5 Reasons why Samoa Joe made extremely hurtful personal comments about Jeff Hardy

This week's episode of SmackDown Live (November 27th, 2018) once again proved why Samoa Joe is regarded by many as one of the greatest performers in the professional wrestling industry today. I'm just going to say it out loud -- There is no one in the WWE right now, who can cut a better promo than Samoa Joe!

Although Jeff and his brother Matt Hardy worked occasionally for the WWE way back since 1994, it was only in 1998 that they signed full-time contracts with the company.

Well, this week's SmackDown Live episode saw the WWE present a special segment, in honor of Jeff Hardy's 20th anniversary with the WWE. It was a very emotional segment, not only for most of us older fans who've followed the Hardys since the 1990s, but also for the younger fans who are new to pro-wrestling.

However, after Hardy was about to leave the ring after thanking the WWE Universe for supporting him through the ups and downs in his career, Samoa Joe's music hit, and "The Destroyer" proceeded to make a few extremely outrageous comments about Jeff's real-life personal issues.

Today, we take a closer look at why Samoa Joe was allowed to take shots at the real-life problems such as alcoholism and substance abuse that Jeff Hardy has suffered from in the past...We will also examine the possible ways in which a few real-life incidents from Hardy's past could be used in this feud as the storyline progresses...

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#5 Samoa Joe's "champagne" line in the promo, was a reference to Jeff Hardy's Nashville International Airport incident

On this week's SmackDown Live episode, Samoa Joe (left) brought up Jeff Hardy's (right) real-life past struggles with alcoholism

During his fiery promo against Jeff Hardy on SmackDown Live, Samoa Joe first congratulated Hardy for completing 20 years as a WWE Superstar, but then joked about popping some bottles open backstage.

Joe claimed that he was going to bring a few drinks out to the ring to celebrate the special occasion, but added -- "We can all agree, maybe having a bottle of champagne around you (Jeff Hardy), isn't the best idea."

Most fans in attendance for the SmackDown Live tapings at the Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota, immediately reacted to Joe's statements, because although "The Samoan Submission Machine" didn't directly mention it, his aforementioned line about the "champagne" and drinks, indirectly referred to Jeff Hardy's incident at the Nashville International Airport which took place on September 17th, 2008.

The incident which took place at the Nashville International Airport's Southwest Gate, made headlines in the pro-wrestling world back then -- as "The Charismatic Enigma" was stopped from boarding a flight by a Southwest Airline employee who felt that Hardy was intoxicated.

It's very important for us to note here that although Hardy was "calm" and "cooperative" during the airport incident on September 17th, 2008, and wasn't arrested; Hardy was arrested earlier this year (March 10th, 2018) after he was involved in a car crash in Concord, North Carolina. After undergoing a breathalyzer test, local law enforcement officials found that Hardy's BA (Blood Alcohol) levels were 0.25 (3 times above the legal limit).

Thankfully, Hardy was cleared by the court of law, and has left his legal troubles behind now. However, the two aforementioned incidents will be used by Joe in his feud with Hardy, which is why a part of his promo contained the subtle attacks at Hardy's past struggles with alcoholism...

#4 On SmackDown Live, Samoa Joe threw major shade at the Jeff Hardy vs. Sting TNA Victory Road 2011 match

Samoa Joe (left) subtly referenced the infamous match at TNA Victory Road 2011, between Sting (

center

) and Jeff Hardy (right)

Once again, I'd like to note something that Joe pointed out in his promo on SmackDown Live -- He thanked the WWE for showing the fans such a great anthology, basically a series of Jeff Hardy's career highlights.

But that turned out to be another vicious verbal attack, when Joe noted that it's a good thing WWE showed Jeff Hardy his career highlights, because Hardy probably doesn't remember wrestling in some of his most iconic matches -- indicating that Hardy was under the influence of drugs/alcohol for most of his career!

Now, although the majority of fans and experts cannot possibly know the intimate details of Hardy's battle with substance abuse, one thing we do know for a fact, is that Hardy was dangerously intoxicated during his "No Disqualification" match for the TNA World Heavyweight Championship against then-champion Sting, at TNA's (now--Impact Wrestling) Victory Road PPV (March 13th, 2011) -- the match lasted only 1:28 minutes, and Sting forcefully pinned Hardy to quickly end it and prevent Hardy from potentially hurting himself.

In fact, in an appearance on The Art Of Wrestling podcast, Hardy spoke to Colt Cabana, and confirmed that he had taken too many somas before his match against Sting at TNA Victory Road 2011.

Now, coming back to the present day, it's important for us to understand that Samoa Joe's statements on SmackDown Live, about Hardy not remembering anything from most of his pro-wrestling career, was quite a nasty shot at Hardy's battle with somas and drugs of the sort, especially one of the most infamous moments in TNA history -- Hardy's match at TNA Victory Road 2011, against Sting...

#3 Because Jeff Hardy's family could be used in this feud with Samoa Joe

After talking trash about AJ Styles and "Wendy" for a better part of 2018, Samoa Joe could now start targeting Jeff Hardy and his wife Beth (

center

)

Ever since Samoa Joe attacked then-WWE Champion AJ Styles on the July 24th, 2018 episode of SmackDown Live, the entire professional wrestling community has turned many of Joe's recent promos into meme-worthy material on the internet.

Joe last faced Styles at the Crown Jewel event (November 2nd, 2018), and although he failed to beat Styles for the WWE Championship, he absolutely terrorized "The Phenomenal One" by stalking the Styles family. Over the course of their feud, Joe repeatedly talked trash about Styles' wife Wendy, and his insults were so very stinging and over-the-top, that there have been several "Wendy" memes circulating on the internet over the past few months!

Considering that, what really caught my attention on this week's episode of SmackDown Live, is that Jeff mentioned how his wife Beth, daughters Ruby Claire Hardy and Nera Quinn Hardy, as well as the WWE Universe helped him successfully make it to the 20th anniversary of his WWE career.

Well, it'd be safe to say that from what the WWE has indicated to us thus far, we can expect Samoa Joe to talk all sorts of trash about Hardy's wife and children, and play mind games with him just like he did against Styles...

#2 Samoa Joe subtly took a shot at WWE management as well, about not being given a main roster title yet!

Paul "Triple H" Levesque (second from left) and Vince McMahon (top right) were the recipients of a subtle jab from Samoa Joe (left), who claimed that WWE isn't giving him his first title run on the main roster

Alright, I'd like to clarify here that Samoa Joe's promo was most definitely approved by the WWE Creative Team, before he walked out and talked all that trash about Jeff Hardy on national television.

However, Joe notably mentioned the fact that although Superstars like Jeff Hardy get second chances time and again, "The Samoan Submission Machine" himself is yet to receive his first chance!

I must applaud the WWE, because they seem to have taken quite an intelligent step here, by blurring the lines between the on-screen storylines and reality. Here's the thing -- Although Hardy has held several titles in the WWE, including the WWE Championship and the World Heavyweight Title, Joe hasn't held a single title ever since he debuted on the main roster in WWE on the January 20th, 2017 episode of Monday Night RAW.

Now, granted that Joe held the NXT Championship, but his main roster title pursuits have ended in nothing but failure and disappointment. On the other hand, since returning to WWE on April 2nd, 2017, at WrestleMania 33, Hardy has already held the Tag Team Championships on RAW, and the United States Championship on SmackDown Live!

Joe's usage of a promo that blurs the lines between fact and fiction, is something that has convinced me as well as several other fans, that his rivalry with Hardy is already set to be one for the ages...What Joe did on SmackDown, was kill two birds with one stone, as he delivered the entire promo as a verbal attack on Hardy, but at the same time managed to call out the WWE on not giving him the opportunities he deserves...

#1 The WWE could finally introduce the "Brother Nero" version of Jeff Hardy

Samoa Joe's personal attacks could make Jeff Hardy snap, and thereby help introduce "Brother Nero" as a mainstay on SmackDown Live

Towards the end of his promo against Jeff Hardy, Samoa Joe strongly asserted that people like Jeff Hardy "never change", and that Hardy's demons are always lurking in the background and waiting to take control.

In simple words, Joe once again threw shade at the real-life personal issues that Hardy battled with in the past -- with the former insinuating that Hardy will once again be "powerless" and fall victim to his inner demons.

What the WWE could likely be alluding to, through this segment, is that Joe will keep pushing Hardy to the brink of insanity, by constantly taking digs at Hardy's past. Nevertheless, a major storyline development which could result from this, is that Hardy could finally snap, and unleash one of his darker alter egos (no, I'm not talking about "Willow"!).

Although the WWE has teased us with Brother Nero references here and there, we may very well see Hardy completely transform into his popular alter ego in the days to come. Brace yourselves, friends, as we could finally see the WWE Universe being formally introduced to Brother Nero on SmackDown Live.

All signs indicate that Joe's savage, albeit risky, promo which saw him get way too personal with Jeff Hardy, has served to give us a fresh feud on SmackDown Live.

Would you like to see Jeff Hardy battle Samoa Joe as "The Charismatic Enigma" or as "Brother Nero"? Please give us your thoughts in the comments section below!