5 feuds for a returning Jeff Hardy

During his appearance on WWE Backstage, Jeff Hardy not only revealed that he was cleared for action but he also mentioned that he was backstage at SmackDown over the last two weeks.

He also declared that he was just waiting for the right moment creatively which means that ideas are likely being pitched for his return. The SmackDown roster is full of veterans and established mid-card heels, so Hardy could easily slot right back into the mid-card to challenge any number of them.

I wish both Buddy Murphy and Andrade stayed on the Blue Brand because then we would have some exciting new stars that could feud with the plethora of vets. Instead, along with King Corbin, there are no shortage of heel alliances. Robert Roode and Dolph Ziggler are also heels but are a tag team.

The same goes for the current SmackDown Tag Team Champs John Morrison and the Miz. Then there's the trio of Sami Zayn, Shinsuke Nakamura and Cesaro. If they weren't all in teams then it would be a more clear cut mid-card division.

This clearly means that things need to greatly change after WrestleMania. At the very least, SmackDown needs to add some new heels like Killer Kross (although it appears vignettes are airing for him on NXT) or the Undisputed Era. Hardy could work against anyone so here are five feuds for the Charismatic Enigma now that he is cleared.

---

#5 Sheamus

The Celtic Warrior

Sheamus returned and went immediately back to his mission statement of targeting people that he sees as inferior to him. That's basically the operating manual of a bully. While Hardy is not that much smaller than Sheamus, it would make sense for the Celtic Warrior to target a veteran or a previously wounded piece of prey.

Apollo Crews and Shorty G seem to still want to avenge their loss in a handicap match to Sheamus, so that will likely be his direction until he prepares for a program for the Show of Shows. But at some point, he could feasibly feud with the Charismatic Enigma.

Hardy could even feud with Crews or Ali if they turned heel. They have done a lot as the smiling faces but haven't been given much time on SmackDown. If one turns heel, it would make sense to feud with the beloved Hardy. Until then, a logical choice would be Sheamus.

#4 The Nakamura/Zayn/Cesaro Collective

Could Zayn target a returning Hardy?

You may or may not know this but Jeff Hardy is an artist inside and outside of the ring. He regularly paints not only his face but also pictures in his spare time. Hardy even mentioned on Backstage that painting his face on the road is therapeutic for him when he cannot paint at home.

We all know that Hardy is a master at high-flying and daring stunts in and out of the ring. Sami Zayn has constantly been referring to himself and Shinsuke Nakamura as "artists". Why not target someone who is actually a painter/artist but a good guy?

All three members of the heel trio are great in the ring and they could help Hardy out to wear off any potential ring rust. There's a reason why Cesaro was Mansoor's opponent in Saudi Arabia a few turns ago - he's extremely safe and helpful in the ring. The trio might come out on top of Braun Strowman at Elimination Chamber so Hardy would make sense as a potential challenger should they win.

I don't remember Hardy and Nakamura battling because both were faces at the time and one was in a tag team. Alliances have shifted since then so battling a group of performers who also consider themselves artists would make sense for the Charismatic Enigma.

#3 Roman Reigns

The Big Dog

Much in the veins of AJ Styles challenging Seth Rollins right after Rollins won the Universal Championship at WrestleMania last year, it would make sense for two faces to battle it out following the Showcase of the Immortals. The match between Styles and Rollins at Money in the Bank was one of the best of 2019. On WWE Backstage, Hardy singled out Roman Reigns as a match that he'd like to have in this go-around in WWE. Why not visit that possibility sometime in the spring or summer?

Reigns would obviously be respectful and Hardy would lose the match but it would be a sign of two competitors showing honor before, during and after the match. Face vs. Face bouts can work if done correctly without overbooking. Just let two stars who are good in the ring wrestle each other. It's what initially made the Murphy/Aleister Black pairing work and also the matches between Rey Mysterio and Andrade seem magical when both were members of the blue brand.

The Big Dog has feuded with a lot of the stars of both RAW and SmackDown but never with Hardy. It would be new and fresh and a sign of the previous generation battling the current leader of the new generation.

#2 King Corbin

Would Hardy bow to the King?

King Corbin is by default the heel that everyone needs to or will have to feud with. He's the obstacle for mid-carders to get over and the thorn in the side of main-eventers like Daniel Bryan and Kofi Kingston.

It's hard to be a hated heel in today's wrestling but Corbin is one of the few true heels in WWE at the moment. Hardy has always been a beloved face during his WWE tenure. It just makes too much sense for these two stars to eventually feud at some point in 2020. I have a feeling that Corbin might be facing Braun Strowman at 'Mania for the Intercontinental Championship so if that happens and the King wins, Hardy would make sense as a challenger.

I also have a hunch that Corbin might be rewarded for all the work he did to help get Roman Reigns back over with portions of the crowd. That reward could be an Intercontinental title run. He's won a MITB, the US Championship and the King of the Ring in the past. When and if he captures the mid-card title on the blue brand, a logical and ready challenger would be the Charismatic Enigma. I don't think they've crossed paths before, so as long as they don't face each other for six months like Corbin and Reigns did, it would be a feasible feud.

#1 The Fiend

Hardy should let him in.

While Bray Wyatt mainly associated with Matt Hardy, and not Jeff, there was that one backstage segment when Wyatt acknowledged "Brother Nero." With Wyatt targeting stars with whom he's battled in the past, would he pick on another tormented soul in the Charismatic Enigma?

Hardy would do a good job putting over the Fiend because, at this point, that's what he should be doing in WWE. He can have great matches and the like but stars like Wyatt should be put over by veterans. Daniel Bryan already did it and Hardy would make sense like another person to do so.

I know the Fiend is busy with John Cena on the Road to WrestleMania but things will obviously be different following the Show of Shows. We might have another Superstar Shake-Up, but if not, or if they both remain together, they should battle each other.

Wyatt has also targeted people that he could torment mentally, and we know that Hardy has had issues in the past with sobriety and staying on the right path. Wyatt could "test" that and it could even lead to Hardy overcoming a psychological hurdle on TV. While the real-life nature of Hardy's feud with CM Punk walked a fine line of what was appropriate, it was successful in the long run. That type of success would add a sense of realism to a feud between the Fiend and Hardy.