Jeff Hardy and WWE Breaking Point

Well I had planned to only offer my thoughts on the upcoming WWE Breaking Point PPV this Sunday, but then a small piece of news hit late in the afternoon: “Jeff Hardy Arrested for Drug Trafficking, Multiple Felonies”. All I can say is wow. Hardy was arrested on charges of trafficking controlled prescription pills and possession of anabolic steroids. A search of his home yielded 262 Vicodin prescription pills, 180 Soma prescription pills, 555 milliliters of anabolic steroids, powder cocaine and drug paraphernalia. The charges against Hardy include:

- Felony trafficking in opium
- Two counts of felony possession with intent to sell or deliver a Schedule III controlled substance
- Felony maintaining a dwelling to keep controlled substance
- Felony possession of cocaine
- Misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia

Again, wow. I honestly could not believe it when I heard this news and it is pretty sad. I was not shocked to hear about Jeff Hardy being in a situation with drugs due to what he has done in the past, but all this? Obviously the worst of this is the intent to sell and distribute. He can be a druggie and take all he wants, but when you try to sell the stuff, then that is going down a bad road.

Reports are saying that his brother and current WWE superstar, Matt Hardy, bailed him out and Jeff was quick to jump on Twitter. He said to not believe everything that you read and expressed his wish that the media would try and portray stories accurately. I am not sure exactly what he is talking about, but what else would you expect him to say at this point? My only speculation is that he will claim he never sold anything or intended to sell anything. The fact that he has so much of it could turn out to be a bad assumption by the cops, but I doubt it. The news stories make it seem like this was an ongoing investigation on Jeff and they finally busted him. They must think they have a solid case to bring those charges on him.

I think it is a safe assumption that Jeff Hardy’s WWE career is now over. I can’t see how they can bring him back at this point. Vince McMahon is trying to make the WWE more family friendly, so bringing back a wrestler who had drug charges thrown on him seems highly unlikely. I am sure at this point that McMahon and the WWE have to be fuming. They caught a lucky break that Jeff dropped the title to CM Punk at Summerslam, but this will still reflect poorly on the company. Hardy was getting a major push on TV and was portrayed as such an inspiration and positive influence. Of course if you have been following things, CM Punk portrayed Hardy as a fraud and said he probably was still high on prescription drugs and everything else. My, my, my…how life imitates art sometimes. Here’s a wild thought on all this too. I wonder if the WWE would dare touch this on their programming. The chances would be slim I’m sure, but CM Punk could get MASSIVE heat if he came out and told everyone that he was telling the truth about Jeff the whole time. A feud with Matt Hardy could be big around this, but I am sure McMahon does not even want to touch it.

Granted, I am not that much of a Jeff Hardy fan, but I did respect his in-ring work and I respected what he did to help put CM Punk over. He did not complain about losing the title or anything like that and he even worked an extra month after his contract expired to help the company and go out the right way. Because of all that, this whole situation now saddens me. Jeff Hardy was portrayed as a guy who made some mistakes, but he took responsibility for them and had turned his life around. Now, it seems like he really hasn’t changed at all. Even if he was to somehow beat these charges, and on the possession ones I don’t see any way in hell how he does that, his legacy is now ruined.

Jeff was supposed to take some time off and come back refreshed and continue on with a great career. But that is not going to happen. I can’t believe the stupidity that it takes for him to put himself in this situation. There are a whole other set of issues now as well. Has Jeff been popping pain pills this entire time? Did the WWE ever let him slide on a drug test? There are many questions now that can’t be answered and who knows if they ever will be. I understand how tough and painful it must be for wrestlers, so I could find a way to give Jeff a pass if he is addicted to pain pills. Addiction can be a bitch and millions of people struggle with it. But I have to draw a line with the cocaine and these allegations that he was trying to distribute. Those are bad choices that fall directly onto Jeff Hardy’s shoulders and he has no one to blame but himself.

So in the final analysis of my initial thoughts on this, I have to say I am just disappointed in Hardy and I hope he gets some help. Obviously he still had some demons in his life that he needs to deal with. I will not crucify the man totally until more facts are known, but this looks bad for him. He had such a good thing going with this last WWE run and now he has flushed it all down the toilet. On a more positive note, let’s get to my Breaking Point PPV preview that I had ready to go for today.

It is time once again for a WWE PPV and the company continues on the trend of trying to make each one have a certain theme. This Sunday will be called Breaking Point and the idea is that all main event matches will have a submission stipulation. I will give credit to the WWE for trying this tactic to increase PPV buys. The different themes give fans something to look forward to and it does break them away from the endless monotony of placeholder type PPVs until each of the “Big 4” roll around. So let’s take a look at the card and I will offer up my thoughts and predictions.

“I Quit” Match for the WWE Championship
Randy Orton (c) vs. John Cena
Once again we are “treated” to another match between Orton and Cena. The feud between these two just seems so old at this point and it feels like we have seen everything there is to see. In actuality, the two had not squared off one on one for a long while until Summerslam last month, but the fact remains that this confrontation has been recycled from years ago. I predicted that John Cena would walk out of Summerslam with the title and I was pleasantly surprised to be wrong. Many thought that the Summerslam match was an overbooked mess, but the WWE had not had a crazy atomsophere like that in a while and I thought it was fun to see. The swerve of letting Orton walk out with the title was a good thing, but knowing that we had Breaking Point coming up, I immediately thought Orton’s reign would only last a few more weeks. John Cena’s whole character and career is built on a never give up, never say die attitude. Cena is a “soldier” and he never quits. There is no way in hell that Cena will say “I quit” at Breaking Point. Unless the WWE recycles the Rock’s trick of knocking the guy out and then playing a recording of his opponent saying “I quit” from a promo like he did with Mick Foley, Cena is walking out with the belt. The only way that doesn’t happen is if something occurs to make the match a no contest.
Prediction: John Cena (new WWE Champion)

Submission Match for the World Heavyweight Title
CM Punk (c) vs. The Undertaker
As expected, Jeff Hardy dropped the title to CM Punk at Summerslam and then lost a “loser leaves WWE” title rematch on Smackdown. I give Hardy a ton of credit for going out the right way and helping to make Punk into a mega-heel before taking his sabbatical. I will definitely miss the Hardy-Punk feud, but the WWE did a good thing by transitioning directly into a Punk-Undertaker feud. At the end of Summerslam, the lights went out and Punk quickly found himself standing over The Undertaker instead of Jeff Hardy and then he ate a chokeslam for his troubles. The Deadman had returned and had his sights set on Punk and the World Title. Teddy Long quickly booked a Submission Match for Breaking Point and I expect a good match between the two. Punk is insanely hot right now as a heel and The Undertaker will always have the crowd behind him. The money in this feud will be in the chase and I don’t see how they can have Punk drop the title so soon. Obviously, The Undertaker, like John Cena, is not someone who is going to give up and submit. Because of that, I see no other call to make but to say that this match will somehow be a no contest or a DQ. I really don’t know how they will do it, but Punk will escape with the title and this feud will continue.
Prediction: No contest or DQ ending, Punk retains

ECW Championship
Christian (c) vs. William Regal
With the formation of William Regal’s “Ruthless Roundtable” which features Ezekiel Jackson and Vladimir Kozlov, this feud for the ECW Championship has been fairly intriguing. I love William Regal’s snobby, arrogant character and he is a perfect challenger for Christian, especially with the muscle behind him. Considering that the match at Summerslam lasted only 8 seconds and was only designed to put over the “Roundtable”, I really have no idea how this match will go. If Christian beats Regal, it seems like the feud would be over and Regal would be out of chances. But then does Christian go on to try and keep Jackson and Kozlov off his back? I ultimately think that Jackson or Kozlov would benefit from a title run, but I am not sure they are ready for it or even if they are worth it at all. I might be going out on a limb here, but it makes the most sense if Regal wins the title with the help of Jackson and Kozlov and then uses them to try and keep Christian from regaining it. The major story arc on ECW seems to be Regal trying to take over things with his henchman, so having the title makes that seem more plausible.
Prediction: William Regal (new ECW Champion)

Submissions Count Anywhere
D-Generation X vs. Legacy
Well this is certainly a different spin on a match stipulation and it really just means this match will be a brawl that should go all over the ringside area and beyond. Legacy put in a really solid performance against DX at Summerslam. I thought Legacy should have won the match to really establish themselves as legitimate threats. Triple H and Shawn Michaels did put in a good effort to make Rhodes and Dibiase look good, but in the end, it is wins and losses that count. I am actually glad that the feud is continuing and I hope Legacy is able to get a big win. The WWE has two great young talents and they need to start letting them shine and get some bigger victories under their belt. Legacy was able to get some heat back by laying out John Cena and DX during Dusty Rhodes’ GM night and hopefully they carry the momentum to this match. Again, with a submission stipulation, it is tough to envision Triple H or Michaels tapping out. However, I can see a scenario where Legacy viciously attacks a knee/leg and is able to get a submission out of it. Against my better judgment, I am going to predict that Legacy gets their big win in this match. If not, the WWE is seriously making them look like chumps and I feel that is just plain stupid. But don’t say I didn’t mention that DX might just destroy them and bury them.
Prediction: Legacy

Unified Tag Team Championship
Chris Jericho and Big Show (c) vs. MVP and Mark Henry
So it looks like Cryme Tyme got their chance in the sun at Summerslam and they quickly will be forgotten when it comes to the Tag Team Title chase. Now the thrown together tag team of Mark Henry and MVP will challenge for the gold. This outcome seems pretty predictable to me and I do not see how Jericho and Big Show can lose here. I will say this though…I could see WWE shocking everyone and putting the titles on Henry and MVP as a sort of “reward” for MVP and Henry actually getting over a little bit with the crowd and especially to Henry for not getting hurt and pulling off a face turn. JeriShow needs to drop the belts to a team who could use the rub though. I think Legacy or the Hart Dynasty are perfect candidates and could benefit immediately, but all three teams are heels, so the WWE would most likely not set up those matchups. I have to wonder if DX will get a shot at JeriShow like I have speculated before. It would be a good little feud and the match(es) would be pretty good as well, but DX does not need the tag titles. Unless they win them and promptly lose to Legacy or the Hart Dynasty, it is a waste. I really do not know what WWE has planned for Jericho and Show, but I don’t think they should be losing to Henry and MVP.
Prediction: Jericho and Big Show (retain titles)

Singapore Cane Match
The Great Khali vs. Kane
I was really hoping that we would not get “treated” to another PPV match between these two but it seems as though we are. I suppose it is better for a solid talent like Kane to make a PPV payday instead of being left out. This match could turn into a real spectacle if they allow it, but it will likely be the same slow and plodding match like they had at Summerslam, except this time they will be hitting each other with canes. If the WWE is determined to drag this feud on, then I have to think Khali will pick up the victory. He introduced the Singapore cane into the equation, so I have to go with him for the win.
Prediction: The Great Khali

The Game’s Quick Hits

Friday Night Smackdown: Once again, Smackdown was a pretty good watch this week and the show got off to another great start. The Undertaker came out to start the show and cut a promo on CM Punk, stating that he would collect his “soul” at Breaking Point and make Punk submit to his Hell’s Gate submission hold. Punk answered and cut another brilliant promo. He is just locked in on his character and manipulating the audience like a puppet master. The way he is bagging on the fans about being seduced by The Undertaker’s “magical” powers because their minds are in a doped up haze is just gold. Punk let The Undertaker know that he will make him tap out to the Anaconda Vice at Breaking Point and this set up the main event, a submission match between Punk and Matt Hardy. The two put on another good performance in the ring and did a nice enough job focusing on attacking different body parts since it was a submission match. The finish was pretty obvious as CM Punk quickly and suddenly slapped on the Anaconda Vice and made Hardy tap out. The very end of the show featured a nice touch of having the lights go out and the bell toll and when they came back on, Punk no longer was grasping his title. The Undertaker was at the top of the ramp holding Punk’s gold up high. I thought the show did a pretty good job at hyping Breaking Point and that’s all you can ask.

There wasn’t anything else earth shattering on this episode, just some good in-ring action. Finlay and Mike Knox battled it out in a pretty good “Belfast Brawl”, which saw Finlay come out on top after a shot with the shillelagh. I do like to see a good garbage match every now and then, and these two put on a solid match with copious amounts of chair and trash can shots. The Unified Tag Team Champions, Chris Jericho and The Big Show, had a decent match with Cryme Tyme. Show knocked out JTG with a huge punch which allowed the champs to get a win and gain some momentum heading into their title defense against Mark Henry and MVP at Breaking Point. Finally, John Morrison and Dolph Ziggler had a nice little back and forth on the mic. Ziggler demanded his title shot that he earned, but only on “his terms”, and Morrison responded by calling him “Mr. Ziggles”. The WWE is now trying to build up more of a feud between these two after plans changed because of Rey Mysterio’s suspension. The Morrison/Ziggler Intercontinental Title match has been pulled from Breaking Point and the rumor is because the WWE wants them to have some matches together first on the house show circuit. I really do not agree with this because I believe both Morrison and Ziggler are talented enough to put on a good match and they should be given the chance on PPV.

- NHL sources have told ESPN that the Ottawa Senators have finally reached a 3 team deal to trade Dany Heatley. The proposed trade would send Heatley to the San Jose Sharks, the Sharks’ Patrick Marleau to the Los Angeles Kings, and the Kings’ Alexander Frolov and Jarret Stoll to the Senators. There is only one catch though. As of right now, the GMs of all three teams have denied the report and say the speculation is complete bull. I hope that the story is not bull because this Dany Heatley saga has gone on way too long. The guy wants out of town in Ottawa, so get him out of town! I’m not sure San Jose is a good destination for him though. The Sharks are kings of the regular season, but always find a way to choke in the playoffs. Imagine the scrutiny on Heatley if he goes there and the Sharks continue to fall short in the postseason. Heatley seemingly doesn’t like the spotlight and pressure on him, but he will feel it full force in San Jose if he contributes to their playoff woes. I’m not sure if getting rid of Marleau is a smart move for San Jose, but something has to change there and shipping away players is one way to try it. Maybe a new lease on life in LA will be good for Marleau. Frolov’s production has dropped the past two seasons, so a change of scenery could serve him well. Stoll can help the Senators on the power play, so all in all, this seems to be a beneficial trade all around…if the rumor is true of course. Stay tuned…

- Usually when you take on the NFL, or any sports league or company for that matter, it is tough to win. But defensive tackles Kevin and Pat Williams of the Minnesota Vikings received a win in appeals court on Friday when the court ruled that the NFL can not suspend the players for violating the league’s anti-doping policy. The Williamses both tested positive for a banned diuretic during training camp in 2008 after they took the over-the-counter supplement StarCaps. It did not state on the label that it contained the diuretic -- which can mask the presence of steroids. I have to applaud the court on this decision, especially considering that neither Williams has tested positive for steroids. Companies should not get away with failing to disclose each and every ingredient that is contained in a supplement. Since there is no other evidence showing Kevin and Pat Williams taking steroids, I feel the suspension is bogus. They might be guilty of bad judgment by taking the supplement in the first place, but if the diuretic was not listed, then they should not be punished, clear and simple.

- Well it looks like I have to man up and say I was wrong on my speculation about Shawne Merriman. San Diego County District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis has dismissed Tila Tequila’s accusations against Merriman and the case is now closed. She said there was insufficient evidence to prove that Merriman committed a crime. So it looks like Tequila did get herself drunk and was probably acting stupid. I will give credit to Merriman now because it seems like his story about trying to stop her from driving is the truth. That actually shows some responsibility on his part, something that Tequila obviously did not have that night. Now Tequila deserves to get bagged on because she tried to ruin Merriman’s reputation and hell, she might have been trying to go after some of his money. Maybe she can hook up with that woman trying to extort some money from Ben Roethlisberger. Next time though Shawne, cool it with the 4 am parties and don’t even put yourself in that situation.

-Other NFL News and Notes: Well as if the world didn’t already know, Cleveland Browns QB Brady Quinn was taking the snaps with Cleveland’s first-team offense on Friday, a clear indication he will be the starting QB on Sunday. Like I have said before, Eric Mangini looks like a fool with his little “let’s keep this a big secret” garbage. He is not giving the Browns any sort of advantage and I think it is disrespectful to the Cleveland fans. He should be more open about what is going on with the team, especially when it comes to who is starting at QB. Hey, maybe that is why they didn’t list Brett Favre on the Jets’ injury reports last year…Mangini wanted to keep it a big secret…

Kansas City Chiefs QB Matt Cassel continues to practice and his knee continues to improve. He is now expected to be a game-time decision for Sunday’s game against the Ravens. He says that if he is able to walk and go out there, he is ready to play. Matt, I’ll say this one more time…just sit this one out so the Ravens’ D doesn’t hurt you any more…thank you, drive through…

The TV ratings for last night’s NFL opener between the Steelers and Titans shows that the NFL is still king when it comes to sports. The game scored a 13.8 overnight rating, which is equivalent to over 10 million homes watching. This is the highest rating for an opener in 7 years. The game certainly was fun to watch and a great way to open up the 2009 season.

Denver Broncos WR Brandon Marshall declined to comment on Friday about his recent suspension from the team. He politely, but firmly, told a reporter that he was not talking about anything. Marshall could face a fine for not making himself available to the media at least one day during the week of practice leading up to Sunday’s game, but the NFL usually sends a warning first. Hey, I have bashed the guy on here before, but today I will give him some credit. This is exactly what he should do…shut up and play some football and do what you are supposed to do like an adult.

- Philadelphia Phillies P Brad Lidge and manager Charlie Manuel had a talk on Wednesday to discuss Lidge’s role with the team. Lidge claims they had a good talk and are “on the same page”. But Manuel refuses to say whether the struggling Lidge will get his job back as closer. So could this situation spell doom for the Phillies? I think it is possible that they can overcome it, but I believe Lidge needs to find another role for the rest of the season. The numbers do not lie. Lidge is 0-7 this season with a 7.11 ERA and he has blown 10 saves. Manuel says that he still sees Lidge as a closer, but how can he be trusted with numbers like those? Confidence is a huge deal for a pitcher and even though Lidge and Manuel are saying the right things, I have to believe that Lidge is not in the best state of mind. One bad outing in the playoffs can make the difference between a World Series Championship and coming up short. I can only think of the possible horror for the Phillies if the Yankees’ bats get a hold of Lidge in the World Series. My solution to this would be to consider using P Jaime Moyer or P Pedro Martinez as the closer. Pedro has proven he still has gas left in the tank, and maybe it would be the best move to stick Moyer back in the rotation for the playoffs and let Martinez close. Or, they could just move Moyer to role. I have to think he could be good for one strong inning. Whatever the Phillies decide, they need to address this and take care of it by October.

- BMW Championship Update: Tiger Woods played a solid round yesterday and was within striking distance of the lead on Friday. He took advantage of it, shooting a 4-under par 67 to grab a share of the lead after 2 rounds with Mark Wilson at 7-under par. Both Woods and Wilson have a one shot lead over a group of 4 players at 6-under, which includes Padraig Harrington and 1st round leader Rory Sabbatini. As I stated yesterday, Tiger seems to be finding a groove and that is not good news for everyone else. He has won 4 times at Cog Hill and he plays well in the Chicago area. Due to his recent disappointments, I am expecting a really good weekend from Tiger and I think he will close the deal this time and win the tournament. If he doesn’t, then the talk will only grow and he will have to find some way to get his air of invincibility back. FedEx Cup point leader Steve Stricker continues to struggle and is at 3-over par. It now looks like he will lose the points lead to Woods heading into the Tour Championship.

- U.S. Open Update: Rain forced the postponement of both women’s semifinals and the conclusion of the Rafael Nadal/Fernando Gonzalez match. The schedule is now in disarray and for the second straight year, the men’s final will happen on Monday at the earliest. Rain is in the forecast tomorrow, so everyone might still be playing the waiting game.