Hardy Boyz
Encyclopedia
The Hardy Boyz are a professional wrestling
tag team
, consisting of real-life brothers Matt
and Jeff Hardy
. They are best known for their time in the World Wrestling Federation
(WWF), later renamed World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), while also working briefly together in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling
(TNA).
They first began teaming together in 1993 in (WWF)
independent promotions
in North Carolina
, winning the NWA 2000 Tag Team Championship in NWA 2000
, and founded the Organization of Modern Extreme Grappling Arts
, where they held the OMEGA Tag Team Championship
. They both signed contracts with the WWF in 1998, and were given Michael Hayes
as their manager
. After dumping Hayes, they had a quick stint with Gangrel
, and then Terri
, before gaining a permanent manager in their real-life friend Lita
. The addition of Lita led to them being renamed "Team Xtreme". They split as a team in 2002, but reunited in 2006 to feud with MNM
, before focusing on their singles careers again in 2007, although they occasionally teamed together. Following a scripted feud between the two brothers in early 2009, Jeff left WWE in August, with Matt departing in late 2010. The Hardys reunited in TNA in January 2011 as members of the Immortal
stable. In August 2011, Matt was released from his contract with TNA.
The Hardy Boyz gained fame for their participation in ladder match
es and Tables, Ladders, and Chairs match
es (TLC matches). Overall, in WWE they are six-time World Tag Team Champions and former WCW World Tag Team Champions
. Both brothers also won singles championships during their run as a tag team.
and Jeff Hardy
formed a tag team
in 1993 after Jeff's debut in the Trampoline Wrestling Federation (TWF). The promotion went by several names, and in 1997, it was modernized as the Organization of Modern Extreme Grappling Arts
(OMEGA). The duo worked in several North Carolinian
independent promotions
holding the OMEGA Tag Team Championship and NWA 2000 Tag Team Championship.
(WWF) as jobbers—wrestlers who consistently lose to make their opponents look stronger—both in singles and tag team competition. After being signed to a contract in 1998, they were trained by Dory Funk, Jr.
in his Funkin' Dojo.
The Hardy Boyz started their run as a popular tag team with a win over Kaientai
(Men's Teioh
and Shoichi Funaki
) on the September 27, 1998 episode of Sunday Night Heat
. Soon after their Sunday Night Heat win, they built up a fan base following through their high-flying tag team tactics. They started to become serious contenders for the Tag Team Championship after they became managed
by Michael Hayes
, formerly a member of The Fabulous Freebirds. On the June 29, 1999 edition of Raw is War
(aired July 5), they defeated The Acolytes
(Farooq
and Bradshaw
) to win their first WWF Tag Team Championship, but they lost the title back to The Acolytes a little less than a month later at Fully Loaded.
They eventually dumped Hayes as their manager in August 1999, becoming villains
and briefly associating themselves with Gangrel
as part of The New Brood. After winning a series of matches against the team of Edge and Christian
—dubbed the "Terri Invitational Tournament"—they won the services of Terri Runnels
as their manager by winning the first ever tag team ladder match at No Mercy
, and then dumped Gangrel the next night becoming faces. The fans also gave both teams a standing ovation the next night on Raw is War. This began an over two year rivalry between the Hardy Boyz and the team of Edge and Christian. During this time, they also gained notoriety as a faction with Lita
.
(Bubba Ray and D-Von) in many ladder matches and TLC matches.
They faced Edge and Christian and the Dudley Boyz at WrestleMania 2000
in a triple threat tag team ladder match. The Dudley Boyz started the match as the champions, and Edge and Christian won the title. The Hardyz faced Edge and Christian for the title at Insurrextion and defeated them by disqualification, which meant that Edge and Christian retained the title. At King of the Ring
, the Hardy Boyz squared off in a Four Corners Elimination match for the Tag Team Championship which included the champions Too Cool
(Brian Christopher
and Scotty 2 Hotty), T & A
(Test and Albert) and Edge and Christian. The Hardyz were able to eliminate T & A before getting eliminated themselves by Edge and Christian.
At SummerSlam
, the Hardy Boyz were defeated in the first ever TLC match for the Tag Team Championship, which Edge and Christian won, and in which the Dudley Boyz also competed. At Unforgiven
, however, the Hardy Boyz defeated Edge and Christian in a steel cage match to win the Tag Team Championship for a second time. They lost the title back to Edge and Christian (who were dressed as Los Conquistadores) at No Mercy
, but they won the titles back the next night on Raw for a third time. During the match, the Hardy Boyz were dressed as Los Conquistadores, but tore off their masks after the match, revealing themselves. The team lost the title less than a month later to Right to Censor
(Bull Buchanan
and The Goodfather
) on the November 6, 2000 episode of Raw is War, when Edge and Christian came out and assaulted the Hardyz, allowing Right to Censor to pick up the win and the title.
The Hardyz became involved in a feud with both Edge and Christian and Right to Censor. At Survivor Series
, the Hardyz along with the Dudleyz defeated Edge and Christian and Right to Censor in a Survivor Series elimination match. At Rebellion, the Hardy Boyz faced Right to Censor in a rematch for the titles but were unable to win the titles when Val Venis
interfered. On the December 4 edition of Raw is War, Dean Malenko
defeated the Hardy Boyz' valet
Lita to retain the Light Heavyweight Championship
and earn himself a date with her three days later on SmackDown!. On the December 7 episode of SmackDown!, however, when Malenko took Lita on a date, he received a beating from the Hardyz. The Hardyz began feuding with Malenko and his friends, The Radicalz
(Eddie Guerrero
, Chris Benoit
, Malenko and Perry Saturn). The two teams faced each other in several tag team and singles matches on editions of Raw and SmackDown!. The two teams also squared off against each other at Armageddon
with Guerrero, Malenko and Saturn taking on the Hardyz and Lita. The Radicalz won the match.
On March 5, 2001, on Raw the Hardy Boyz captured their fourth Tag Team Championship when they defeated The Dudley Boyz, after interference from Christian
, only to lose the titles to Edge and Christian two weeks later on Raw. The next month at WrestleMania X-Seven
, the Hardy Boyz competed in another TLC match against Edge and Christian and the Dudley Boyz. Just as in the first TLC match, Edge and Christian were victorious thanks to help from Rhyno
, who got involved only after Spike Dudley
on behalf of the Dudley Boyz and Lita interjected themselves into the match.
On the October 8 edition of Raw, the Hardy Boyz won the WCW Tag Team Championship
from Booker T
and Test. They lost the title to the Dudley Boyz two weeks later. On the November 12 episode of Raw, they beat Booker T and Test again, but this time for the WWF Tag Team Championship. At Survivor Series
, they lost the title to the Dudleys in a Steel Cage title unification match
.
At No Way Out
, the Hardy Boyz participated in a Tag Team Turmoil match which was won by the A.P.A. At WrestleMania X8
, along with the A.P.A. and the Dudley Boyz, the Hardyz challenged Billy and Chuck
for the Tag Team Championship in a Four Corners elimination match. The A.P.A. were eliminated by the Dudleyz, whom the Hardy Boyz managed to eliminate. In the end, however, they were pinned by the champions, thus losing the opportunity. They then began a feud with the newcomer Brock Lesnar
and his manager Paul Heyman
. At Judgment Day
, the Hardy Boyz lost to Lesnar and Heyman in a tag team match.
. Matt was then moved to the SmackDown! brand
, where he dubbed himself "Matt Hardy Version 1" and the "Sensei of Mattitude", and picked up real-life friend Shannon Moore
and briefly Crash Holly
as followers. He later won the Cruiserweight Championship
from Billy Kidman at the No Way Out
pay-per-view in 2003. Jeff was released from WWE on April 22, 2003, for erratic behavior, drug use, refusal to go to rehab, and deteriorating ring performance, as well as constant tardiness and no-showing events.
Following his release from WWE, Jeff debuted in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling
(TNA) in mid-2004. After no-showing several events, he was suspended in 2006 before leaving the company soon afterward. On August 4, 2006, he rejoined WWE on its Raw brand. Meanwhile, in April 2005, Matt was released from WWE due to real-life issues with Lita. He was rehired, however, just a few months later and was eventually sent to the SmackDown brand.
In November 2006, it was announced on WWE.com that Matt and Jeff would team up for the first time together in over four years as members of Team DX
at the Survivor Series
. The Hardys, as they were now known, were first given a "warm up match" on ECW on Sci Fi, defeating the Full Blooded Italians
(Little Guido Maritato
and Tony Mamaluke). At Survivor Series, Team DX defeated Team Rated-RKO
in a clean sweep.
On the November 27 episode of Raw, The Hardys had their first shot at Tag Team gold in five years. They took on World Tag Team Champions Rated-RKO (Edge and Randy Orton
), but came up short when Edge hit Jeff in the back with a belt to get himself and Orton deliberately disqualified to retain the title. That same day, The Hardys posed an open challenge to any team for ECW December to Dismember which was immediately accepted by a reuniting MNM
(Johnny Nitro and Joey Mercury
). After a run in on the intervening ECW on Sci Fi, The Hardys defeated MNM at the pay-per-view, starting a feud
between all four men that spanned both brands. The Hardys got their first chance to gain the WWE Tag Team Championship at Armageddon
, where the original tag team match was changed to a four team ladder match involving The Hardys, MNM, Dave Taylor and William Regal, and Paul London and Brian Kendrick
. Despite coming up short, The Hardys sparked another feud with MNM when Mercury was legitimately injured. Whilst Jeff and Nitro continued battling over the Intercontinental Championship on Raw, Matt and Mercury feuded on SmackDown!. Mercury and Nitro tried injuring both Hardys' faces as payback for what happened at Armageddon, claiming that The Hardys had ruined Mercury's 'Hollywood good looks'. The Hardys settled their feud with MNM at the Royal Rumble
when they defeated them for the second time. Matt and Mercury continued feuding, however, which was finally settled at No Way Out
.
On the April 2, 2007, episode of Raw, the Hardys won the World Tag Team Championship for the sixth time in their career after winning a ten team battle royal
. After losing singles bouts to both Lance Cade and Trevor Murdoch, The Hardys retained their World Tag Team Championship at both Backlash
and Judgment Day
against the team of Cade and Murdoch. At One Night Stand
, Hardyz retained the titles against The World's Greatest Tag Team
(Charlie Haas
and Shelton Benjamin
) in a ladder match. The next night on Raw, however, the Hardys lost their championship to Cade and Murdoch, when Jeff missed a Swanton Bomb and was pinned by Cade after Murdoch pushed his foot off of the bottom rope of the ring. Cade and Murdoch attacked the Hardys with the championship belts after the match. The Hardys got a rematch at Vengeance
, but lost after Jeff was hit with a sitout spinebuster from Cade.
The Hardys once again returned to WWE on the November 13, 2007 episode of ECW on Sci Fi to face Montel Vontavious Porter (MVP) and Mr. Kennedy, a match that was originally scheduled for the November 16 edition of SmackDown!. The Hardys were unsuccessful in their return as Porter pinned Jeff for the win. The Hardys, announced and referred to once again as the Hardy Boyz, reunited once again in 2008, on the June 23 episode of Raw in a losing effort to John Morrison and The Miz
. The match occurred after Jeff was drafted
to the SmackDown brand (the same brand as Matt). This loss, however, caused Matt to be drafted to the ECW brand. On the July 15 edition of ECW, The Hardys reunited in their home state of North Carolina, defeating Morrison and Miz. The Hardys then teamed up on the October 31 episode of SmackDown and on November 3, on Raw, winning both matches.
Heading into the 2009 Royal Rumble
pay-per-view, Matt was attempting to regain the ECW Championship from Jack Swagger, while Jeff held the WWE Championship
. After Matt lost to Swagger, he interfered in Jeff's match with Edge, hitting Jeff with a steel chair
, and allowing Edge to win the WWE Championship. On the January 30, 2009 episode of SmackDown, due to the events at the Royal Rumble, Matt announced the permanent disbandment of the tag team, and that he no longer considered Jeff as his partner or brother. Matt moved to the SmackDown brand, and began a scripted rivalry with Jeff. The pair faced each other in an "Extreme Rules" match at WrestleMania XXV
, which Matt won. They later faced each other in a stretcher match, in which Matt gained his second win over Jeff. As part of the 2009 WWE Draft
, Matt was drafted to the Raw brand on the April 13 episode of Raw. Despite this, the brothers faced each other in an "I Quit" match at the Backlash
pay-per-view, which Jeff won. Matt also interfered in Jeff's World Heavyweight Championship
match at Judgment Day
, preventing him from winning the championship.
On the August 21 episode of SmackDown, the Hardys reunited and teamed with John Morrison in a six-man tag team match to defeat CM Punk
and The Hart Dynasty
. The following week, Jeff lost a "Loser Leaves the WWE" steel cage match to CM Punk, resulting in him leaving the company. Over a year later, on October 15, 2010, WWE announced that Matt had been released from his contract, with Matt later stating that his release had been in effect two weeks before WWE made the announcement.
, and went on to win the TNA World Heavyweight Championship
at Bound for Glory
in October. On January 9, 2011, at TNA's pay-per-view Genesis
, Matt made his TNA debut as a surprise member of the Immortal
faction, and defeated Rob Van Dam
. Jeff, who was also a member of Immortal, went on to lose the TNA World Heavyweight Championship to Mr. Anderson later that night. On the January 13 edition of Impact! the Hardy Brothers reunited and defeated Van Dam and Anderson.
Jeff has been inactive since TNA's March pay-per-view Victory Road
and on the following edition of Impact!, Immortal severed there ties with Hardy, thus splitting the brothers up once again. Three months later, it was reported that TNA had suspended Matt due to his continued lateness. On August 20, 2011, Matt Hardy was fired from TNA after being arrested for driving while intoxicated.
entitled "That Wrestling Show", as uncredited wrestlers. Jeff and Matt, along with Lita, also appeared on Tough Enough
in early 2001, talking and wrestling with the contestants. They both appeared on the February 25, 2002 episode of Fear Factor
competing against four other WWF wrestlers. Jeff was eliminated in the first round, but Matt became the eventual winner, winning $
50,000 for the American Cancer Society
.
In 2003, Jeff and Matt, with the help of Michael Krugman, wrote and published their autobiography The Hardy Boyz: Exist 2 Inspire. As part of WWE, the Hardys appeared in the DVD, The Hardy Boyz: Leap of Faith in 2001. On April 29, 2008, WWE released Twist of Fate: The Matt and Jeff Hardy Story. The DVD features footage of the brothers in OMEGA and WWE, and it also briefly mentions Jeff's initial stint in TNA. The brothers also appear on The Hardy Show, an internet web show which features the Hardys, Shannon Moore, and many of their friends.
Professional wrestling
Professional wrestling is a mode of spectacle, combining athletics and theatrical performance.Roland Barthes, "The World of Wrestling", Mythologies, 1957 It takes the form of events, held by touring companies, which mimic a title match combat sport...
tag team
Tag team
Tag team professional wrestling is a variation in which matches are contested between teams of multiple wrestlers. A tag team may comprise two wrestlers who normally wrestle in singles competition, but more commonly are made of established teams who wrestle regularly as a unit and have a team name...
, consisting of real-life brothers Matt
Matt Hardy
Matthew Moore "Matt" Hardy is a semi-retired American professional wrestler. He is best known for his stints in World Wrestling Entertainment and Total Nonstop Action Wrestling ....
and Jeff Hardy
Jeff Hardy
Jeffrey Nero "Jeff" Hardy is an American professional wrestler, who is currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling , where he is a former two–time TNA World Heavyweight Champion...
. They are best known for their time in the World Wrestling Federation
World Wrestling Entertainment
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. is an American publicly traded, privately controlled entertainment company dealing primarily in professional wrestling, with major revenue sources also coming from film, music, product licensing, and direct product sales...
(WWF), later renamed World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), while also working briefly together in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling
Total Nonstop Action Wrestling
Total Nonstop Action Wrestling is a privately held professional wrestling promotion founded by Jeff Jarrett and Jerry Jarrett. The company broadcasts its events on television and the Internet fifty two weeks a year with over a million weekly viewers on its primary television program, Impact...
(TNA).
They first began teaming together in 1993 in (WWF)
independent promotions
Independent circuit
In professional wrestling, the independent circuit or indy circuit refers to the many independent promotions which are much smaller than major televised promotions. They are roughly analagous to a minor league for pro wrestling, or community or regional theatre.Specific promotions on the...
in North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
, winning the NWA 2000 Tag Team Championship in NWA 2000
National Wrestling Alliance
The National Wrestling Alliance is a wrestling promotion company and sanctions various NWA championships in the United States. The NWA has been in operation since 1948...
, and founded the Organization of Modern Extreme Grappling Arts
Organization of Modern Extreme Grappling Arts
The Organization of Modern Extreme Grappling Arts, also known as OMEGA, is an independent professional wrestling promotion based in central North Carolina....
, where they held the OMEGA Tag Team Championship
OMEGA Tag Team Championship
The OMEGA Tag Team Championship was the top tag team title in the Organization of Modern Extreme Grappling Arts independent professional wrestling promotion. The title lasted from 1997 to 1999.-Title history:-See also:...
. They both signed contracts with the WWF in 1998, and were given Michael Hayes
Michael Hayes (wrestler)
Michael Seitz is a retired American professional wrestler and former musician. Seitz is best known for leading The Fabulous Freebirds under the ring name Michael "P.S." Hayes and for his role as the announcer Dok Hendrix in the World Wrestling Federation...
as their manager
Manager (professional wrestling)
In professional wrestling, a manager is a secondary character paired with a wrestler for a variety of reasons. The manager is often either a non-wrestler, an occasional wrestler, an older wrestler who has retired or is nearing retirement or, in some cases, a new wrestler who is breaking into the...
. After dumping Hayes, they had a quick stint with Gangrel
David Heath (wrestler)
David William Heath is an American professional wrestler and pornographic film director. He is best known for his time in the World Wrestling Entertainment under the ring name Gangrel.-Beginning:...
, and then Terri
Terri Runnels
Terri Lynne Boatright Runnels is a former World Championship Wrestling and World Wrestling Federation professional wrestling manager, television host and occasional wrestler....
, before gaining a permanent manager in their real-life friend Lita
Amy Dumas
Amy Christine Dumas , known by her primary stage name Lita, is the lead singer for the band The Luchagors as well as a retired professional wrestler and WWE Diva active from 1999 to 2006....
. The addition of Lita led to them being renamed "Team Xtreme". They split as a team in 2002, but reunited in 2006 to feud with MNM
MNM
MNM was a villainous professional wrestling stable in World Wrestling Entertainment and Ohio Valley Wrestling that consisted of Joey Mercury , Johnny Nitro, and their manager Melina Perez....
, before focusing on their singles careers again in 2007, although they occasionally teamed together. Following a scripted feud between the two brothers in early 2009, Jeff left WWE in August, with Matt departing in late 2010. The Hardys reunited in TNA in January 2011 as members of the Immortal
Immortal (professional wrestling)
Immortal is a villainous professional wrestling alliance in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling . It currently consists of Eric Bischoff, Bully Ray, Gunner, TNA founder and AAA World Heavyweight Champion Jeff Jarrett, his wife and valet Karen Jarrett, Kurt Angle, Ric Flair and Scott Steiner...
stable. In August 2011, Matt was released from his contract with TNA.
The Hardy Boyz gained fame for their participation in ladder match
Ladder match
A ladder match is a type of match in professional wrestling that is most commonly used to describe a match where an item is hung above the ring, and the winner is the contestant who climbs a ladder and retrieves the item...
es and Tables, Ladders, and Chairs match
Tables, Ladders, and Chairs match
A Tables, Ladders, and Chairs match, often abbreviated as a TLC, is a type of professional wrestling match originated within WWE, but can be seen under different variations in other wrestling promotions....
es (TLC matches). Overall, in WWE they are six-time World Tag Team Champions and former WCW World Tag Team Champions
WCW World Tag Team Championship
The World Championship Wrestling Tag Team Championship was a professional wrestling world tag team championship in World Championship Wrestling...
. Both brothers also won singles championships during their run as a tag team.
OMEGA Wrestling and TWF (1993–1998)
Real-life brothers MattMatt Hardy
Matthew Moore "Matt" Hardy is a semi-retired American professional wrestler. He is best known for his stints in World Wrestling Entertainment and Total Nonstop Action Wrestling ....
and Jeff Hardy
Jeff Hardy
Jeffrey Nero "Jeff" Hardy is an American professional wrestler, who is currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling , where he is a former two–time TNA World Heavyweight Champion...
formed a tag team
Tag team
Tag team professional wrestling is a variation in which matches are contested between teams of multiple wrestlers. A tag team may comprise two wrestlers who normally wrestle in singles competition, but more commonly are made of established teams who wrestle regularly as a unit and have a team name...
in 1993 after Jeff's debut in the Trampoline Wrestling Federation (TWF). The promotion went by several names, and in 1997, it was modernized as the Organization of Modern Extreme Grappling Arts
Organization of Modern Extreme Grappling Arts
The Organization of Modern Extreme Grappling Arts, also known as OMEGA, is an independent professional wrestling promotion based in central North Carolina....
(OMEGA). The duo worked in several North Carolinian
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
independent promotions
Independent circuit
In professional wrestling, the independent circuit or indy circuit refers to the many independent promotions which are much smaller than major televised promotions. They are roughly analagous to a minor league for pro wrestling, or community or regional theatre.Specific promotions on the...
holding the OMEGA Tag Team Championship and NWA 2000 Tag Team Championship.
Rise to popularity
Originally the brothers competed as teenagers in the World Wrestling FederationWorld Wrestling Entertainment
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. is an American publicly traded, privately controlled entertainment company dealing primarily in professional wrestling, with major revenue sources also coming from film, music, product licensing, and direct product sales...
(WWF) as jobbers—wrestlers who consistently lose to make their opponents look stronger—both in singles and tag team competition. After being signed to a contract in 1998, they were trained by Dory Funk, Jr.
Dory Funk, Jr.
Dory Ernest Funk Jr. known professionally as Dory Funk, Jr. is a professional wrestler and wrestling trainer. He is the son of Dory Funk Sr. and brother of Terry Funk. He is credited with the invention of the Texas cloverleaf submission hold and runs the Funking Conservatory, a professional...
in his Funkin' Dojo.
The Hardy Boyz started their run as a popular tag team with a win over Kaientai
Kai En Tai
Kai En Tai was a professional wrestling stable made up of Japanese wrestlers Kaz Hayashi, Dick Togo and Mens Teioh, later joined by Sho Funaki and Taka Michinoku. The group was managed by Yamaguchi-San when they were in the WWF....
(Men's Teioh
Takeo Otsuka
, also known as Men's Teioh or Terry Boy, is a Japanese professional wrestler who is a longtime mainstay of Big Japan Pro Wrestling as well as a former competitor of Michinoku Pro Wrestling...
and Shoichi Funaki
Shoichi Funaki
is a Japanese/American professional wrestler best known for his time in World Wrestling Entertainment, where he was a one-time Cruiserweight Champion and a one-time Hardcore Champion.-Early years :...
) on the September 27, 1998 episode of Sunday Night Heat
WWE HEAT
WWE Heat was a professional wrestling television program produced by World Wrestling Entertainment...
. Soon after their Sunday Night Heat win, they built up a fan base following through their high-flying tag team tactics. They started to become serious contenders for the Tag Team Championship after they became managed
Manager (professional wrestling)
In professional wrestling, a manager is a secondary character paired with a wrestler for a variety of reasons. The manager is often either a non-wrestler, an occasional wrestler, an older wrestler who has retired or is nearing retirement or, in some cases, a new wrestler who is breaking into the...
by Michael Hayes
Michael Hayes (wrestler)
Michael Seitz is a retired American professional wrestler and former musician. Seitz is best known for leading The Fabulous Freebirds under the ring name Michael "P.S." Hayes and for his role as the announcer Dok Hendrix in the World Wrestling Federation...
, formerly a member of The Fabulous Freebirds. On the June 29, 1999 edition of Raw is War
WWE RAW
WWE Raw ) is a sports entertainment television program for WWE that currently airs on the USA Network in the United States...
(aired July 5), they defeated The Acolytes
Acolytes Protection Agency
The Acolytes Protection Agency , was a professional wrestling tag team that consisted of Bradshaw and Faarooq. They wrestled for the American promotion World Wrestling Federation/Entertainment between October 1998 and March 2004....
(Farooq
Ron Simmons
Ronald "Ron" Simmons is an American semi-retired professional wrestler and retired American football player. He is recognised as being the first Black world heavyweight champion in professional wrestling and the first of only two African Americans to win the WCW World Heavyweight Championship,...
and Bradshaw
John Layfield
John Charles Layfield is a former American professional wrestler, a former commentator/host for mixed martial arts promotion Vyper Fight League and financial analyst for Fox News...
) to win their first WWF Tag Team Championship, but they lost the title back to The Acolytes a little less than a month later at Fully Loaded.
They eventually dumped Hayes as their manager in August 1999, becoming villains
Heel (professional wrestling)
In professional wrestling, a heel is a villain character. In non-wrestling jargon, heels are the "bad guys" in professional wrestling; the term heel coming from the term take to you heels, which means to run away which heel champions tend to do to avoid losing their titles.storylines...
and briefly associating themselves with Gangrel
David Heath (wrestler)
David William Heath is an American professional wrestler and pornographic film director. He is best known for his time in the World Wrestling Entertainment under the ring name Gangrel.-Beginning:...
as part of The New Brood. After winning a series of matches against the team of Edge and Christian
Edge and Christian
Edge and Christian was a tag team made of real life best friends Edge and Christian , who performed in WWE and the Canadian independent circuit. They won the WWF Tag Team Championship on seven occasions...
—dubbed the "Terri Invitational Tournament"—they won the services of Terri Runnels
Terri Runnels
Terri Lynne Boatright Runnels is a former World Championship Wrestling and World Wrestling Federation professional wrestling manager, television host and occasional wrestler....
as their manager by winning the first ever tag team ladder match at No Mercy
No Mercy (1999)
No Mercy was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by the World Wrestling Federation , which took place on October 17, 1999 at the Gund Arena in Cleveland, Ohio....
, and then dumped Gangrel the next night becoming faces. The fans also gave both teams a standing ovation the next night on Raw is War. This began an over two year rivalry between the Hardy Boyz and the team of Edge and Christian. During this time, they also gained notoriety as a faction with Lita
Amy Dumas
Amy Christine Dumas , known by her primary stage name Lita, is the lead singer for the band The Luchagors as well as a retired professional wrestler and WWE Diva active from 1999 to 2006....
.
Team Xtreme
With the addition of Lita, Matt and Jeff comprised the trio dubbed Team Xtreme, their name serving as a reflection of their "extreme" high-flying moves. In 2000, they were involved in feuds with Edge and Christian and the Dudley BoyzDudley Boyz
Team 3D was a professional wrestling tag team, consisting of Brother Ray and Brother Devon, formerly sporadically joined into a stable by Brother Runt on several intervals...
(Bubba Ray and D-Von) in many ladder matches and TLC matches.
They faced Edge and Christian and the Dudley Boyz at WrestleMania 2000
WrestleMania 2000
WrestleMania 2000 was the sixteenth annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view produced by the World Wrestling Federation . It took place on April 2, 2000 at the Arrowhead Pond in Anaheim, California...
in a triple threat tag team ladder match. The Dudley Boyz started the match as the champions, and Edge and Christian won the title. The Hardyz faced Edge and Christian for the title at Insurrextion and defeated them by disqualification, which meant that Edge and Christian retained the title. At King of the Ring
King of the Ring (2000)
King of the Ring was the eighth annual King of the Ring professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Federation...
, the Hardy Boyz squared off in a Four Corners Elimination match for the Tag Team Championship which included the champions Too Cool
Too Cool
Too Cool is a professional wrestling tag team and former faction most notably active in World Wrestling Federation / Entertainment between 1998 and 2001 and for a short time in 2004.-1998–1999:...
(Brian Christopher
Brian Lawler
Brian Christopher Lawler is a professional wrestler. He is the son of color commentator and professional wrestler Jerry "The King" Lawler and brother of wrestling referee Kevin Christian...
and Scotty 2 Hotty), T & A
T & A (professional wrestling)
T & A was a professional wrestling tag team in the World Wrestling Federation. T & A had Trish Stratus as their team manager with their name being a pun on the initials of the two wrestlers and the slang expression "T&A" , spawning numerous coarse jokes on fan's signs and from commentator Jerry...
(Test and Albert) and Edge and Christian. The Hardyz were able to eliminate T & A before getting eliminated themselves by Edge and Christian.
At SummerSlam
SummerSlam (2000)
SummerSlam was the thirteenth annual SummerSlam professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by the World Wrestling Federation . The event took place on August 27, 2000 at the Raleigh Entertainment and Sports Arena in Raleigh, North Carolina....
, the Hardy Boyz were defeated in the first ever TLC match for the Tag Team Championship, which Edge and Christian won, and in which the Dudley Boyz also competed. At Unforgiven
Unforgiven (2000)
Unforgiven was the third Unforgiven professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Federation . The event took place on September 24, 2000 at the First Union Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania....
, however, the Hardy Boyz defeated Edge and Christian in a steel cage match to win the Tag Team Championship for a second time. They lost the title back to Edge and Christian (who were dressed as Los Conquistadores) at No Mercy
No Mercy (2000)
No Mercy was the third No Mercy professional wrestling pay-per-view event. It took place on October 22, 2000 at the Pepsi Arena in Albany, New York....
, but they won the titles back the next night on Raw for a third time. During the match, the Hardy Boyz were dressed as Los Conquistadores, but tore off their masks after the match, revealing themselves. The team lost the title less than a month later to Right to Censor
Right to Censor
The Right to Censor was a professional wrestling faction in the World Wrestling Federation from mid-2000 to early 2001...
(Bull Buchanan
Barry Buchanan
Barry Buchanan is an American professional wrestler, best known for his appearances as Bull Buchanan and B-2 in the World Wrestling Federation/Entertainment.-National Championship Wrestling :...
and The Goodfather
Charles Wright (wrestler)
Charles Wright is an American businessman and former professional wrestler. He is best known for his tenure with the World Wrestling Federation throughout the 1990s and early 2000s under the ring names Papa Shango, Kama, Kama Mustafa, The Godfather, and The Goodfather .After leaving the wrestling...
) on the November 6, 2000 episode of Raw is War, when Edge and Christian came out and assaulted the Hardyz, allowing Right to Censor to pick up the win and the title.
The Hardyz became involved in a feud with both Edge and Christian and Right to Censor. At Survivor Series
Survivor Series (2000)
Survivor Series was the fourteenth annual Survivor Series professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by the World Wrestling Federation . It took place on November 19, 2000 at the Ice Palace in Tampa, Florida....
, the Hardyz along with the Dudleyz defeated Edge and Christian and Right to Censor in a Survivor Series elimination match. At Rebellion, the Hardy Boyz faced Right to Censor in a rematch for the titles but were unable to win the titles when Val Venis
Sean Morley
Sean Allen Morley is a Canadian professional wrestler better known by his ring name Val Venis, during his time with World Wrestling Federation, later known as World Wrestling Entertainment...
interfered. On the December 4 edition of Raw is War, Dean Malenko
Dean Malenko
Dean Simon is a retired professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Dean Malenko. He is currently signed to WWE working as a road agent. He is best known for his time with Extreme Championship Wrestling , New Japan Pro Wrestling and World Championship Wrestling...
defeated the Hardy Boyz' valet
Manager (professional wrestling)
In professional wrestling, a manager is a secondary character paired with a wrestler for a variety of reasons. The manager is often either a non-wrestler, an occasional wrestler, an older wrestler who has retired or is nearing retirement or, in some cases, a new wrestler who is breaking into the...
Lita to retain the Light Heavyweight Championship
WWF Light Heavyweight Championship
The World Wrestling Federation Light Heavyweight Championship was a professional wrestling championship. The title was challenged by light heavyweights at a maximum weight of 220 lbs.- History :...
and earn himself a date with her three days later on SmackDown!. On the December 7 episode of SmackDown!, however, when Malenko took Lita on a date, he received a beating from the Hardyz. The Hardyz began feuding with Malenko and his friends, The Radicalz
The Radicalz
The Radicalz were a professional wrestling stable in the World Wrestling Federation . Their members were former World Championship Wrestling performers Chris Benoit, Eddie Guerrero, Perry Saturn and Dean Malenko. Terri Runnels later joined the group by proxy after becoming Saturn's onscreen...
(Eddie Guerrero
Eddie Guerrero
Eduardo Gory "Eddie" Guerrero was a Mexican-American professional wrestler born into the Guerrero wrestling family. He wrestled in Mexico and Japan for several major professional wrestling promotions...
, Chris Benoit
Chris Benoit
Christopher Michael "Chris" Benoit was a Canadian professional wrestler whose career and life ended in a murder–suicide...
, Malenko and Perry Saturn). The two teams faced each other in several tag team and singles matches on editions of Raw and SmackDown!. The two teams also squared off against each other at Armageddon
Armageddon (2000)
Armageddon was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Federation that took place on December 10, 2000, at the Birmingham-Jefferson Civic Center in Birmingham, Alabama. It was the second annual Armageddon event....
with Guerrero, Malenko and Saturn taking on the Hardyz and Lita. The Radicalz won the match.
Jason Reso
William Jason Reso is a Canadian professional wrestler and actor, better known by his ring names Christian and Christian Cage...
, only to lose the titles to Edge and Christian two weeks later on Raw. The next month at WrestleMania X-Seven
WrestleMania X-Seven
WrestleMania X-Seven was the seventeenth annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view produced by the World Wrestling Federation . It took place on April 1, 2001 at the Reliant Astrodome in Houston, Texas. The event was the first WrestleMania held in the state of Texas...
, the Hardy Boyz competed in another TLC match against Edge and Christian and the Dudley Boyz. Just as in the first TLC match, Edge and Christian were victorious thanks to help from Rhyno
Terry Gerin
Terrance "Terry" Gerin is an American professional wrestler and actor, better known by the ring name Rhino . He is best known for his career in Extreme Championship Wrestling, World Wrestling Federation / Entertainment and Total Nonstop Action Wrestling...
, who got involved only after Spike Dudley
Matt Hyson
Matthew "Matt" Hyson is a retired American professional wrestler, best known for his performances in Extreme Championship Wrestling and World Wrestling Entertainment under the ring name Spike Dudley and in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling under the ring name Brother Runt.In ECW, he was a two-time...
on behalf of the Dudley Boyz and Lita interjected themselves into the match.
On the October 8 edition of Raw, the Hardy Boyz won the WCW Tag Team Championship
WCW World Tag Team Championship
The World Championship Wrestling Tag Team Championship was a professional wrestling world tag team championship in World Championship Wrestling...
from Booker T
Booker Huffman
Robert Booker Tio Huffman , better known by his ring name Booker T, is a semi-retired American professional wrestler and currently signed to WWE, on its SmackDown brand, as part of the announcing team. Booker is best known for his time in both the World Wrestling Entertainment and World...
and Test. They lost the title to the Dudley Boyz two weeks later. On the November 12 episode of Raw, they beat Booker T and Test again, but this time for the WWF Tag Team Championship. At Survivor Series
Survivor Series (2001)
Survivor Series was the fifteenth annual Survivor Series pay-per-view professional wrestling event produced by the World Wrestling Federation...
, they lost the title to the Dudleys in a Steel Cage title unification match
Championship unification
Championship unification is the act of combining two or more separate professional wrestling championships into a single title.-History:In professional wrestling, championships may be unified to consolidate the number of championships in a given promotion, or to add legitimacy and prestige to a...
.
At No Way Out
No Way Out (2002)
No Way Out was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Federation . The event took place on February 17, 2002 at the Bradley Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin...
, the Hardy Boyz participated in a Tag Team Turmoil match which was won by the A.P.A. At WrestleMania X8
WrestleMania X8
WrestleMania X8 was the eighteenth annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view produced by the World Wrestling Federation . It took place on March 17, 2002 at the SkyDome in Toronto, Ontario. The event marked the final WrestleMania event under the WWF name...
, along with the A.P.A. and the Dudley Boyz, the Hardyz challenged Billy and Chuck
Billy and Chuck
Billy and Chuck was the professional wrestling tag team of Billy Gunn and Chuck Palumbo seen in World Wrestling Entertainment.-History:Near the end of the Invasion storyline, Chuck Palumbo was kicked out of the WCW/ECW coalition. In response, he defected to the WWF, where he began teaming with Gunn...
for the Tag Team Championship in a Four Corners elimination match. The A.P.A. were eliminated by the Dudleyz, whom the Hardy Boyz managed to eliminate. In the end, however, they were pinned by the champions, thus losing the opportunity. They then began a feud with the newcomer Brock Lesnar
Brock Lesnar
Brock Edward Lesnar is an American mixed martial artist, actor and a former professional and amateur wrestler. He is a former UFC Heavyweight Champion and is ranked the No.5 Heavyweight in the world by Sherdog...
and his manager Paul Heyman
Paul Heyman
Paul Heyman is an American entertainment producer, best known for his career in professional wrestling as a promoter, manager, commentator and journalist. He is also an occasional actor in film....
. At Judgment Day
Judgment Day (2002)
Judgment Day was the fourth annual Judgment Day professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by the World Wrestling Entertainment . It took place on May 19, 2002, at the Gaylord Entertainment Center in Nashville, Tennessee. It featured talent from the Raw and SmackDown! brands...
, the Hardy Boyz lost to Lesnar and Heyman in a tag team match.
Split
The duo split up afterward, as Jeff began a storyline with The Undertaker, while Matt was relegated to working on Heat. In the storyline, Matt then attacked Jeff, because Jeff had a match for the Intercontinental ChampionshipWWE Intercontinental Championship
The WWE Intercontinental Championship is a professional wrestling championship in WWE. It is the original secondary title of the promotion. Currently, it is the secondary championship exclusive to the SmackDown brand...
. Matt was then moved to the SmackDown! brand
WWE Brand Extension
WWE, formerly the World Wrestling Federation and World Wrestling Entertainment , currently promotes its core business of professional wrestling through two "brands" named after their two major television shows Raw and SmackDown...
, where he dubbed himself "Matt Hardy Version 1" and the "Sensei of Mattitude", and picked up real-life friend Shannon Moore
Shannon Moore
Shannon Moore is an American professional wrestler, who is signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling . He is best known for his work with World Championship Wrestling between 1999 and 2001 and with World Wrestling Entertainment for several years in the 2000s.Moore befriended Matt and Jeff Hardy...
and briefly Crash Holly
Mike Lockwood
Michael John "Mike" Lockwood was an American professional wrestler best known for his time with World Wrestling Federation / Entertainment under the ring name Crash Holly....
as followers. He later won the Cruiserweight Championship
WWE Cruiserweight Championship
The World Wrestling Entertainment Cruiserweight Championship was a professional wrestling championship in World Wrestling Entertainment and was originally a World Championship Wrestling title. It was challenged by cruiserweights at a maximum weight of 215 lbs...
from Billy Kidman at the No Way Out
No Way Out (2003)
No Way Out was the fourth annual No Way Out pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment . The event took place on February 23, 2003 at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec and starred the promotion's Raw and SmackDown! brands.The main event from the SmackDown! brand was a rematch...
pay-per-view in 2003. Jeff was released from WWE on April 22, 2003, for erratic behavior, drug use, refusal to go to rehab, and deteriorating ring performance, as well as constant tardiness and no-showing events.
Following his release from WWE, Jeff debuted in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling
Total Nonstop Action Wrestling
Total Nonstop Action Wrestling is a privately held professional wrestling promotion founded by Jeff Jarrett and Jerry Jarrett. The company broadcasts its events on television and the Internet fifty two weeks a year with over a million weekly viewers on its primary television program, Impact...
(TNA) in mid-2004. After no-showing several events, he was suspended in 2006 before leaving the company soon afterward. On August 4, 2006, he rejoined WWE on its Raw brand. Meanwhile, in April 2005, Matt was released from WWE due to real-life issues with Lita. He was rehired, however, just a few months later and was eventually sent to the SmackDown brand.
The Hardys and sporadic teaming (2006–2007)
D-Generation X
D-Generation X was a professional wrestling stable in WWE . The group originated in the midst of the WWF's "Attitude Era" from 1997 to 2000...
at the Survivor Series
Survivor Series (2006)
Survivor Series was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment . It was the twentieth annual Survivor Series event, and it took place on November 26, 2006 at the Wachovia Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.The main match on the SmackDown brand was King...
. The Hardys, as they were now known, were first given a "warm up match" on ECW on Sci Fi, defeating the Full Blooded Italians
Full Blooded Italians
The Full Blooded Italians is a professional wrestling stable and tag team that wrestled for Extreme Championship Wrestling in the late 1990s and for World Wrestling Entertainment during the mid-2000s.-Extreme Championship Wrestling:...
(Little Guido Maritato
James Maritato
James Maritato is an American professional wrestler, of Italian origin, currently working on the independent circuit. He is best known for his work in World Wrestling Entertainment and Extreme Championship Wrestling under the ring names Little Guido Maritato and Nunzio.-Starting out:While...
and Tony Mamaluke). At Survivor Series, Team DX defeated Team Rated-RKO
Rated-RKO
Rated-RKO was a villainous professional wrestling tag team in World Wrestling Entertainment based on the Raw brand. The team consisted of Edge, Randy Orton, and Lita, their valet...
in a clean sweep.
On the November 27 episode of Raw, The Hardys had their first shot at Tag Team gold in five years. They took on World Tag Team Champions Rated-RKO (Edge and Randy Orton
Randy Orton
Randal Keith "Randy" Orton is an American professional wrestler and actor. He is signed to WWE wrestling on its SmackDown brand...
), but came up short when Edge hit Jeff in the back with a belt to get himself and Orton deliberately disqualified to retain the title. That same day, The Hardys posed an open challenge to any team for ECW December to Dismember which was immediately accepted by a reuniting MNM
MNM
MNM was a villainous professional wrestling stable in World Wrestling Entertainment and Ohio Valley Wrestling that consisted of Joey Mercury , Johnny Nitro, and their manager Melina Perez....
(Johnny Nitro and Joey Mercury
Adam Birch
Adam Birch is a retired American professional wrestler, best known for his tenure with World Wrestling Entertainment , and training in WWE's developmental territory Florida Championship Wrestling, as Joey Mercury...
). After a run in on the intervening ECW on Sci Fi, The Hardys defeated MNM at the pay-per-view, starting a feud
Feud (professional wrestling)
A professional wrestling feud is a staged rivalry between multiple wrestlers or alliances of wrestlers. They are integrated into ongoing storylines, particularly in events which are televised...
between all four men that spanned both brands. The Hardys got their first chance to gain the WWE Tag Team Championship at Armageddon
Armageddon (2006)
Armageddon was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment , which took place on December 17, 2006 at the Richmond Coliseum in Richmond, Virginia. The event starred wrestlers from the SmackDown! brand.The main event was a tag team match, in which the team...
, where the original tag team match was changed to a four team ladder match involving The Hardys, MNM, Dave Taylor and William Regal, and Paul London and Brian Kendrick
Paul London and Brian Kendrick
Paul London and Brian Kendrick are a professional wrestling tag team best known for their time together in World Wrestling Entertainment . The team never had an official team name, but were just referred to as "the tag team of London and Kendrick." In 2006 London and Kendrick put the tag team name...
. Despite coming up short, The Hardys sparked another feud with MNM when Mercury was legitimately injured. Whilst Jeff and Nitro continued battling over the Intercontinental Championship on Raw, Matt and Mercury feuded on SmackDown!. Mercury and Nitro tried injuring both Hardys' faces as payback for what happened at Armageddon, claiming that The Hardys had ruined Mercury's 'Hollywood good looks'. The Hardys settled their feud with MNM at the Royal Rumble
Royal Rumble (2007)
Royal Rumble was the twentieth annual Royal Rumble professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment . It took place on January 28, 2007 at the AT&T Center in San Antonio, Texas. and featured talent from the Raw, SmackDown! and ECW brands. This marked the first...
when they defeated them for the second time. Matt and Mercury continued feuding, however, which was finally settled at No Way Out
No Way Out (2007)
No Way Out was the ninth annual No Way Out pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment . It took place on February 18, 2007 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California and was the final branded pay-per-view before all pay-per-view events became tri-branded.The main event was...
.
Battle royal (professional wrestling)
In professional wrestling, a battle royal is a multi-competitor match type in which wrestlers are eliminated until one is left and declared winner...
. After losing singles bouts to both Lance Cade and Trevor Murdoch, The Hardys retained their World Tag Team Championship at both Backlash
Backlash (2007)
Backlash was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment , which took place on April 29, 2007 at the Philips Arena in Atlanta, Georgia. Following WrestleMania, all pay-per-views became tri-branded...
and Judgment Day
Judgment Day (2007)
Judgment Day was the ninth annual Judgment Day professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment . It took place on May 20, 2007 from the Scottrade Center in St. Louis, Missouri...
against the team of Cade and Murdoch. At One Night Stand
One Night Stand (2007)
One Night Stand was the third annual One Night Stand professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment . It took place on June 3, 2007 at the Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Florida and featured talent from the Raw, SmackDown!, and ECW brands...
, Hardyz retained the titles against The World's Greatest Tag Team
The World's Greatest Tag Team
The World's Greatest Tag Team is the professional wrestling tag team of Charlie Haas and Shelton Benjamin, who currently perform as Wrestling's Greatest Tag Team. Originally formed in World Wrestling Entertainment , they started out captained by Kurt Angle, during which time they were known as...
(Charlie Haas
Charlie Haas
Charles "Charlie" Doyle Haas II is an American professional wrestler and former collegiate amateur wrestler. He competes on the independent circuit, and is signed to Ring of Honor , where he is one-half of the reigning ROH World Tag Team Champions with Shelton Benjamin...
and Shelton Benjamin
Shelton Benjamin
Shelton James Benjamin is an American professional wrestler and former amateur wrestler best known for his tenure in World Wrestling Entertainment. Benjamin has an amateur wrestling background, including wrestling in high school and at the University of Minnesota. In addition, Benjamin has acted...
) in a ladder match. The next night on Raw, however, the Hardys lost their championship to Cade and Murdoch, when Jeff missed a Swanton Bomb and was pinned by Cade after Murdoch pushed his foot off of the bottom rope of the ring. Cade and Murdoch attacked the Hardys with the championship belts after the match. The Hardys got a rematch at Vengeance
Vengeance: Night of Champions
Vengeance: Night of Champions was the seventh annual professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment within its Vengeance chronology, and the last to be promoted with the Vengeance name until 2011. It featured talent from the Raw, SmackDown, and ECW brands. The...
, but lost after Jeff was hit with a sitout spinebuster from Cade.
The Hardys once again returned to WWE on the November 13, 2007 episode of ECW on Sci Fi to face Montel Vontavious Porter (MVP) and Mr. Kennedy, a match that was originally scheduled for the November 16 edition of SmackDown!. The Hardys were unsuccessful in their return as Porter pinned Jeff for the win. The Hardys, announced and referred to once again as the Hardy Boyz, reunited once again in 2008, on the June 23 episode of Raw in a losing effort to John Morrison and The Miz
John Morrison and The Miz
John Morrison and The Miz were a professional wrestling tag team and former WWE Tough Enough contestants. The team worked for World Wrestling Entertainment on its ECW brand, but also appeared on the SmackDown and Raw brands due to ECW's talent exchanges with those brands during their tenure as a team...
. The match occurred after Jeff was drafted
2008 WWE Draft
The 2008 World Wrestling Entertainment Draft Lottery took place at the AT&T Center in San Antonio, Texas on June 23, 2008. The Draft took place live for three hours on WWE's flagship program, Raw on USA Network. For the second consecutive year, the Draft took place among WWE's three brands: Raw,...
to the SmackDown brand (the same brand as Matt). This loss, however, caused Matt to be drafted to the ECW brand. On the July 15 edition of ECW, The Hardys reunited in their home state of North Carolina, defeating Morrison and Miz. The Hardys then teamed up on the October 31 episode of SmackDown and on November 3, on Raw, winning both matches.
Multiple championships (2006–2009)
In late 2006, The Hardys would return to tag team competition in the first time in over 4 years. On November 27 edition of RAW, The Hardys would challenge then- World Tag Team Champions Rated RKO in an unsuccessful attempt. That same year, at Armageddon, they would challenge for the WWE Tag Team Championships, again, an unsuccessful attempt. In April 2007, The Hardys finally won the World Tag Team Championship by winning a 10- Team Battle Royal. They would hold onto the championships until June 4 edition of RAW against Lance Cade and Trevor Murdoch. They would get a rematch at Vengeance, but came up short when Jeff was pinned by Cade, ending the team. Jeff would then begin a small feud with Umaga in mid-2007 over the Intercontinental Championship, while at the same time, Matt was in a feud with Montel Vontavious Porter over the United States Championship. Both feuds would go into The Great American Bash (2007) in which both Hardys were unsuccessful. Jeff would then be taken off WWE Television by injury but return on the August 27 edition of RAW. The following week he would win the Intercontinental Championship by beating long-time rival, Umaga. On August 31, 2007, Matt Hardy would win the WWE Tag Team Championships, except this time without Jeff, but with rival and then-United States Champion MVP. They would hold the titles until November 16 edition of SmackDown! to John Morrison and The Miz. Due to injury, Matt would be taken off WWE Television. Jeff would later defeat Triple H in 2007 at Armageddon to get a shot at Randy Orton's WWE title at the Royal Rumble where he came up short. Jeff was later suspended for use of drugs, losing his Intercontinental Title to Chris Jericho. Matt, who returned from injury, faced MVP for the United States Championship at Backlash, winning the match and making it his first major title in the WWE. He would later lose the title to Shelton Benjamin at The Great American Bash. Both Hardys got a chance for their respective brands Championships at Unforgiven 2008 in Championship Scrable matches where Matt would win the ECW Championship, however, Jeff lost to then-WWE Champion Triple H. This started a rivalry between Triple H and Jeff. Jeff would lose at No Mercy and Cyber Sunday, and be taken out of the match at Survivor Series by a storyline attack in his hotel stair hall and be replaced by Edge who would win the title. At Armageddon 2008, Jeff challenged Edge to a match, also featuring Triple H, in which Jeff won, making it his first World Championship. On January 13 episode of ECW, Matt lost his Championship to Jack Swagger. He got his rematch at Royal Rumble, but failed to regain it. Later that night, Jeff would defend and lose his WWE Championship to Edge by interference by a now heel Matt Hardy. Later that year, Jeff would challenge Edge and win the World Heavyweight Championship at Extreme Rules, only to lose it minutes later to CM Punk who cashed in his Money in the Bank breifcase. After unsuccessful attempts at winning the World Championship from Punk, Jeff would win at Night of Champions. A month later, at Summerslam 2009, Jeff would lose the title to CM Punk again. A few weeks later, Punk would defeat Jeff in a "Loser Leaves WWE, World Heavyweight Championship, Steel Cage Match." Thus, ending Jeff's WWE Career.Feud; departure from WWE (2009–2010)
Royal Rumble (2009)
Royal Rumble was the twenty-second annual Royal Rumble professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment . It took place on January 25, 2009 at the Joe Louis Arena in Detroit, Michigan and featured talent from the Raw, SmackDown and ECW brands...
pay-per-view, Matt was attempting to regain the ECW Championship from Jack Swagger, while Jeff held the WWE Championship
WWE Championship
The WWE Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in WWE. It is the world title of the Raw brand and one of two in WWE, complementing the World Heavyweight Championship of the SmackDown brand. It was established under the then WWWF in 1963...
. After Matt lost to Swagger, he interfered in Jeff's match with Edge, hitting Jeff with a steel chair
Folding chair
A folding chair is a light, portable chair that that folds flat, and can be stored in a stack, row, or on a cart.-Uses:Folding chairs are generally used for seating in areas where permanent seating is not possible or practical. This includes outdoor and indoor events such as funerals, college...
, and allowing Edge to win the WWE Championship. On the January 30, 2009 episode of SmackDown, due to the events at the Royal Rumble, Matt announced the permanent disbandment of the tag team, and that he no longer considered Jeff as his partner or brother. Matt moved to the SmackDown brand, and began a scripted rivalry with Jeff. The pair faced each other in an "Extreme Rules" match at WrestleMania XXV
WrestleMania XXV
WrestleMania XXV was the twenty-fifth annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment , which took place on April 5, 2009 at Reliant Stadium in Houston, Texas...
, which Matt won. They later faced each other in a stretcher match, in which Matt gained his second win over Jeff. As part of the 2009 WWE Draft
2009 WWE Draft
The 2009 World Wrestling Entertainment Draft was the seventh Draft produced by the American professional wrestling promotion WWE. The Draft took place over two days: the first day was televised live for three hours on April 13; the second part, the "Supplemental Draft", was held on April 15...
, Matt was drafted to the Raw brand on the April 13 episode of Raw. Despite this, the brothers faced each other in an "I Quit" match at the Backlash
Backlash (2009)
Backlash was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment . It took place on April 26, 2009 at the Dunkin' Donuts Center in Providence, Rhode Island. The 11th and final event under the Backlash banner, it featured talent from all three WWE brands: Raw,...
pay-per-view, which Jeff won. Matt also interfered in Jeff's World Heavyweight Championship
World Heavyweight Championship (WWE)
The World Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in WWE. It is the world title of the SmackDown brand and one of two in WWE, complementing the WWE Championship of the Raw brand...
match at Judgment Day
Judgment Day (2009)
Judgment Day , a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment , took place on May 17, 2009 at the Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago. It was the eleventh and final show under the Judgment Day name and the tenth show held annually; it...
, preventing him from winning the championship.
On the August 21 episode of SmackDown, the Hardys reunited and teamed with John Morrison in a six-man tag team match to defeat CM Punk
CM Punk
Phillip Jack "Phil" Brooks , better known by his ring name CM Punk, is an American professional wrestler currently signed to WWE and working on its Raw brand currently serving his second title reign as WWE Champion....
and The Hart Dynasty
The Hart Dynasty
The Hart Dynasty was a professional wrestling stable that appeared in World Wrestling Entertainment. The unit consisted of the tag team of Tyson Kidd and David Hart Smith, and WWE Diva Natalya...
. The following week, Jeff lost a "Loser Leaves the WWE" steel cage match to CM Punk, resulting in him leaving the company. Over a year later, on October 15, 2010, WWE announced that Matt had been released from his contract, with Matt later stating that his release had been in effect two weeks before WWE made the announcement.
Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (2011)
Jeff made his TNA return on the January 4, 2010 episode of Impact!TNA iMPACT!
Impact Wrestling is a professional wrestling television program for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling that currently airs in the United States and Canada on Spike...
, and went on to win the TNA World Heavyweight Championship
TNA World Heavyweight Championship
The TNA World Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship owned by the Total Nonstop Action Wrestling promotion. It is currently the highest ranked championship in TNA and is primarily defended in TNA's heavyweight division...
at Bound for Glory
Bound for Glory (2010)
Bound for Glory was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by Total Nonstop Action Wrestling , that took place on October 10, 2010 at the Ocean Center in Daytona Beach, Florida. It was the sixth annual event under the Bound for Glory chronology. Bound For Glory is considered to be...
in October. On January 9, 2011, at TNA's pay-per-view Genesis
Genesis (2011)
Genesis was a professional wrestling pay-per-view eventproduced by Total Nonstop Action Wrestling , that took place on January 9, 2011 at TNA Impact! Zone in Universal Studios Florida...
, Matt made his TNA debut as a surprise member of the Immortal
Immortal (professional wrestling)
Immortal is a villainous professional wrestling alliance in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling . It currently consists of Eric Bischoff, Bully Ray, Gunner, TNA founder and AAA World Heavyweight Champion Jeff Jarrett, his wife and valet Karen Jarrett, Kurt Angle, Ric Flair and Scott Steiner...
faction, and defeated Rob Van Dam
Rob Van Dam
Robert Alexander "Rob" Szatkowski , better known by his ring name Rob Van Dam , is an American professional wrestler and actor who is currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling ....
. Jeff, who was also a member of Immortal, went on to lose the TNA World Heavyweight Championship to Mr. Anderson later that night. On the January 13 edition of Impact! the Hardy Brothers reunited and defeated Van Dam and Anderson.
Jeff has been inactive since TNA's March pay-per-view Victory Road
Victory Road (2011)
Victory Road was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by Total Nonstop Action Wrestling promotion, which took place on March 13, 2011 at the TNA Impact! Zone in Orlando, Florida...
and on the following edition of Impact!, Immortal severed there ties with Hardy, thus splitting the brothers up once again. Three months later, it was reported that TNA had suspended Matt due to his continued lateness. On August 20, 2011, Matt Hardy was fired from TNA after being arrested for driving while intoxicated.
Other media
The Hardys appeared on the February 7, 1999 episode of That '70s ShowThat '70s Show
That '70s Show is an American television period sitcom that centers on the lives of a group of teenage friends living in the fictional suburban town of Point Place, Wisconsin, from May 17, 1976, to December 31, 1979...
entitled "That Wrestling Show", as uncredited wrestlers. Jeff and Matt, along with Lita, also appeared on Tough Enough
WWE Tough Enough
WWE Tough Enough is a professional wrestling reality television program produced by WWE wherein participants undergo professional wrestling training and compete for a contract with WWE. There were two winners per season for the first three seasons, all of which aired on MTV...
in early 2001, talking and wrestling with the contestants. They both appeared on the February 25, 2002 episode of Fear Factor
Fear Factor
Fear Factor is an American stunt/dare reality game show. The original Dutch version was called Now or Neverland. When Endemol USA and NBC adapted it to the American market in 2001, they changed the name to Fear Factor. The show pits contestants against each other in a variety of stunts for a...
competing against four other WWF wrestlers. Jeff was eliminated in the first round, but Matt became the eventual winner, winning $
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
50,000 for the American Cancer Society
American Cancer Society
The American Cancer Society is the "nationwide community-based voluntary health organization" dedicated, in their own words, "to eliminating cancer as a major health problem by preventing cancer, saving lives, and diminishing suffering from cancer, through research, education, advocacy, and...
.
In 2003, Jeff and Matt, with the help of Michael Krugman, wrote and published their autobiography The Hardy Boyz: Exist 2 Inspire. As part of WWE, the Hardys appeared in the DVD, The Hardy Boyz: Leap of Faith in 2001. On April 29, 2008, WWE released Twist of Fate: The Matt and Jeff Hardy Story. The DVD features footage of the brothers in OMEGA and WWE, and it also briefly mentions Jeff's initial stint in TNA. The brothers also appear on The Hardy Show, an internet web show which features the Hardys, Shannon Moore, and many of their friends.
In wrestling
- Finishing moves
-
- Event Omega (Simultaneous diving guillotine leg drop (Matt) / diving splash (Jeff) combination)
- Omega Event (Simultaneous diving guillotine leg drop (Matt) / leg drop to the groin (Jeff) combination) – innovated
- Extreme Combination (Twist of Fate by Matt followed by a Swanton Bomb by Jeff)
- Signature moves
-
- Double 180° flipping belly to back suplex
- Poetry in Motion
- Rapture (Simultaneous superbomb (Jeff) / neckbreaker slam (Matt) combination)
- Side Effect by Matt followed by a Whisper in the Wind by Jeff
- Spin Cycle (Simultaneous fist drop (Matt) / Standing somersault senton (Jeff) combination)
- ManagersManager (professional wrestling)In professional wrestling, a manager is a secondary character paired with a wrestler for a variety of reasons. The manager is often either a non-wrestler, an occasional wrestler, an older wrestler who has retired or is nearing retirement or, in some cases, a new wrestler who is breaking into the...
- Michael HayesMichael Hayes (wrestler)Michael Seitz is a retired American professional wrestler and former musician. Seitz is best known for leading The Fabulous Freebirds under the ring name Michael "P.S." Hayes and for his role as the announcer Dok Hendrix in the World Wrestling Federation...
- GangrelDavid Heath (wrestler)David William Heath is an American professional wrestler and pornographic film director. He is best known for his time in the World Wrestling Entertainment under the ring name Gangrel.-Beginning:...
- Terri RunnelsTerri RunnelsTerri Lynne Boatright Runnels is a former World Championship Wrestling and World Wrestling Federation professional wrestling manager, television host and occasional wrestler....
- LitaAmy DumasAmy Christine Dumas , known by her primary stage name Lita, is the lead singer for the band The Luchagors as well as a retired professional wrestler and WWE Diva active from 1999 to 2006....
- Michael Hayes
- Entrance themesMusic in professional wrestlingMusic in professional wrestling serves a variety of purposes. The most common uses of music in professional wrestling is that of the entrance theme, a song or piece of instrumental music which plays as a performer approaches the ring...
- "Loaded" by Zack Tempest (WWE)
- "No More WordsWWE The Music, Vol. 8WWE The Music Volume 8 is a compilation album released by WWE on March 25, 2008. Unlike its predecessor, which was released exclusively on iTunes, Volume 8 was sold as a CD in addition to being offered on iTunes....
" by EndeverafteREndeverafterEndeverafter is an American heavy metal band from Sacramento, California.-History:Endeverafter was formed in 2004 by lead singer and guitarist Michael Grant. After the rest of the band was assembled, they released their debut EP in 2005 and played regular shows in their hometown, featuring... - "Live for the Moment" by Monster MagnetMonster MagnetMonster Magnet is an American stoner rock band. Hailing from Red Bank, New Jersey, the group was founded by Dave Wyndorf , John McBain and Tim Cronin...
- "Another" by Jeff Hardy and Dale OliverDale OliverDale Byron Oliver is an American music composer who works for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling. Formerly a guitarist in BackHawk , Oliver serves mainly as a composer of theme music used in professional wrestling.-Music composer for TNA:Since 2003, Oliver writes, records, and produces music under...
(TNA; 2010–2011)
Championships and accomplishments
- National Championship WrestlingNWA WildsideNWA Wildside was an American independent professional wrestling promotion based in Cornelia, Georgia, with an office in Atlanta, Georgia, operating between September 1999 and April 2005....
- NCW Light Heavyweight Championship (2 times) - Jeff
- NCW Heavyweight Championship (1 time) - Matt
- New Dimension Wrestling
- NDW Light Heavyweight Championship (1 time) - Jeff
- NDW Tag Team Championship (1 time)1
- New England Wrestling Alliance
- NEWA Heavyweight Championship (1 time) - Matt
- New Frontier Wrestling Association
- NFWA Heavyweight Championship (2 times) - Jeff (1) and Matt (1)
- NFWA Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with VenomJason ArhndtJason Ahrndt is a professional wrestler best known for his work in the World Wrestling Federation as part of the three man team known as the Mean Street Posse, where he was known as Joey Abs...
- Matt
- North East Wrestling
- NEW Junior Heavyweight Championship (1 time) - Jeff
- Organization of Modern Extreme Grappling ArtsOrganization of Modern Extreme Grappling ArtsThe Organization of Modern Extreme Grappling Arts, also known as OMEGA, is an independent professional wrestling promotion based in central North Carolina....
- OMEGA Tag Team ChampionshipOMEGA Tag Team ChampionshipThe OMEGA Tag Team Championship was the top tag team title in the Organization of Modern Extreme Grappling Arts independent professional wrestling promotion. The title lasted from 1997 to 1999.-Title history:-See also:...
(1 time) - OMEGA New Frontiers ChampionshipOMEGA New Frontiers ChampionshipThe OMEGA New Frontiers Championship was a secondary title in the Organization of Modern Extreme Grappling Arts independent professional wrestling promotion. The title lasted from 1997 to 1999.-Title history:...
(1 time) - Jeff - OMEGA Heavyweight ChampionshipOMEGA Heavyweight ChampionshipThe OMEGA Heavyweight Championship was the top singles title in the Organization of Modern Extreme Grappling Arts independent professional wrestling promotion. The title lasted from 1997 to 2000....
(1 time) - Matt
- OMEGA Tag Team Championship
- Pro Wrestling IllustratedPro Wrestling IllustratedPro Wrestling Illustrated is a professional wrestling magazine. PWI is currently based in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania and published by Kappa Publishing Group.-History:The first issue of Pro Wrestling Illustrated was released in 1979...
- PWI Match of the Year (2000)
- PWI Match of the Year (2001)
- PWI Tag Team of the Year (2000)
- Total Nonstop Action WrestlingTotal Nonstop Action WrestlingTotal Nonstop Action Wrestling is a privately held professional wrestling promotion founded by Jeff Jarrett and Jerry Jarrett. The company broadcasts its events on television and the Internet fifty two weeks a year with over a million weekly viewers on its primary television program, Impact...
- TNA World Heavyweight ChampionshipTNA World Heavyweight ChampionshipThe TNA World Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship owned by the Total Nonstop Action Wrestling promotion. It is currently the highest ranked championship in TNA and is primarily defended in TNA's heavyweight division...
(1 times) – Jeff
- TNA World Heavyweight Championship
- Universal Wrestling AssociationUniversal Wrestling AssociationThe Universal Wrestling Association was a Mexican Lucha Libre or professional wrestling promotion based in Naucalpan, Mexico State that operated from 1975 until 1995...
- UWA World Middleweight ChampionshipUWA World Middleweight ChampionshipThe UWA World Middleweight Championship is a professional wrestling championship originally created and sanctioend by the Mexican lucha libre promotion Universal Wrestling Association from 1976 until the UWA closed in 1995...
(1 time) - Jeff
- UWA World Middleweight Championship
- World Wrestling Federation / World Wrestling EntertainmentWorld Wrestling EntertainmentWorld Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. is an American publicly traded, privately controlled entertainment company dealing primarily in professional wrestling, with major revenue sources also coming from film, music, product licensing, and direct product sales...
- WWE ChampionshipWWE ChampionshipThe WWE Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in WWE. It is the world title of the Raw brand and one of two in WWE, complementing the World Heavyweight Championship of the SmackDown brand. It was established under the then WWWF in 1963...
(1 time) - Jeff - World Heavyweight ChampionshipWorld Heavyweight Championship (WWE)The World Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in WWE. It is the world title of the SmackDown brand and one of two in WWE, complementing the WWE Championship of the Raw brand...
(2 times) - Jeff - ECW World Heavyweight ChampionshipECW World Heavyweight ChampionshipThe Extreme Championship Wrestling World Heavyweight Championship was a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in Extreme Championship Wrestling and World Wrestling Entertainment...
(1 time) - Matt - WCW Tag Team ChampionshipWCW World Tag Team ChampionshipThe World Championship Wrestling Tag Team Championship was a professional wrestling world tag team championship in World Championship Wrestling...
(1 time) - WWF/E European ChampionshipWWE European ChampionshipThe WWE European Championship was a professional wrestling championship competed for in World Wrestling Entertainment. A coveted singles title of the late 1990s and early 2000s, it was held by superstars such as Shawn Michaels, Triple H, Kurt Angle, Chris Jericho, Owen Hart, Eddie Guerrero, and was...
(2 times) – Jeff (1) and Matt (1) - WWF/E Hardcore ChampionshipWWE Hardcore ChampionshipThe World Wrestling Entertainment Hardcore Championship is a hardcore wrestling championship in World Wrestling Entertainment and is contested under "hardcore" rules, meaning there is no disqualifications, no countouts, and pin falls could be counted anywhere...
(4 times) – Jeff (3) and Matt (1) - WWF/E Intercontinental ChampionshipWWE Intercontinental ChampionshipThe WWE Intercontinental Championship is a professional wrestling championship in WWE. It is the original secondary title of the promotion. Currently, it is the secondary championship exclusive to the SmackDown brand...
(4 times) – Jeff - WWE United States ChampionshipWWE United States ChampionshipThe WWE United States Championship is a professional wrestling championship in WWE. It was originally a National Wrestling Alliance and World Championship Wrestling championship, and is currently the secondary championship of the Raw brand....
(1 time) - Matt - WWF Light Heavyweight ChampionshipWWF Light Heavyweight ChampionshipThe World Wrestling Federation Light Heavyweight Championship was a professional wrestling championship. The title was challenged by light heavyweights at a maximum weight of 220 lbs.- History :...
(1 time) – Jeff - WWE Cruiserweight ChampionshipWWE Cruiserweight ChampionshipThe World Wrestling Entertainment Cruiserweight Championship was a professional wrestling championship in World Wrestling Entertainment and was originally a World Championship Wrestling title. It was challenged by cruiserweights at a maximum weight of 215 lbs...
(1 time) - Matt - WWF/E World Tag Team Championship (6 times)
- WWE Tag Team ChampionshipWWE Tag Team ChampionshipThe WWE Tag Team Championship is a professional wrestling world tag team championship in WWE. It was established as a second title for tag teams in WWE in 2002 to complement the original World Tag Team Championship...
(1 time) – with Montel Vontavious Porter - Matt - WWF Women's ChampionshipWWE Women's ChampionshipThe WWE Women's Championship was a professional wrestling championship in the World Wrestling Entertainment promotion. Created in 1956, it was the oldest active professional wrestling championship in World Wrestling Entertainment history until its retirement in 2010 as a result from a unification...
(1 time) – LitaAmy DumasAmy Christine Dumas , known by her primary stage name Lita, is the lead singer for the band The Luchagors as well as a retired professional wrestler and WWE Diva active from 1999 to 2006.... - Terri Invitational TournamentTerri RunnelsTerri Lynne Boatright Runnels is a former World Championship Wrestling and World Wrestling Federation professional wrestling manager, television host and occasional wrestler....
- Ninth Grand Slam Champion - Jeff
- Eighteenth Triple Crown Champion - Jeff
- Slammy Award for Extreme Moment of the Year (2008) Swanton Bomb to Randy OrtonRandy OrtonRandal Keith "Randy" Orton is an American professional wrestler and actor. He is signed to WWE wrestling on its SmackDown brand...
from the top of the Raw set (Raw, January 14) - Jeff - Slammy Award for Extreme Moment of the Year (2009) Jumping from ladder onto CM PunkCM PunkPhillip Jack "Phil" Brooks , better known by his ring name CM Punk, is an American professional wrestler currently signed to WWE and working on its Raw brand currently serving his second title reign as WWE Champion....
at SummerSlamSummerSlam (2009)SummerSlam was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment , which took place on August 23, 2009 at Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. It was the 22nd annual SummerSlam event and featured talent from the Raw, SmackDown, and ECW brands...
- Jeff**
- WWE Championship