A match between wrestling legend Jeff Hardy and Sammy Guevara had to be stopped last night after a botched top rope maneuver. The two men were squaring off during a taping for AEW Rampage when Guevara went to the top rope and did a backflip. Hardy got his knees up, but one of Guevara’s legs continued through and appeared to strike Hardy full force in the face.
Details are still a little fuzzy on exactly what happened, but a few short crowd videos immediately started making their way around social media. According to SE Scoops, Hardy was bleeding from the mouth and appeared disoriented, leading to the match being halted. You can take a look at the scary footage below…
Prayers for Jeff Hardy that was absolutely devastating man 💔 pic.twitter.com/DdEDDajVctFebruary 15, 2024
People focus on the scripted nature of wrestling, but that often obscures how dangerous it can be. Sometimes the difference between a well executed maneuver and a scary injury can be a matter of inches. Throw in all the speed and momentum coming from the top rope and the line between success and botch here was even narrower.
Jeff Hardy, now 46, made his reputation on scary, high-flying maneuvers. He popularized the Swanton Bomb in North America, and alongside his brother Matt Hardy, he popularized Tables, Ladders and Chairs matches in WWE. In fact, the one at WrestleMania 17, which features numerous scary hot spots, is maybe the best match on what many consider the best WrestleMania of all-time.
Similar to how WWE shoots Main Event matches at Raw tapings, AEW often shoots episodes of Rampage when they’re doing Dynamite. So, while this match happened in front of a live crowd, it hasn’t been broadcast anywhere on television. Whether it eventually will be is an open question. This week’s Rampage is airing at 7 PM ET on TNT rather than the usual 10 PM. It’s possible AEW will include footage and address what happened, or it’s possible they’ll fill the program with other content. Either way, more footage is continuing to emerge from last night via crowd videos including this alternate angle…
This is why AEW needs a performance center...Hopefully Jeff Hardy is alright! pic.twitter.com/kiaZzt4gJuFebruary 15, 2024
Regardless, our thoughts go out to Jeff Hardy right now. He’s dealt with a lot of scary injuries and other issues over the years, but it’s hard to think of many longtime wrestlers who people have more affection for than him. He helped evolve the business in a way few people have and made a genuine connection with so many of us who loved watching him fly. Hopefully this looked a lot worse than it actually was.
