TNA Wrestling Presents “Enigma: The Best of Jeff Hardy Vol. 2” DVD Review
Review by: Josh Boutwell of Wrestleview.com
There are very few personalities in 2011 that have stirred more controversy than former TNA and WWE World Heavyweight Champion, Jeff Hardy. From his sudden departure from the WWE 2 years ago to his rise to the World Heavyweight Championship in TNA and his eventual downward spiral of drug addiction that resulted in the debacle of this year’s “Victory Road” PPV. Following that incident Hardy was suspended from TNA for 6 months and sentenced to 10 days in jail from his arrest a few years ago. Now, Hardy is attempting to repair all of the relationships, including those with fans, that he damaged over the past year. Amidst that TNA has released, this month, his new Two Disc DVD set as he has finally returned to DVD.
The first volume of “Enigma: The Best of Jeff Hardy” was actually released during his first run in TNA back in 2005.
The 2-disc set opens up with an introduction putting over Hardy’s past success and his daredevil feats in wrestling along with comments from Sting, Jeff Jarrett, and Kurt Angle. Following the introduction Jeff Hardy discusses his childhood along with some of his childhood friends and family including Shannon Moore and Matt Hardy. He says that he was born to wrestle. Moore said their friendship comes from the passion they have for everything they do whether it’s riding bikes or playing football or anything else. Matt shows the title belts that he and his brother drew when they were kids dreaming about becoming wrestlers. Hardy says that seeing the crazy stuff that the luchadors in AAA as well how the crowd reacted to it had a huge affect on him as well as watching tapes of legendary Japanese high flyers Jushin Thunder Liger and Hayabusa. Jeff says that the Rey Mysterio Jr. vs. Psicosis feuds were art and he actually got a rush from watching them. He said that he would try and take the dare devil things that those high flyers would do and mix it with the charisma that guys like Sting, Randy Savage, and Hogan had.
Matt and Jeff discuss their first show and moving into actually promoting shows together as teenagers. Moore says that teachers would actually excuse them from missing class because they knew they were trying to make it in wrestling, as does Jeff’s boss for the landscaping business he worked for. Jeff worked as a landscaper until he got his contract from the WWE. Mr. Anderson talks about seeing Jeff do the Swanton Bomb for the first time on TV and he actually learned to do it after he saw Jeff do it because he thought it was so cool. Jeff Jarrett talks about seeing Jeff and Matt in WWE when the Hardyz were “job guys.” He says you could see a certain quality of maybe that “it” factor in Jeff even back then. Jeff Hardy talks about the first big push the Hardyz got in WWE when they changed their character to a little edgier (The New Brood). Angle says that Jeff and Matt did a lot of things in tag team wrestling that no one else was doing at that time. Matt points out that neither were ever big guys that you would think LOOK like a pro wrestling but their dedication allowed them achieve what they wanted. Sting talks about seeing Jeff work for the first time in 1998. Jeff says he never forgot about where he came from no matter how big he got.
Jeff Hardy visits his mother’s grave, who died when he was 9 years old of cancer. Moore says that his father was in a bad car wreck at that point and became a paraplegic and that gave him and Jeff a bond of wanting to make their parents proud. Jeff says his connection with his mother is still strong. He has a unique take on religion and God and says that he sees his parents as his God because they are his creator. He says that as crazy as it sounds he thinks he and his brother may have not been AS successful had they not lost their mother at such a young age. Moore says wrestling gave Jeff the escape he needed. Jeff says he prays to his mother every night before he gets in the ring, and he thinks she helps him in the way he’s fearless in things like Ladder Matches. He talks fondly about how his mother was strict with her morals as well as how religious she was. He talks about how strong she was going through cancer and going through the chemotherapy.
The next chapter discusses about Jeff Hardy coming to TNA for the first time back in 2004 when he faced AJ Styles at the 2nd Anniversary of TNA. Jeff puts AJ’s athleticism over and how surprising it was to everyone to see him come into TNA that night. He also talks about writing his theme song just a few days before that show. He talks about TNA’s first TV deal with Fox Sports and the SpikeTV deal. He says seeing TNA from back in those early days and now makes him very proud. Matt says that he was a big proponent of Jeff going to TNA back then because of how burned out he was in WWE. Angle says that Jeff going to TNA opened a lot of guys eyes like himself and Christian to show guys that there definitely was another option out there. Lots of highlights of Jeff’s early run in TNA are shown as they speak. Bobby Roode talks about wrestling him for the first time back then and says it was huge for TNA to get a guy like Hardy in the company. Jeff Jarrett talks about the Asylum days and how big of an effect on TNA bringing Jeff in had. He says Jeff’s debut was by far the biggest reaction they ever got at the Asylum (I would say it’s either Jeff Hardy or when Sting debuted). Jarrett goes into great detail about that night and how his father was blown away by the reaction. Jeremy Borash says that he never believed Hardy would show up in TNA. James Storm and Abyss both say that Hardy coming into TNA benefited TNA greatly especially since they were getting that first TV deal. Abyss says Jeff coming gave TNA a lot of credibility. Anderson puts over that it made it clear that there was another option for guys to go to in wrestling.
Jeff talks about how different it is now from back when he first came and one of the biggest differences is the amount of live events. He says that TNA really only did TV Tapings and PPV’s back then but now TNA is doing 2-week tours at times. Hardy puts over all of the attention TNA shows to the fans at live events, and how sometimes it gets aggravating to always stay longer and sign autographs but it’s good for the fans because they make it possible for TNA to be around.
The next chapter sees Jeff talking about all of his art that he creates as well as his music. He says music is therapy to him. He says he loves making beats as well and says how amazing guys like Dr. Dre are (that actually took me by surprise). He has his own studio in his house. Jeff then shows a lot of the art work his made (paintings and sculptures). All of that stuff just looks weird to me but I know a lot of people like that stuff. Jeff talks about a painting that he made for a fan from the UK, it was the last painting he made in his house before it burned out, and at WrestleMania weekend that year the fan actually left the painting on Matt Hardy’s front porch for Jeff. Jeff talks about wanting to open up an online gallery where fans can buy some of his art. Jeff then talks about his dog that died in his house fire and also shows the huge piece of art of the dog he made in his honor. He actually shows the remains of the burned down house and talks about how heartbroken it was to see everything he worked for go up in flames. He says it was an electrical fire and he didn’t even have insurance on it at that point because he was planning on building a new house soon (I didn’t know that). He says he just has to look at the positives like he or his wife could have been there when the fire started so it’s a blessing that that didn’t happen. Jeff shows a lot of the weird sculptures he made. Jeff says he would love to do a movie going forward and that’s one of his goals going forward.
On the next chapter the DVD moves into Jeff’s return to TNA. Angle puts over the impact Jeff had on the company coming back. Moore and Jeff talk about how it happened that he came back to TNA, which all started when Moore was negotiating with TNA and Jeff Jarrett asked him if he thought Hardy might want to come back. Jarrett says Jeff Hardy is a game changer business-wise because of the merchandise he moves and his popularity. Storm mentions that Jeff LEFT WWE rather than he got fired and came to TNA so he chose to come in and help out the company. Sting says he was a little intimidated by Jeff Hardy coming to TNA because he felt like that might mean they were pushing him out because of the similarities he sees between himself and Jeff. He also says that he was excited for Jeff to be in TNA. Jeff talks about how he felt the same way when he first came to TNA because AJ intimidated him. Jeff says that the TNA World Title was really the only title he hadn’t won yet and that had a lot to do with him coming to the company. Jeff talks about the first night in TNA when he re-debuted and scaled the Steel Asylum cage. Footage of Jeff’s re-debut is then shown.
The DVD then moves into some of Jeff’s matches in his return to TNA. Jeff puts over AJ Styles and how great he is in the ring. He actually says he could “never touch the things” that AJ have done in the ring and calls him “breathtaking” in the ring. Jeff says he will always respect AJ Styles. The Jeff-AJ match from March of 2010 is shown. The next match is from Sacrifice 2010 between Jeff and Mr. Anderson. Hardy puts over Anderson’s ability on the microphone. Next up is Jeff Hardy & Mr. Anderson vs. Beer Money at Slammiversary 2010 and Roode puts over how great it was to get in the ring with Jeff, and Jeff talks about how great Beer Money is as a team. Storm says it was special to face Jeff Hardy because of how great of a tag team wrestler he is. Anderson says he’s had a few times where he’s been able to get in the ring with people he look up to and Jeff is one of them. The next one is the special Challenge Match between Jeff Hardy and Shannon Moore at TNA’s “Whole F’N Show” special after Hardcore Justice 2010. Jeff and Shannon talk about the matches they had before when they were younger and he says that he always saw as their version of Psicosis vs. Rey Mysterio Jr. with Jeff being Psicosis. The next match featured is Jeff’s great match with Kurt Angle at No Surrender 2010 (one of the most physical match Jeff ever had in my opinion). Jeff calls Kurt a “machine” and Kurt calls that match one of his favorites. Kurt says they were so even that night they could have gone for 3 hours. The next one is yet another match between Kurt Angle and Jeff Hardy. Kurt calls Jeff Hardy’s wrestling style is “wreckless” but says he lays it out in the ring every time.
The final chapter on Disc One is called “Outside the Ropes” and features Jeff giving us a look into his personal life. Jeff shows his baby daughter and the sacrifices you have to make in wrestling. Jeff says it gets hard to continue going out there every night but if it wasn’t for wrestling he wouldn’t have what he has in his life right now. He talks about how exciting it is to have a daughter but also how scary it is. He also shows clips of him riding his dirt bikes and talks about how sometimes he holds back now from doing some of the crazy stuff because of his daughter. Jeff says now with everything he’s been through he’s actually grown up and how a few months ago he just looked at himself and said it was time for him to change.
Disc Two opens up with the Triple Threat Match from Bound for Glory that started the controversial Jeff Hardy heel turn. Jeff talks about his heel turn and says it was actually harder then he thought it would be to make people hate him. He says it was something different for him to do and to switch up his character. Jeff says he did have a few reservations of doing the “Antichrist of Professional Wrestling” character but he had always loved the bad guys growing up and just had to give it a chance. He says he doesn’t regret doing it now. Sting says he didn’t agree with Hardy turning heel and brings up the “if it’s not broken, don’t fix it” line. Roode switches back to kayfabe saying he knew Jeff would win the belt but not the way he won it. Jarrett says that he knew when they turned Hardy heel that it would be “spitting in the wind” because people just simply want to love him and he doesn’t have an evil bone in his body. He says everyone in the company did everything they could do to make it work. RVD says flat out that it was a “bad idea” and says it goes from taking something that works to something that might or might not work. RVD is extremely candid in how feels about it. Abyss switches back to kayfabe making things very frustrating as he talks about “they.” Morgan is kayfabe when he says Jeff turned his back on the fans.
Jeff talks about winning the World Title and gives his view on being champion, saying that he doesn’t think the champion “carries” the company because there are so many other great wrestlers that the champion has to feed off that they all carry it no matter who the champion is. Jeff talks about being a role model and says he’s never politicked for anyone (including himself) winning the belt. The match between Morgan and Hardy from Turning Point where the referee inexplicably stopped counting when Morgan had Jeff pinned at one point. After that the rematch between Morgan and Hardy from Final Resolution is shown. Next up Jeff and Matt talk about reuniting in TNA as the Hardy Boyz. Matt talks about them teaming together for the first time as heels and. The next match up is the tag match between AJ Styles & Kurt Angle against Jeff Hardy and Jeff Jarrett.
Jeff talks about the custom belt he had made when he was World Champion and the Ladder Match with Mr. Anderson at Against All Odds 2011. Jeff Hardy talks about getting in the ring with Sting for the first time and also talks about how he saw Sting as a kid and how big of an impact that had on him. He says that match was the first time that the fans truly hated him, and cheered his opponent more than him.
The 2nd disc closes out with Jeff Hardy talking about his future. He talks about redemption and how having a kid has changed him for the better. Jeff Jarrett says he truly believes that Hardy has changed. Jeff talks about wanting to do more music and admits to being a “sh*tty singer” but says he can rap a little and he has a buddy that’s an awesome singer. Jeff says he understands that he can’t be that daredevil in the ring forever. He claims that he has 2 years left on his contract with TNA and he says when he does decide to retire he will be done. Jeff says he thinks his legacy is that he is a kind and genuine person regardless of what he’s done wrong. JB talks about all of the Make-A-Wish kids Jeff has spent time with (and footage of Jeff with some Make-a-Wish kids at a TNA show are shown). JB says Jeff is big enough that he could be a dick to the fans and it wouldn’t matter but he is genuinely a nice guy to them and cares about them.
The only bonus content on the DVD is a special episode of Jeff’s internet reality show “The Hardy Show.” It’s show them doing a lot of goofy stuff including some weirdo walking out in a thong and start fishing while Jeff is doing an interview. Jeff then actually starts jumping big ass trucks on a hill with his dirtbike. Matt shows all of the belts he and Jeff made when they were kids and even some of the ‘show’ posters they made for their pretend shows.
Overall I was extremely impressed with this DVD. I’ve personally never been a huge fan or hater of Jeff Hardy, more indifferent, but after the incident at “Victory Road” I lost pretty much every bit of the respect I had for him (as did many people). Seeing Jeff talk about how much he loves wrestling and seeing him in her personal life as well as him talking about “redemption” and it seeming to be genuine impressed me and definitely makes me want to give Jeff another chance. My biggest problem is that they completely ignored Victory Road when I thought this was an opportunity where he could talk about it and be open about it. They did talk about his problems and having to grow up and change but they never really said WHAT his problems where. Another disappointment for me. They covered most of Jeff’s best matches since he’s been in TNA (other than Jeff-RVD from the night after Lockdown), and the documentary sections were very good. I just wish some of the guys didn’t float in and out of kayfabe. That’s my biggest problem with most wrestling DVDs. This would be a definite must have DVD for Jeff Hardy fans.
MATCH LISTING:
1) Jeff Hardy vs. AJ Styles (Impact, 03/15/10)
2) Jeff Hardy vs. Mr. Anderson (Sacrifice 2010)
3) Jeff Hardy & Mr. Anderson vs. Beer Money, Inc. (Slammiversary 2010)
4) Jeff Hardy vs. Shannon Moore (TNA Whole F’N Show 2010)
5) Jeff Hardy vs. Kurt Angle (TNA No Surrender 2010)
6) Jeff Hardy vs. Kurt Angle (TNA Impact, 09/16/11)
7) TNA World Title Triple Threat: Jeff Hardy vs. Kurt Angle vs. Mr. Anderson (TNA Bound for Glory 2010)
8) TNA World Title: Jeff Hardy (c) vs. Matt Morgan (TNA Turning Point 2010)
9) TNA World Title: Jeff Hardy (c) vs. Matt Morgan (TNA Final Resolution 2010)
10) Hardy Boyz vs. RVD & Mr. Anderson (TNA Impact, 01/13/11)
11) Jeff Hardy & Jeff Jarrett vs. Kurt Angle & AJ Styles (TNA Impact, 02/10/11)
12) TNA World Title Ladder Match: Jeff Hardy vs. Mr. Anderson (c) (TNA Against All Odds 2011)
13) TNA World Title: Jeff Hardy (c) vs. Sting (TNA Impact, 03/03/11)