Current TNA World Champion / aspiring monologist Jeff Hardy has apparently reached a plea deal over September 1999 charges he was operating a not-so-small pharmacy from his home. The Wrestling Observer Newsletter’s Dave Meltzer considers Hardy’s likely fate ;
Hardy was not scheduled on the company™s first PPV of the year, Genesis, on 1/9 in Orlando. He was scheduled to defend his title on the February PPV against the winner of a Matt Morgan vs. Mr. Anderson match on 1/9. Those in the promotion theorized that if Hardy would have to serve time, they could add something to the show, since all television has already been taped, a match against perhaps Rob Van Dam and do the title switch. Van Dam was scheduled against a mystery opponent. Even if Hardy has to serve time, it wouldn™t necessarily be immediate, and there would be time to work a storyline on the post-Genesis television shows to lead to a necessary title change.
If the deal doesn™t include serving time, then TNA has a different question to answer, as to whether or not they want someone convicted on drug charges as their world champion. If Hardy was in WWE, even as big of a star as he is, he would be fired, but then, in that situation, there is the chance he would address the situation differently. Another situation involves if he can plead guilty to any misdemeanor charges, because with a felony on his record, particularly a drug felony, it could play a hindrance in his traveling to certain countries. There are people in wrestling, most notably Jim Cornette and R-Truth, who are not allowed in Canada due to convictions from a long time in the past, Cornette™s in the 80s and Truth in the 90s. Booker T for a long time wasn™t allowed in Japan for a felony also from the 80s.