3-time WWE World Champion spotted for the first time after surgery amid 11-months AEW absence

AEW's roster has notably lacked several fan-favorite stars over the past year, with many either injured or suspended. As these names begin to return over time, former WWE World Champion Jeff Hardy has now been spotted in public yet again.

Hardy's AEW suspension followed one of the most controversial incidents tied to the promotion when The Charismatic Enigma was arrested for driving under the influence. The star was even captured on the police officer's dashcam, showing just how out of it he was. This led many fans to believe that he would likely not return to pro wrestling.

While his return hasn't been announced, Jeff Hardy walked away with a lesser charge and according to a fan recently underwent eye surgery. The fan in question even posted a picture of himself with the AEW star, who was gracious enough to pose with him.

"Met @JEFFHARDYBRAND while vacationing today. Could not have been more generous and likable. He just had eye surgery, get well soon!" @greatbiscuitman tweeted.

Check out the original tweet via this link.

Jeff Hardy's All Elite Wrestling debut was praised online, despite how fans poked fun at him dancing before helping his brother Matt Hardy. While the appearance seemed to flow naturally, Matt recently revealed that it was a last-minute addition due to Jeff's WWE co-compete clause.

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Konnan wants to see Jeff Hardy turn heel once he makes his return to AEW

While Jeff Hardy narrowly escaped a lengthy jail sentence, fans are still worried about his potential return. At 45, The Charismatic Enigma's body isn't the same as it was 20 years ago. As a result, fans have grown increasingly worried about his condition, but Konnan believes he has a solution.

Speaking during an episode of Keepin' It 100, Konnan explained that having Jeff Hardy turn heel could also help him look after his body.

"I would just turn [him] heel, because as a nice guy, nice guys always get over sooner or later. He's probably got a lot of pent-up aggression from people that have wronged him, and he could dip into that and not have to fly, because now he's a heel, and he could do one or two cool moves because he's still a legend." (01:51 onward).

It remains to be seen when or if Hardy will return to AEW, but at the end of the day, he's established his legacy as one of the best pro wrestlers of his generation.