Former WWE champion Jeff Hardy appeared on WWE Backstage on FS1 last night and announced that he has been cleared to compete.

Hardy has not been seen on WWE television since April of last year when he and his brother Matt had to surrender the Tag Team titles due to a knee injury he suffered. Hardy said he’s now just waiting for the right moment to step back in and confirmed that he will be part of the Smackdown brand moving forward.

Jeff got his knee operation in May at Andrews Sports Medicine & Orthopaedic Center in Birmingham, Alabama and his right knee had extensive damage. He was scheduled to be out for nine months from the beginning.

His recovery away from WWE also had some problems for Jeff as he was arrested twice, once in Myrtle Beach in July and once in Moore County in October. Both arrests were alcohol related.