In the series' points-based scoring system, Hardy joins James Storm and Samoa Joe atop the rankings. He'll have a chance to earn more points, when he goes one-on-one with Mr. Anderson at the BaseBrawl event Friday night.
"I just want to go out there and have the best matches I possibly can," Hardy said. "Twelve is my favorite number, and 2012 has been a good year, so far, so I hope to continue the roll and go out with a bang."
No matter the results of the tournament, Hardy has already laid claim to a much more important prize — the admiration of his peers and the faith of company leaders.
"For someone to take what he brought on himself and overcome it and to have the his determination to be a role model to his fans, especially the young ones, blows my mind," Wortman said. "You can look at Jeff Hardy and see a new person."
BASEBRAWL
Who: The superstars and knockouts of TNA Wrestling
What: Live wrestling show and meet-and-greet
Where: Ripken Stadium, Aberdeen
When: Friday, 7:30 p.m.
Tickets begin at $20 and can be purchased at ironbirdsbaseball.com or by calling 410-297-9292.
TNA stars scheduled to appear include "The Icon" Sting, World Heavyweight Champion Bobby Roode, Kurt Angle, "Charismatic Enigma" Jeff Hardy, A.J. Styles, Rob Van Dam, Mr. Anderson and Velvet Sky.
