Hardy says that Sting, The Ultimate Warrior, and Shawn Michaels were the reasons why he wanted to get into wrestling as a child. Jeff had been seen on WWF television as early as age 16. His first WWF match was against The 1-2-3 Kid and came on May 25, 1994 in Erie, Pennsylvania. Early on, Jeff, along with his brother Matt and friends, started their own wrestling organization, the TWF (Trampoline Wrestling Federation). In it they would perform many of the moves they saw on TV. The federation eventually became a part of a county fair in North Carolina, U.S.. Jeff, Matt, and friends then began to work for other independent wrestling companies. They drove all over the East Coast of the United States, working for companies many small companies.