Jeff Hardy Talks WWE Release, This Week’s RAW Arena Was Empty

Last week’s WWE release of Jeff Hardy shook the wrestling industry. Many superstars tweeted out best wishes to the much-loved superstar. Recently, Hardy offered the first comment since he was fired.

Jeff Hardy Talks WWE Release

One of the most popular superstars in wrestling finally broke his silence around last week’s WWE release. During his brother Matt Hardy’s Twitch stream, Jeff commented on his firing.

Lolllll Jeff Hardy just said he was listening to “Release Me” by Wilson Phillips on Matt Hardy’s Twitch

— Sam (@Samantha_1713) December 14, 2021

Hardy took a humorous shot at the WWE during the stream. Jeff states he wants to reunite with Matt for Ultimate Deletion.

He also happened to be listening to “Release Me” by Wilson Philips. Quite an interesting song choice.

Jeff Hardy said on Matt’s twitch stream that he would love to do an Ultimate Deletion tag match with Matt Hardy one day

— Samster203 サミー・カラフ (@KhalafSammy) December 14, 2021

What Was Behind the Jeff Hardy WWE Release?

It’s not exactly clear why Jeff Hardy was released by the WWE. There was a buzz that it was due to his substance abuse issues.

According to reports, Hardy walked out of a house show match in Texas some weekends ago before it ended. Speculation has arisen that the company offered rehab to Jeff, and he declined.

Whether or not this is the case, is hard to say. Hardy’s past challenges with drugs and alcohol are well documented.

What’s next for Jeff Hardy? Only time will tell.

Speaking of the WWE, some social media posts indicate that last night’s RAW fan attendance was very low. The show took place at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minnesota.

This Week’s RAW Arena Was Empty

From the looks of some Twitter posts, this week’s RAW had low attendance. Sadly, fans at home would never know as the television crew ensures to film things so that this visual is hidden.

However, fans at WWE RAW offer insight through photos. In fact, some said they had to be moved to the camera side because about half of the venue was empty.

While ratings and ticket sales have been down, it’s unusual for a WWE show to be this empty. Naturally, this got everyone talking.

@WrestleTalk_TV @WhatCultureWWE @Cultaholic @SeanRossSapp @OliDavis today's attendance for @WWE #RAW. Moved because over half the arena is empty .. pic.twitter.com/pl4Ra77Yuh

— Alex Carlson (@Alex_Carlson_MN) December 14, 2021

I've never seen @WWE this bad. Monday Night Raw is looking like a ghost town. Wow.#WWERaw #WWE #XcelEnergyCenter pic.twitter.com/k29NQFgPOc

— Purge Rebellion (@PurgeRebellion) December 14, 2021

The tweets can be seen above. This might have to do with fans showing less interest, as AEW is seemingly doing better in similar areas.

A Comparison Between AEW and WWE Ticket Sales

AEW’s Dynamite took place in Long Island, New York, and had about 9,500 fans. WWE RAW took place in the same arena on November 29^th and had approximately 5,800 people in attendance.

Interestingly enough, Edge’s return took place for this RAW, and Roman Reigns was advertised for a dark match. Plus, tickets were discounted.

AEW had its Full Gear pay-per-view (PPV) in Minneapolis, Minnesota in November. The final tally was 10,000 in attendance. Meanwhile, last night’s RAW from St. Paul drew a little over 4,600 people.

Could WWE be losing its fan base to AEW? There certainly has been a shift when looking at the numbers.

At the same time, COVID-19 and the effect it has had on the economy and people’s spending habits could also be a factor. With that said, WWE’s typical fan demographic may be suffering more than AEW’s.

Regardless, an empty WWE RAW arena is a sad sight to see. No matter what the underlying issue may be.