Jeff Hardy Was Nearly Pulled from TNA iMPACT Match

Jeff Hardy’s return to singles competition almost didn’t happen—and now we know just how close TNA came to scrapping the plan entirely.

According to Fightful Select, officials strongly considered pulling Jeff Hardy from his January 22, 2026 match on TNA iMPACT due to his lingering neck issues. Matt Hardy was reportedly lined up as a backup option to take his brother’s place in the bout.

“Jeff Hardy hasn’t competed since the January 22 episode of TNA IMPACT, and almost didn’t wrestle then. Fightful Select is told there were discussions that Jeff Hardy wouldn’t wrestle that show, and that Matt Hardy could end up taking his spot.”

The turning point? Jeff himself. He insisted on going forward with the match—because he trusted Mustafa Ali and was excited to finally work a singles bout against him. The decision paid off, as Hardy won the match and walked away without further complications.

This update follows Hardy’s emotional interview on Insight with Chris Van Vliet, where he shared that he’s been fighting through two bulging discs in his neck for over three months. Though he wasn’t at full strength during TNA’s AMC debut, he said things have started to improve.

“Naturally, the debut on AMC was depressing because I was thinking, ‘Lord, please let me be better by the time January 15 rolls around for the AMC debut.’ I wasn’t 100 percent, but the second week on AMC I was much better, and I’m feeling excited because I feel like I’m finally starting to heal in a very positive way.”

Hardy also recalled the fear he felt after his MRI results. Thankfully, Jeff now says he feels more in control of his recovery:

“I got the call after the MRI and was told the options were a neurosurgeon or a pain management plan. That was scary because I thought that might be the beginning of the end of my career.” “I’ve kind of rebuilt my armor. I feel healed enough to get back in the cold water and hopefully avoid injuries going forward.”

TNA fans almost witnessed a very different match that night—but Hardy’s determination kept him in the spotlight one more time.

Should TNA have gone with the backup plan and protected Jeff Hardy, or did he make the right call pushing through to compete? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.

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