WWE News: Justin Credible opens up about WWE using Jeff Hardy sobriety struggles in angle with Samoa Joe

What's the story?

A few weeks ago on SmackDown Live, Samoa Joe chastised Jeff Hardy for his past use of drugs and alcohol. It was a case of life and kayfabe blurring lines for the Charismatic Enigma.

WrestlingInc recently spoke with former WWE and ECW wrestler Justin Credible about the storyline. The interview happened on the WINCLY podcast and it was before Credible's latest arrest.

In case you didn't know...

Jeff Hardy has had a well-documented history of troubles with substance abuse and alcohol. It was used in his feud with CM Punk when Punk was leading the Straight Edge Society. It actually foreshadowed Hardy's issues as he would soon be released from WWE after his feud with Punk.

Hardy even had an infamous slip up when he stumbled to the ring at Victory Road in his title match against then Impact Champion Sting. It was infamous for highlighting Hardy's real-life struggles affecting his in-ring work.

Hardy has been clean for the most part over the last couple of years, but it appears that he'll have to face his demons again in an angle with Samoa Joe.

Joe was a member of TNA back when the Victory Road incident happened and has been friends with Hardy for over a decade. The first instance of using Hardy's battle occurred when Joe interrupted Hardy's celebration of 20 years with WWE on SmackDown.

Joe would also go on to film what came across as a PSA against the troubles and dangers of drinking and not doing so in moderation.

The heart of the matter

Since Hardy has had issues with substance abuse and alcohol in the past, Justin Credible, who has also had some of the same issues in his life, was asked about the angle when interviewed on the WINCLY podcast:

"God, I never had a problem with it because the nature of this business, the way you're describing, has been going on in the ECW era, which is 20+ years, so I mean, to me, as long as you ask the participants, when you're getting family and personal names involved, you ask around, 'look, can we do this? Is this cool with you?' I have no problem with it," Credible explained.

Credible also mentioned that he knew firsthand some of the problems Hardy was dealing with when both were members of WWE in 2002:

"To me, it makes it, being that we're in a pseudo-real environment, it just makes it more powerful and more meaningful. And, look, I traveled with Jeff [Hardy] and could probably tell you a lot of things that nobody else knows about me and Jeff during [that] period."

Unfortunately for Justin Credible, he's had trouble in keeping his demons in check this year, being arrested in August, September and November of this year for various reasons.

What's next?

Credible explained his viewpoint to WINCLY before he was arrested for charges of violating a protective order and misdemeanor assault among other things.

He's had trouble taming his demons and would have some insight into Hardy's tribulations that someone who hasn't dealt with substance abuse wouldn't necessarily had. As he mentioned, WWE wouldn't have used it in an angle if Hardy didn't approve it.

Samoa Joe is probably someone he would be comfortable with bringing it up, so as long as Hardy and his family are okay with it. Hopefully, it can help people in the future and Credible himself can get clean.