Would you have fired Jeff Hardy on the spot for Victory Road

["Gizzark" Mike Wronglevenay]

So the infamous Victory Road show where Jeff showed up high, jobbed to Sting in seconds and it was such bullshit that even Sting said it was into the camera ('I agree!')

Now, Jeff likely shouldn't have even gone out there at all if they knew what state he was in, but that's neither here nor there.

The point is, Jeff showed up to main event a PPV loaded. Would you fire him, or not?

I would have fired him on the spot. You don't show up loaded at all, especially not to main event a show. And I'm not sure I'd have brought him back either without some kind of rigorous drug testing regime and maybe giving him a road buddy who I knew was a straight arrow.

What do you folks think with a few years of hindsight?

[chrom]

Yes I would have, immediately the moment he got backstage and barred him from the company for life.

But the moment they chose to do nothing at all and let him go out was when it was revealed that TNA did not care about the welfare of their employees whatsoever.

[Ben Wyatt]

Absolutely. If you're trying to establish yourself as a legit wrestling company and alternative to the top dog, you absolutely can not allow one of your top stars to stumble out ther all drugged up

[Push R Truth]

Not only that, I'd fire the stupid assholes that still sent him out to the ring.

[lionheart21]

Not only would I have fired him, I would have fired anyone who tried to insist on sending him out in that condition.

[Magic knows Black Lives Matter]

I would have fired him on the spot. Keep in mind, they had already hurt what little drawing power Hardy had (since he was basically the only guy they had that moved the needle a bit business-wise for an extended period of time) by turning him heel so it's not like him leaving was gonna cause some big shift in business one way or the other. Showing f***ed up to a PPV main event is inexcusable, especially when I have a roster full of guys who can have better matches than the shit work Hardy was doing at the time ready for an opportunity to prove themselves.

Although, I will say this. As stupid as the decision seemed at the time, bringing Hardy back wasn't a bad call. It was incredibly risky but he's still over like a mother and now he's actually working hard to have good matches on practically every show. Basically, he got his shit together and sobered up.

[starsky]

If I was in charge I would have fired the people who let him go on that way (it just didn't happen over night), and send him to rehab and not let him make any youtube clips with his brother after or anyone else If memory serves. But of course the fault lies at the top with the owners. IMHO

[Professor Chaos]

What is this thing about Mike Tenay's dick?

[Oh Cry Me a Screwball]

I would mandate immediate rehab or else he gets fired.

If you just cut him loose, it really doesn't help anyone. TNA loses their biggest star, and he has no real motivation to get clean.

[Mochi Lone Wolf]

I would have fired the guys who sent him out there when he clearly had no idea what in the f*** was going on.


However, as far as he goes, I don't think I would have fired him because, at the time, he was the only one people consistently gave a shit about in the company. I would have suspended him for a long time until his trial had settled and cleaned up. He still has a large fanbase that are willing to, at the very least, buy his products in droves.

[bmfjules]

I would have fired him, plus strongly reprimanded anyone who had a say in sending him to the ring. And would hire Jim Cornette just for a one day period to cuss and scream at all of them for being pig f**king idiots, then fire them as well.

Ideally, I would have had the announcers make up a kayfabe injury for Hardy or whatever, and brought out someone else to face Sting in the main event. Surely someone on the card could have pulled double duty or something. That was the most bush league moment in the history of so called major league PPV wrestling.

I can only imagine what went through Vince McMahon's mind when/if he ever heard/read about it.

[Mr. Butter Fingers]

Yes. Showing up to any workplace in that condition, let alone a wrestling organization producing a live PPV worldwide, is inexcusable.

[Next Level was WRONG]

I would never let a company I control become so shoddy that he even left the locker room.



I've never run a company or have any relevant experience but I can guarantee this is true, just on the basis that I'm not a f***ing idiot..

[MC Blowfish]

I would have fired him from the moment he walked in like that. I also would have made the announcement at the beginning of the show and been completely truthful about what happened to illustrate that it wouldn't fly if I was in charge.

[Jeff Mangum PI]

I'd have fired him for showing up to work hammered out of his f***ing mind, much less going out and wrestling in the main event of a PPV.

[Deleted]

Apr 7, 2015 15:44:57 GMT -5 Professor Chaos said:

What is this thing about Mike Tenay's dick?

First time I saw it it was a joke answer on a thread where people posted ridiculous things that happened at WM 31 (well before the show happened).  No idea if it goes back further.

[Ashy Larry]

I would have came out and apologize to the fans for the inconvenience, go to intermission, with Sting in the back going over a match with let's say Kurt Angle or Eric Young (we all know EY's reliable as filler, see Turning Point) and go back from intermission, get on with the match, and give the fans a refund. Meanwhile, force Jeff Hardy into rehab (of course he's sobered up now) and have him off of TV for a long while.

[Seth Drakin of Monster Crap]

Yes, I would have fired him and never re-hired him. He may be over, but he is a danger and I could never trust Jeff since it was already shown that he was high when he gave Anderson a concussion. This was not the only instance of showing up high on drugs and when you ruin a main event with that after multiple times, I would said I'm done with you and I never want to see you ever again.

[sdoyle7798]

Apr 7, 2015 18:30:27 GMT -5 @laveyan said:

Apr 7, 2015 15:44:57 GMT -5 Professor Chaos said:

What is this thing about Mike Tenay's dick?

First time I saw it it was a joke answer on a thread where people posted ridiculous things that happened at WM 31 (well before the show happened).  No idea if it goes back further.

When you say you saw "it," do you mean the reference, or.....

[Mozenrath]

Apr 7, 2015 10:23:55 GMT -5 Magic knows Black Lives Matter said:

I would have fired him on the spot. Keep in mind, they had already hurt what little drawing power Hardy had (since he was basically the only guy they had that moved the needle a bit business-wise for an extended period of time) by turning him heel so it's not like him leaving was gonna cause some big shift in business one way or the other. Showing f***ed up to a PPV main event is inexcusable, especially when I have a roster full of guys who can have better matches than the shit work Hardy was doing at the time ready for an opportunity to prove themselves.

Although, I will say this. As stupid as the decision seemed at the time, bringing Hardy back wasn't a bad call. It was incredibly risky but he's still over like a mother and now he's actually working hard to have good matches on practically every show. Basically, he got his shit together and sobered up.

Yeah, I think giving him another chance was alright and has so far been decent for them.

That said, I'd have probably fired him, but I would have certainly sent someone out there instead of him, rather than what we got, and I have to wonder if anyone even bothered to warn Sting. From the look of how furious he was leaving, maybe not.