Jim Cornette on Jeff Hardy Saying He Could Have Been Bigger Than John Cena

[@joshhildreth]

But the drug test said: you can't pee me!!!!!

[@0xyc0dwrestling]

ayo😭😭

[@punkrockbassist44]

😂💀

[@BlueBellsRBlue]

Oh dear 😂

[@thisinhumanplace2037]

Hahaha😂

[@dieseltyme]

Dun dun nun dunnnn!

[@mr._muji]

Jeff Hardy surpassed John Cena during 2008-2009 where he was WWE and World Heavyweight Champion. Fans loved him greatly and his feud with CM Punk and him leaving for the first time were great.

[@Tomm2031]

He was literally never going to be pushed past being an underdog by Vince.

[@anonymousbo0318]

Nope. A temporary surge does not equal decades of success. This is why Vince/WWE is successful, and you're a nobody talking about meaningless hypotheticals online.

[@yoholmes273]

No kid.

[@Tomm2031]

@@anonymousbo0318 ok dude calm down. Taking this a too far.

[@DynastyIcon]

i don't think ppl remember how popular Jeff was back then.. his feud with Punk, he won world titles, got bigger pops than everyone including Cena, i think he passed Cena in merch sales back then also.. but Jeff's demons got ahold of him and he had to leave but Jeff was definitely more popular back then

[@gatesofwrestling]

In 08’ he absolutely was. But his mistakes got in the way

[@JPK169]

L

[@vb2806]

No he wasn't, a one time hype doesn't mean someone would be a bigger star.

[@GoldieCollinsTheBestJobber-z9d]

Nonsense. Not bigger. He's still on the drugs

[@TotalCruiserBabe]

Jeff Hardy was nearly on that level, but like Icarus, flew too close to the sun

[@ravenlit]

Great analogy.

[@CecilioSprayetti]

100% true. Jeff Hardy was the face of the company for an extremely brief period he was beloved if he was able to kick his drug addictions and stay on WWE but guess we will never know

[@JPK169]

He was never the face of the company John Cena and Randy Ortan were the faces

[@aadilharoon1807]

​@@JPK169Don't bother reasoning wrestling fan are extremely ignorant.

[@robertmiller2434]

The fact that Jeff Hardy can actually say that statement and it is not dismissed outright even says a lot in my opinion. He was good and had moments or periods of greatness.

[@DarkNorthEmperor]

What's missing from the context is that he fully acknowledges that he pissed away the opportunities he recieved in the '08 - '09 period when he says this could've happened.

[@anonymousbo0318]

Periods of success does not equal legitimate long term success. You're not all that bright.

[@aceloco817]

​@@DarkNorthEmperordid u not listen to the video?

[@vb2806]

​@@anonymousbo0318why are you being unnecessary bitter? I dislike Jeff and people like him as much as the next guy but why go after fans?

[@jameslitz9819]

Jeff Hardy is perfect for the short term burst of popularity, he was never touching Cena long term.

[@KOHoxton]

Cena also has the habit of burying anyone that does happen to get more popular lmao.

[@stealthmode1303]

Jeff Hardy was one of the few wrestlers who was able to really get over organically with the fans. His second run in WWE between 2006-2009 was amazing. He was the biggest superstar in wrestling in 08 and 09. Unfortunately the addictions and bad decisions killed that. Cena’s biggest strength was his commitment and reliability.

[@Kerwin-white]

Eddie RVD hbk Bret Jericho Jeff hardy

[@4Bokey0Tony7]

Nobody is over as much as the fan at Dynamite that had the Dick The Boozer sign tonight!

[@williammcmillan-johnstone3962]

Absolute legend

[@royconestoga7326]

Fantastic.

[@standardofexcellence]

The bore horsemen are over..on time

[@matthewhostetter8974]

That Main event was awful on so many levels. I can't wait for AEW to praise the fact that 5 white people beat down one black man, and only after the damage was done did Adam Copeland and FTR come to help.

[@DynastyIcon]

the fact you even watched that horse shit 😂😂 pure comedy

[@thorkagemob1297]

If you were a fan of Jeff Hardy during 2008-2009, he is still one of your favorite wrestlers ever. He was beloved by all types of demographics as well.

[@MilMaska]

"I can feel you without even seeing you." - Jeff Hardy

[@indiesongwriter5474]

Jeff was massive in 2008-09, he was my absolute favorite back then. But I still don't think he would have been bigger than Cena but he might have been a #2 for a longer time

[@JPK169]

He was never number 2 Randy Ortan was bigger and better then him

[@TheRobmaynez]

My family sells a lot of different stuff from China and shit in Mexico. The amount of Jeff Hardy's sleeves we sold during that summer was CRAZY. I NEVER saw kids trying to be Cena, but man, Jeff Hardy made wrestling cool again for one summer better than Cena ever did.

[@Miguel-mp7uz]

Yall should have sold jorts.....everyone wore them. Oh ya so did Cena. Odd.

[@TheRobmaynez]

@Miguel-mp7uz I mean, those were sold on the clothes store. But yeah, no one cared for Cena. Even my lil bro who only liked WWE during those days was because of Hardy, all his friends were using those on his birthday party. No one was using jorts. They thought they looked stupid.

[@Miguel-mp7uz]

@TheRobmaynez nah they all.wore them lmao. You're Lying to yourself if you think jorts weren't more popular than ARM SLEAVES lmao....nah....

[@TheRobmaynez]

@Miguel-mp7uz i never saw any kid wearing jorts not once. Only cholos wore that shit. But those sleeves paid for my college tuition that year.

[@Miguel-mp7uz]

@TheRobmaynez wow went racist with it cool......oh and losers wore and wear fake sleeves.....lmao. I'd imagine you got bullied st whatever local community College they paid for

[@otgomario]

Jeff Hardy in 08/09 was mega over. i wasn't watching at the time, but I heard Jeff's name more than cena back them

[@Squeakypickles619]

If Jeff stayed clean cm punk likely doesnt skyrocket the way he did

[@jameslitz9819]

Nonsense, when Punk teamed with DX, two of the biggest legends in history of WWE, CM Punk chants were louder than anything. This was in 2006. Punk was always destined to rise to the very top.

[@anonymousbo0318]

​@jameslitz9819 😂

[@poindexterflex1981]

@@jameslitz9819 Or because DX in 2006 was terrible. They would've been chanting 'WOO WOO WOO' if that version of Zach Ryder were a thing at the time.

[@jameslitz9819]

@@poindexterflex1981 People cheered DX in 2006 all the time regardless of if they were terrible, it was because Punk was the biggest indie star who'd signed the year before and he has tons of potential. Plus, Punk already won the WHC before that feud with Hardy and won the MITB ladder match too. Punk was immensely popular. The Straight Edge Society did more for Punk than Jeff, and then the Pipebomb finally made him a proper main eventer.

[@jameslitz9819]

@@anonymousbo0318 My reaction when people's memory fails them.

[@SpiralPoli]

In 2008 and 2009 he was legit Cena levels of popular. Even more so in some circles. Maybe not more than Cena but certainly on par. Could have been like a Misawa/Kobashi or Hogan/Savage thing where there was the number one top guy, and the number two guy who was just right under.

[@joshbailey8372]

I remember hearing that Jeff was the #1 merch seller at points in 2008 and 09 but I can't remember where that info came from. He was certainly more over than Cena during that time going off crowd reactions. As much as I love Jeff, I agree with Corny that it's tough to see him as "the guy" on the same level as Cena.

[@reidro31]

There’s a reason people compare Jeff’s popularity in 2008 to Obama. If Jeff didn’t get in his own way, I think he could have been most popular wrestler in the business

[@johnberry2678]

John’s promo ability was always going to keep him on top in the long run but Jeff definitely had an opportunity to briefly become the face of the company

[@TheOnlyTribalChief]

Jeff just had too many demons back then.

[@internationalfailure9997]

I believe it considering how much Jeff shot himself in the foot

[@redcomet0079]

Jeff Hardy didn’t have the personality on and off the camera to be “the guy”

[@laileleneirose7966]

Jeff Hardy was massively over in 2009, and his feud with Cm Punk made Punk utterly despised by the WWE audience. Saying he could be bigger than Cena is significant, but he was unquestionably super over.

[@dwade6322]

Oh man....To be as big as Cena,Hulkster,or Stone Cold, you need SOOOOO many things to go right and continue to go right for you. Hardy is crazy to think he could have been both that talented AND lucky as the other names i mentioned were.

[@big_bob643]

You need a push, proper matches and being able to talk on the mic. He was a gimmick for table matches and hardcore matches

[@big_bob643]

We loved him but he should have a tag team belt or hardcore belt

[@Kerwin-white]

If Jeff became a main event guy in 03 and becomes the face of Smackdown that significantly hinders cena rise

[@davey3884]

Jeff was never going to get crazy over as a single, even Taker couldn't get him over as a main eventer.

[@pleaseshutup7053]

What are you talking about lol

[@exiaR2x78]

There was a moment in time 2008/2009 if I remember the years right where he could have been a top guy. The issue who knows if he would have sustained the popularity even if he did manage to stay clean at the time

[@Kerwin-white]

He was the top babyface on Smackdown i. 09 clown

[@freemind6954]

Even without the drug issues I could not suspend my disbelief long enough to look at Jeff Hardy as a main eventer.

[@armandorodriguez800]

Hardy was bigger than Obama in 08

[@elijahechicagobearsboyd5734]

Agreed, but God is that a hilarious statement.

[@rampageof78]

to be fair, jim i believe wasnt in much of the wwe realm when hardy was super over...and i think him saying they would never make him the face of the company like cena proves it, because he was the face at one point...albeit a blip in wwe history...it totally happened...and i believe this instance is what jeff was really referring to

[@johnjones8888]

The head injuries were bound to catch up at some point

[@fusion4015]

His style was better than Cena just that Vince didnt push him as the guy we the fans did that

[@TotalCruiserBabe]

Know nothing fool

[@wereallscrewed9714]

​@@fusion4015 Cap. Nobody held Jeff back other than Jeff. Vince tried to elevate him a few times and he kept screwing it up. The man said it himself and yet you say otherwise 😂

[@longboy7]

We’ve been saying this for years. When jeff says it he’s now braindead

[@andrewurista6735]

@@fusion4015did you not see the undertaker vs hardy match for the title like 20 years ago? That was his test to be pushed and he instantly screwed it up. He’s this generations Buddy Landel. Jeff screwed Jeff.

[@cityfan7658]

In 08/09 Jeff Hardy was a god to me, 9 year old me thought he was bigger than Cena

[@wrecclessescobar6252]

In 08 09 jeff was more over than obama

[@CrePunzal]

All due respect Jeff Hardy was a Babyface that was over with the fans. But he can't be on Cenas level because he can't cut a promo or be durable.

[@maceomaceo11]

Durability was the least of his issues. He had far fewer physical injuries than Cena did. His rehab time was more than Batista's physical rehab time.

[@pleaseshutup7053]

@@maceomaceo11I swear these fans just talk garbage on purpose

[@maceomaceo11]

@pleaseshutup7053 They're marks. None of them know what the term "points" mean in the marketing world. Apparently Tony doesn't either...

[@zacksampson6189]

I think he absolutely couldve have been the #2 guy with brief moments and runs as #1.

[@Bearsfan15654]

Jeff was so over in 2003 they couldn’t turn him heel when they tried. He could’ve 100% have been bigger than Cena.

[@OJTheBLAK]

In 2008-2009, Jeff Hardy was definently bigger than Cena.

[@sonicplys64]

I believe it too because Jeff was actually beloved back then, Cena was hated.

[@anonymousbo0318]

🤡

[@elijahechicagobearsboyd5734]

​@@anonymousbo0318Pot meet kettle.

[@mma9869]

Every baddie was in love with Jeff Hardy back in 08 and 09. He genuinely was a massive star

[@mjdf122]

2006 RVD and 2008 Jeff Hardy Pros and Cons

[@daelin9759]

The late 2000s was a dark period of time to be a wwe fan but there were certain feuds, matches, and guys who were just so good and so over despite the company’s flaws that you watched anyway. That was Jeff Hardy. He was never pushed or treated like John because nobody was but there was a 2-3 stretch where he was the most popular and over guy in the business. Like CM Punk from 11-13

[@bigpoppa1234]

AND HIS NAME IS JEFF HARVEY!

[@whisperienced]

Jeff stands on his own merit. He is a legend from the TLC matches alone. There's a lot more than in ring and promo that goes into how 'big' people are in WWE.

[@romegrey2600]

Jeff isn't that crazy to say this

[@westsidera97]

Jeff was that guy when I was a kid

[@djanglesmcdoogle7171]

Streets won't forget Jeff's short run

[@mjdf122]

“I need drugs” Necro and Jeff Hardy

[@MichaelSmith-fq6hz]

Not knocking Jeff here. He was over as hell circa 07-08. But he was never going to be on Cena's level in terms of promos and as a long term draw. His style was not conducive to staying the top guy for 15 years, and he was never going to stay that over on his charisma alone.

[@aceloco817]

Yeah, his mic work wasn't that great compared to Cena.. ⏸️

[@DynastyIcon]

i think you're underestimating the connection Jeff Hardy has with the fans... i kinda agree with the promos but his style and unique charisma would've kept him on top.. ppl were just drawn to Jeff man.. it would've been enough

[@aceloco817]

@@DynastyIcon i was a Hardy fan during that time. Not saying he wouldn't be a top guy. He wouldn't have the longevity without communicating consistently with the crowd every night. He coulda gotten better if he focused on it i suppose.

[@theMACy2k]

I guarantee if jeff had gotten off the drugs, cena would have turned heel in 2011/2012. Imagine heel cena vs jeff hardy, MILLIONSS. or vise versa, heel Jeff could cut fantastic promos when he was the "Antichrist" in tna

[@exiaR2x78]

I think its impossible to guarantee that, sustaining popularity was a big issue especially with the product and booking back then.

[@ronaldmanuel732]

Jeff was amazing back then.

[@_nefi]

Every kid in 2008-ish wanted to be Jeff Hardy

[@richardcoreno]

How many entertainers/athletes say the same thing -- decades after the opportunity was fumbled due to the pusherman.

[@Jaire-.-]

‘07-‘11 Jeff Hardy was different💔

[@redplague7996]

Especially at the TNA Victory Road in a match with Sting, he was at such a high.

[@redwolfe7049]

I don't think he's completely wrong BUT he was already a major WWE star and he could've been even bigger but John Cena is a monolith with his promos and crossover appeal. That's something Jeff didn't have

[@ManRay1]

I was in third grade when Jeff had his big run in 08-09 and man I could tell ya he was over like rover

[@Will_kid_cortez]

Its an insane thing to say, its how you know the drugs and stunts ruined the guy's brain

[@K-TownJuggalo]

Jeff never had the mic skills to be better than Cena.

[@williamgregory1848]

2008-2009 were the golden years for Jeff but his drug and alcohol problems killed it.

[@SairajRKamath]

I think Jeff and Cena would've been equal in popularity in this what-if situation. Jeff would be the cool counter-culture icon for the teens and young adults while Cena would do the heavy lifting as the mainstream face and ambassador of the company. One wouldn't need to exceed the other.

[@marqryan5218]

Jeff Hardy vs John Cena should have been the main event of WrestleMania 25.

[@LorGlocky]

Honestly I 100% agree with Jeff him and Cena are the only active wrestlers that can come out of NOWHERE unannounced etc and they’ll blow the roof off the place

[@Kamitcha]

I’m so glad Jeff is sober now it’s looks like from cvv interview that he’s in a good place right now and in tna I would love to see a wwe run one more time while he’s still feeling good in ring

[@tangoblue]

Every time Jeff Hardy opens his mouth, 95% of the world thinks he sounds like a slack jowed hayseed from the sticks. John Cena is more popular in every Multiverse.

[@user-td1vr4oz8d]

Nah he can't speak well on the mic like Cena

[@dwade6322]

Great point.

[@poindexterflex1981]

@@dwade6322 It's not a great point. The discussion isn't about who was the better promo.

[@bren7883]

The discussion is who would be the better pro wrestler. Promos are a part of being a pro wrestler

[@SSJ4Omega]

John Cena vs Jeff Hardy in 2009 is a match that should’ve happened. It would have made so much money

[@herecomesdatrain]

I loved jeff heel turn in TNA along with his theme "another me" but he would never be as big as cena

[@levicoker8937]

I think if your not the age of 18-28 right now you wouldn’t understand how this isn’t that crazy to say

[@iconickworld975]

I could see it. Jeff Hardy was massively over back in 09 especially around the time when he became champion.

[@thesubculturegeek]

He’d probably stayed at the level of Daniel Bryan. They are very similar in terms of the popularity and fan base.

[@delusionalvikingsfan18]

John Cena is who the people got, Jeff Hardy is who the people wanted.

[@darinlunderman8063]

Jeff is a great talent when he stayed clean & out of trouble, but even then, I can't see him being bigger than Cena. He may have had moments in his career when he was pushed well and sold merch, but that can be said for a number other people in the business, many who also didn't get bigger than Cena. Being the face of a company and always keeping the ratings & ticket sales hot throughout one's career is the mark of a wrestling superstar, and Jeff simply couldn't keep that level of intensity up even if he stayed 'healthy'. Its good to have a positive attitude & retrospective of your career, but you shouldn't get carried away with how much "bigger" you supposedly could've been.

[@standardofexcellence]

No inflammatory comments that would require an ice bath

[@Spider-Complexion]

I was around 8-10 years old when Jeff had that brief run and he was my number 1 favorite wrestler, which I think says a lot considering we still had guys like Taker on the roster. I’m not sure about him surpassing Cena, bcuz Cena was just so good on the mic and the obvious drug problem Jeff would have lol, but he definitely could’ve been up there. Jeff’s wrestling was amongst the best to me as a kid and I remember finding it cool how’d he sacrifice his own body to win 😂 This reminds me of RVD too of another what if story.

[@ForEternia]

I'm don't know if you watched TNA (2009-2010) but the original plan was to turn RVD heel and become TNA champion and join Immortal. Instead, they went with Jeff Hardy. Shows how highly they thought of him to be the top guy.

[@smarkslowplay3512]

CTE also had something to do with his lifestyle and issues

[@DankMemeCenterX]

The 08-09 period was the perfect time Jeff would be the lead had the substance abuse didn't happen. Though genuinely he could be the CM Punk tier of popularity as Cena is a rarity.

[@Jake_Xclusive]

I’ll say as a kid who grew up loving Jeff Hardy…. Hes wrong but I could see a world where he did become the biggest babyface in WWE history besides Austin.

[@WilliamLFC93]

I don't think he'd be bigger than Cena because WWE would never have allowed him to be for a start

[@anthonyrowland9072]

Cena was despised for huge parts of his run by huge parts of the fanbase.

[@Aphelion_k9f]

If you know wrestling history and you look at guys like Orville Brown and Magnum TA - who were both mega popular to the point where they could have changed the trajectory of wrestling had they not had accidents, Hardy falls into that category too. Anyone that's watched wrestling the last 20 years can attest to the popularity of Jeff Hardy.

[@gavindoyle8717]

Jeff was good, but Cena could cut the kind of promos needed to get over. You can see that they carried over when Cena was a heel when he turned.

[@AHeroAlmost]

Jeff’s popularity was insane back in the day & my favourite wrestler .. But over the long term I don’t think he’d have been bigger than Cena ..

[@dustinrhodes4793]

People forget how over that dude was. I don't remember if it was Vince or Punk but on the Punk documentary they said Punk and Jeff sold more merch then Cena at one point. Unfortunatey Jeff couldn't stay clean, but who knows. Jeff was different, and that made him cool. The Hardyz were over since the attitude era. It's not like he was a flash in the pan. He was hot in 03-04? Before he split the first time. Cena also got really stale after being the super clean babyface so long. I don't think it's that crazy of a question either way

[@mike4282]

I was never the biggest fan of Cena but no Jeff was just too wild with his recklessness...

[@riedyyy]

Jeff is a hall of famer without trying… if Jeff put his full focus to wrestling and without the issues he probably would’ve been

[@Justin-AL]

Jeff Hardy definitely had the potential to be as big or bigger than randy orton but definitely not john cena. The reason he aint is definitely he own doing though

[@caesar3909]

Jeff Hardy was bigger than Obama in 2008, moved the most merch in WWE at the time. We'd fight over who gets to use him first in videogames. 2005, 6, 7, 8, the WWE corporate machine had chose John Cena BUT THE STREETS CHOSE JEFF HARDY & Vince listened. Put the WWE championship on eff & the world heavyweight championship on him twice. But ultimately Jeff's demons derailed his career

[@jamesreding6336]

A wrestler has too be great at promos for me too love them and a great personality

[@bobdonda]

"Could have been" is a very broad statement, and very different from confidently stating "if I had been healthy I would have been the biggest star ever". If all the stars aligned and everything went exactly right for him, then yes he "could have been" bigger than Cena. It's a long shot but it's possible.

[@pleaseshutup7053]

Jeff had something cena never had authenticity

[@nappa1413]

thats the thing the stars were aligned, then he got himself in trouble

[@Pricklypeen]

Thing is, as over as Jeff was, the selling point for every babyface that got over with the crowd was "they aren't Cena." Them becoming Cena would not have worked

[@royconestoga7326]

Maybe if he hadn’t blasted his body with every drug known to man. Though I doubt he’d have had the courage to do half of those dives without being fly on nose beers.

[@Nerffie15]

He honestly could have if he had put the bottle down

[@changehowyouthink]

Jeff Hardy was HUGE when I was in middle school. Any girl wrestling fan had a crush on him back then from 2006-2009. I remember people dressing like him lol John Cena was big too but mostly only elementary kids liked him. Too bad he let drugs take hold and derail his career. But I imagine he is probably in a lot of untreated pain.

[@OrphanHart]

It's true. It's damn true!

[@mysteryrecorder]

2008-2009 was such an amazing time to be a jeff hardy fan. Definitely one of the wrestlers that got me into the sport but he would never be on cena’s level, maybe randy’s

[@benwestover2430]

Hardy could never be as big of a star. Maybe inside the wrestling bubble, but he didn’t have Cena’s look or ability to talk that would have made him a star outside of the business.

[@nicksparta9580]

He would've been on Mysterios level. That's about it

[@Spider-Complexion]

Respectfully, I remember Jeff was way more popular than Rey when he had that brief period.

[@kingaqua908]

Jeff was bigger than Rey so I don't think your opinion is valid since you didn't even realize that 😂

[@anonymousbo0318]

​@@Spider-ComplexionKey word is brief period, boy. Nothing suggests he'd be able to sustain that level for decades. Much less be bigger and more successful than John Cena.

[@nappa1413]

dude, he was more over/ bigger than mysterio when they were both in the wwe

[@maceomaceo11]

He's not crazy. About this anyway.

[@GraveMemories]

If he was pushed like cena and was off the sauce...maybe

[@adamofgrayskull7735]

Ive never seen a John Cena match

[@wilcee238]

Serious question (for once) not trying to start an inquisition; was RVD more over than Jeff Hardy? I only ask because Cena was more over than RVD, but Jeff thinks he's close to Cena.

[@pleaseshutup7053]

Jeff was more over. He’s one of the defining parts of the attitude era and there was the saying Jeff in 2009 was more over than Obama

[@wilcee238]

@@pleaseshutup7053 Maybe I'm judging from the match RVD had with Cena in ECW

[@pleaseshutup7053]

@@wilcee238Rvd definitely was over like crazy on that night the perfect storm. And when he came to wwe in 2001 I remember fans refusing to boo rvd even tho he was a heel. Rvd Eddie and Jeff are the 3 wrestlers I remember fans refused to boo no matter what they did

[@pepsiguy52883]

Was Jeff hardy drunk when he said that

[@renafan3333]

Ridiculous. Jim doesn't even pretend to go along with that stupidity.

[@injintu]

Looks like Jeff might be struggling again. Send some good vibes. Itchweeed and Willow are two of the corniest, dumbest things I have ever seen. Good to have him around still. Stay healthy, brothers.