Add as a preferred source on Google Jeff Hardy came very close to being part of one of the biggest moments in WWE history at WrestleMania 24, which took place in 2008 in Orlando, Florida.
According to Matt Hardy on The Extreme Life of Matt Hardy, WWE had plans for Jeff to win that year’s Money in the Bank Ladder Match. The idea was part of a larger push to turn him into a world champion, something WWE had already been building toward since late 2007.
At the time, Hardy had defeated Triple H at Armageddon 2007 and soon after entered a feud with Randy Orton over the WWE Championship. In other words, the company was already testing how fans would respond to him as a top star.
The strongest rumor is that Hardy would have won the briefcase and cashed in later that same night at WrestleMania 24, following the main event between Orton, John Cena, and Triple H. Had that happened, he would have become the first wrestler to cash in the briefcase at the Showcase of the Immortals, a feat that would not happen until Seth Rollins did it at WrestleMania 31.
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Jeff Hardy was originally planned to win the Money in the Bank Ladder Match at WrestleMania 24 in 2008 and cash in immediately after the main event between Randy Orton, John Cena, and Triple H.
Had it happened, Hardy would have become the first superstar ever… pic.twitter.com/zSdcBJO8Lb
However, the claim that the plan fell apart because of an arrest is not accurate. WWE announced on March 11, 2008, that Hardy had been suspended for 60 days for his second violation of the Wellness Policy. His arrest on drug-related charges did not happen until September 2009.
With Hardy out of the match, the Money in the Bank Ladder Match was won by CM Punk, who defeated Chris Jericho, Shelton Benjamin, Carlito, MVP, Mr. Kennedy, and John Morrison.
In the main event, Orton retained the WWE Championship by defeating Cena and Triple H, setting up the perfect scenario for the cash-in that never happened.
Hardy would not win the WWE Championship until months later at Armageddon 2008, closing one of the most turbulent and popular journeys from that era of the company.