEW. The parallels between the two extend to the use of face paint as an artistic expression of their character and story.

Darby Allin and Jeff Hardy both share Sting as a wrestling influence and childhood hero. While Jeff has previously worked with The Icon as both ally and foe, Allin is currently a part of an ongoing alliance with the Hall of Famer. Maybe a trilogy with Sting could be the catalyst for a clash between the two?

With or without the prospect of Hardy-Sting 3, Jeff Hardy in AEW would surely make their collision inevitable. The former WWE Champion can pass the torch of daredevil wrestling to the pillar of AEW, cementing Darby Allin as the spot-monkey of his era.