Matt Hardy
Encyclopedia
Matthew Moore "Matt" Hardy (born September 23, 1974) is a semi-retired American
professional wrestler
. He is best known for his stints in World Wrestling Entertainment
(WWE) and Total Nonstop Action Wrestling
(TNA).
Before signing with WWE, Hardy, with his brother Jeff
, founded a wrestling organization called Organization of Modern Extreme Grappling Arts
(OMEGA). While there, Hardy held many championships including the Heavyweight
and Tag Team Championship
, which he held with Jeff. The promotion folded in October 1999 when they signed contracts with WWE. The Hardys gained notoriety in WWE's tag team
division due to their participation in Tables, Ladders, and Chairs match
es. As a tag team wrestler, Hardy is a six-time World Tag Team Champion, a one-time WWE Tag Team Champion
, and a one-time WCW Tag Team Champion
.
Apart from his success as a tag team wrestler, Hardy is a one-time world champion, having won the ECW Championship
in 2008. He also has won other singles championships, having held the Hardcore
, European
, Cruiserweight
, and United States Championship
on one occasion each.
and friends, started their own federation, the Trampoline Wrestling Federation (TWF) and mimicked the moves they saw on television. They later created their own wrestling promotion
, OMEGA Wrestling
, in which Hardy competed under the name High Voltage. Shortly after Hardy sent in a tape for the World Championship Wrestling
(WCW) Amateur Challenge using the ring name High Voltage, a tag team named High Voltage
began competing in WCW, causing Hardy to change his name to Surge. A few years later, it was revealed to him by Chris Kanyon
that the tape had been kept in the WCW Power Plant
, watched multiple times, and that the name High Voltage was blatantly stolen from it.
The Hardys also wrestled for several other North Carolina based wrestling organizations and adapted a number of alter-egos. As The Wolverine, Hardy captured the New England Wrestling Alliance (NEWA) Championship in May 1994. As High Voltage, he teamed with Venom
to claim the New Frontier Wrestling Association (NFWA) Tag Team titles in March 1995. A month later, High Voltage defeated the Willow
for the NFWA Championship.
(WWF) from 1994 up until he signed a full-time contract. His first WWF match was against Nikolai Volkoff
on May 23, 1994, which he lost by submission He wrestled sporadically throughout 1994 in the WWF, losing matches against Crush
, Razor Ramon
, Owen Hart
and The Undertaker. Hardy continued wrestling with the WWF sporadically, including matches against Hunter Hearst Helmsley
and "The Ringmaster" Steve Austin
. It was not until 1998, however, that the Hardy brothers were given full-time WWF contracts, and sent to train with former wrestler Dory Funk, Jr.
. The Hardy Boyz
used a cruiserweight
, fast-paced high flying style in their matches, often leaping from great heights to do damage to their opponents (and themselves in the process). Although Jeff was better known for his extreme moves, Hardy was a prodigious high-flier himself. In 1999, while feuding with Edge and Christian
, the duo briefly picked up Michael Hayes
as a manager
. On July 5, they won their first WWF Tag team Championship
by defeating the Acolytes
, but lost it back to them a month later. They soon dumped Hayes however, and joined the short lived stable The New Brood with Gangrel
. After breaking away from Gangrel, Hardy and Jeff were briefly managed by Terri Runnels
, after they won her services in the first ever tag team ladder match
.
In 2000, the Hardy Boyz found a new manager in their real-life friend Lita
. Together, the three became known as "Team Xtreme". Throughout 2000 they continued feuding with Edge and Christian
, defeating them for the WWF Tag Team Titles on two occasions. Hardy won the WWE Hardcore Championship
on April 24, 2000, on Raw is War
, by defeating Crash Holly
, but lost it back to Holly three days later on SmackDown!. At SummerSlam
the Hardy Boyz competed in the first ever Tables, Ladders, and Chairs match
, for the Tag Team Titles against the Dudley Boyz
and Edge and Christian
, but were unsuccessful.
In 2001, after Jeff
's Intercontinental Championship
run, Hardy was given a singles championship push. He won the European Championship
on SmackDown! four days before Backlash. Hardy believes that he was pushed to win the title because of Jeff winning the Intercontinental Championship, and because of the effort he put into his previous storyline with Triple H
and Stone Cold Steve Austin
. He became the second-longest reigning European Champion in history and the longest-reigning American-born European Champion.
Throughout the year, the Hardy Boyz continued to win as a tag team, winning the WWF Tag Team Titles two more times, and the WCW Tag Team Championship during the Invasion. By the end of the year, the Hardy Boyz began a storyline where they were having trouble co-existing. This culminated in a match between the two, with Lita as the guest referee, at the Vengeance
pay-per-view, which Jeff won.
At the beginning of 2002, it seemed Team Xtreme had patched things up. After the Brand Extension, however, Hardy was relegated to Heat while Jeff wrestled on the main show, Raw. On the August 12 episode of Raw, Hardy turned against Jeff during Jeff's match against Rob Van Dam
, because Hardy was frustrated at not receiving a match against Van Dam for the number one contendership for the Intercontinental Championship. A short time later, Hardy joined the SmackDown! roster. On the October 3 episode of the show, Hardy took advantage of a run-in from Brock Lesnar
to defeat The Undertaker.
Having now dubbed himself "Matt Hardy: Version 1", and with his MF'er (Mattitude Follower) Shannon Moore
in his corner, 2003 began with Hardy frantically trying to lose weight to get under the 220 lb (99.8 kg) weight limit to compete for the WWE Cruiserweight Championship
. After just barely making weight, Hardy defeated Billy Kidman at No Way Out
to win the Cruiserweight title. At WrestleMania XIX
, he successfully defended it against Rey Mysterio. The Mattitude faction then expanded to include Crash Holly
as Moore's "Moore-on" (follower). He later disbanded the group and returned to Raw in order to be able to travel and work with his then girlfriend Lita
, who just returned from an injury. On his first night back, he turned on Lita in storyline after teasing a proposal to her. Hardy spent little time on Raw and later turned into a fan favorite by engaging in a rivalry with Kane
. Lita was also involved in the storyline, and Hardy took time off after a chokeslam
from Kane off the stage during Lita and Kane's wedding. This time off was due to a knee injury.
, Hardy was released by WWE on April 11, 2005. Edge and Lita received jeers from the crowds at WWE events, often resulting in chants, "You screwed Matt", and, "We want Matt". Paul Heyman
, in a "shoot" promo, mocked Edge for his actions at One Night Stand
. Lita, for the first time in over five years, became a heel
(villainous character) as a result of the affair becoming public knowledge. Fans began a petition on the internet, wanting WWE to re-sign Hardy, and amassed over fifteen thousand signatures.
Hardy released two character promotional vignettes, that he was planning to use before he was offered a new contract by WWE. Hardy called himself The Angelic Diablo with the tagline "the scar will become a symbol" in reference to the way in which he had been treated by Lita and WWE. On the June 20 episode of Raw, during the storyline wedding of Edge and Lita, Hardy's entrance music and video were played when the priest asked if anyone had a reason why Edge and Lita should not be wed. On the July 11 episode of Raw, Hardy made his return, attacking Edge as he made his way to the ring. On the July 13 edition of WWE's webcast Byte This!, which featured Lita as its guest, one of the callers was Hardy himself. The two engaged in a huge argument which led to Lita walking off the set.
Hardy appeared at a scheduled Ring of Honor
(ROH) event on July 16 in Woodbridge, Connecticut
where he defeated Christopher Daniels
via submission. Hardy also cut a brief promo where he continued in full 'worked shoot' mode, attacking WWE and John Laurinaitis
. Following his official return to WWE, Hardy was met with backlash following a match with Homicide
from the fans at a subsequent ROH event, which Hardy won. The next day at his final ROH appearance, he lost to Roderick Strong
.
On July 11, 2005, Hardy posted on his website that he was finally "free", that wrestling fans had not seen the last of him, and that he had a surprise for the fans who had supported him. That night on Raw
, Hardy attacked Edge backstage and again later during Edge's match with Kane, leaving the commentators speechless. Before being escorted out of the building by security, Hardy stated that Edge and Lita would pay for their actions and told fans that they could see him at Ring of Honor while security officials and event staff were trying to restrain him. Hardy also called out Johnny Ace as security had him in handcuffs
taking him out of the arena. This caused an uproar amongst fans, who were confused and wondered if the whole thing was a work or a shoot. Similar occurrences repeated during the following two weeks.
On the August 1 episode of Raw, Vince McMahon
officially announced Hardy's return to WWE, adding that Hardy would face Edge at SummerSlam
. Hardy made his in-ring return, defeating Snitsky
on the August 8 Raw. Seconds after the victory, Hardy was attacked by Edge, and as he was being carried backstage, Matt counterattacked Edge in the locker room. On August 21 at SummerSlam, their match came to a premature end when Edge dropped Hardy onto the top of a ring post, causing him to bleed heavily. The referee ended the match on the grounds that Hardy could not continue, and Edge was declared the winner. After SummerSlam, the two continued fighting on Raw, including a Street Fight that resulted in Hardy performing a Side Effect on Edge off the entrance stage and into electrical equipment below. At Unforgiven
, Edge faced Hardy in a steel cage match. Hardy caught an interfering Lita with the Twist of Fate and won the match with a leg-drop off the top of the cage. Hardy and Edge faced each other at WWE Homecoming in a Loser Leaves Raw ladder match. Edge's briefcase holding the contract for his WWE World title shot was suspended above the ring. The winner of the match received the contract and the loser was forced to leave Raw. After a contentious match, Edge tied Hardy's arms in the ropes, and Lita trapped Hardy in a crucifix hold, leaving Hardy only able to watch Edge win. When the match ended, Edge and Lita gloated over the victory, but Hardy took it in stride and left the arena. With his defeat at the hands of Edge, Hardy was moved to the SmackDown! brand where he re-debuted with a win over Simon Dean
on October 21 in Reno, Nevada
.
Back on SmackDown!, Hardy started an angle with MNM
(Johnny Nitro and Joey Mercury
) and their manager
Melina
when Melina approached Hardy, seemingly wanting Hardy to join with her team. Hardy refused the offer, which led to him facing the tag team on several occasions with a variety of partners. One of his partners, Road Warrior Animal
, brutally attacked him after they were defeated – sick of "pulling all the weight in tag teams". Animal, who was renamed The Road Warrior, and Hardy feuded
for a while after this, with Hardy picking up several wins over the veteran, including a qualifying match for the Money in the Bank ladder match
at WrestleMania 22
, which was ultimately won by Rob Van Dam
.
Hardy next competed in the SmackDown! King of the Ring tournament, losing to eventual winner Booker T
in the opening round thanks to a low blow and distraction from Sharmell. Hardy also became the first man to defeat Mr. Kennedy. On July 25, after the SmackDown! taping, Hardy was taken out of action after doctors found the remnants of the staph infection
that had plagued him the previous year. He was sidelined until August 25 while he healed. Hardy made a surprise appearance backstage at Unforgiven
after Jeff's match against Johnny Nitro. Lita joined the two in the segment, making this the first time the three had been seen together on WWE television since February 2003. Hardy then began a rivalry against Gregory Helms
which saw both winning over each other time and time again. Then at No Mercy
, in both of their hometown, Cameron, North Carolina, Hardy beat Helms. The two met again one more time at Survivor Series
, where Hardy's team won in a clean sweep.
On the November 21, 2006 episode of ECW on Sci Fi, Hardy and Jeff competed in a match together for the first time in almost five years, defeating the Full Blooded Italians
. At Survivor Series
, the Hardy Boyz competed with CM Punk
and D-Generation X
(Triple H
and Shawn Michaels
) as part of Team DX versus Team Rated-RKO (which included Edge, Randy Orton
, Johnny Nitro with Melina, Mike Knox
, and Gregory Helms) in a traditional Survivor Series match. Team DX won with a shut out, last eliminating Orton. At December to Dismember, the Hardy Boyz issued an open challenge to any tag team who wanted to face them. MNM answered their challenge by reuniting at December to Dismember, but ultimately lost to the Hardy Boyz. At Armageddon
, Hardy and Jeff competed against Paul London and Brian Kendrick
, MNM, and Dave Taylor and William Regal in a Ladder match
for the WWE Tag Team Championship but lost. Subsequently, he and Jeff feuded with Joey Mercury and Johnny Nitro after the legitimate incident where they injured Mercury's face at Armageddon 2006. This led to a bitter long term rivalry, and at the 2007 Royal Rumble
, Hardy and Jeff defeated MNM. Mercury and Hardy continued to feud until Mercury was released from WWE in March. Before Mercury's release, however, Hardy defeated him to earn a spot in the Money in the Bank ladder match
at WrestleMania 23
, which was ultimately won by Mr. Kennedy.
The next night on Raw, the Hardys competed in a 10-team battle royal for the World Tag Team Championship. They won the titles for the sixth time after last eliminating Lance Cade and Trevor Murdoch. After briefly feuding with Cade and Murdoch, the Hardys retained their World Tag Team Championship in their first title defense at Backlash
. Similar results occurred at Judgment Day
. One month later at One Night Stand
, they defeated The World's Greatest Tag Team
to retain the titles in a Ladder match. The following night on Raw, The Hardys lost their titles to Cade and Murdoch, after Murdoch pushed Jeff's foot off the bottom rope during Cade's pinfall, causing the three count to continue. They invoked their rematch clause against Cade and Murdoch at Vengeance: Night of Champions
, but were unsuccessful.
On the July 6, 2007 episode of SmackDown!, Hardy won a non-title match against WWE United States Champion Montel Vontavious Porter (MVP), which resulted in a feud between the two. Hardy was unable to defeat MVP at The Great American Bash
for the WWE United States Championship
. MVP then claimed that he was "better than Hardy at everything", which led to a series of contests between Hardy and MVP, such as a basketball
game, an arm wrestling
contest, and a chess
match which MVP "sneezed" on and ruined when Hardy put him in check. MVP challenged Hardy to a boxing match at Saturday Night's Main Event, however MVP was legitimately diagnosed with the heart condition Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome
. Since MVP was unable to compete, Hardy faced his replacement, former world champion boxer, Evander Holyfield
. The match ended in a no contest after MVP entered the ring to verbally abuse Holyfield, who then knocked him out. MVP also challenged Hardy to a beer drinking contest at SummerSlam
, but as revenge for what happened at SNME, Hardy allowed Stone Cold Steve Austin
to replace him; Austin simply performed a stunner
on MVP then kept drinking.
After a segment involving MVP inadvertently choosing Hardy as his tag-team partner, Theodore Long
promptly set up a match against Deuce 'n Domino
for the WWE Tag Team Championship which the duo were able to win, therefore setting up Hardy's first reign as WWE Tag Team Champion. It was the first time Hardy held a tag team championship with someone other than his brother. Hardy and MVP retained the titles at Unforgiven
in a rematch against former champions Deuce 'n Domino. Hardy was scheduled to face MVP at Cyber Sunday
, but due to a head injury sustained on the previous episode of SmackDown!, he was not medically cleared to compete.
On the November 16 episode of SmackDown!, Hardy and MVP dropped the WWE Tag Team Championship to John Morrison and The Miz
. Despite the fact that Hardy was hurt, MVP immediately invoked the rematch clause. After the rematch, in which Hardy was forced to tap out, MVP attacked Hardy, repeatedly targeting his knee. It was later confirmed by WWE.com that Hardy had suffered an injury at his former partner's hands and that he might not be able to compete at Survivor Series
. Despite his absence at the pay-per-view, his team was able to win the match. On November 21, WWE's official website reported that Hardy underwent an emergency appendectomy in Tampa, Florida
. A CAT scan revealed an inflamed appendix after Hardy was feeling extreme pain. Later surgery revealed that his appendix had already burst. According to Hardy himself, on December 8 doctors back in North Carolina found an abscess of infection that had not been caught, and he had it drained, spending an additional several days in the hospital. Hardy made an appearance at the December 31 episode of Raw
supporting his brother Jeff. To further Jeff's storyline with Randy Orton
, however, Hardy was attacked by Orton. Hardy made his return at a live event in Muncie, Indiana
on March 1, 2008.
On March 30, 2008, at WrestleMania XXIV
, Hardy made his televised return to WWE programming in the Money in the Bank ladder match
by cutting through the crowd, and attacking MVP to prevent him from winning the match. He made his official in-ring return the next night on Raw, losing a singles match to WWE Champion Randy Orton. On the April 4 episode of SmackDown!, Hardy faced MVP in a non-title match, which he won, re-igniting their storyline rivalry. On April 27, 2008, Hardy defeated MVP to win the United States Championship
at Backlash
.
After some sporadic feuds for the title, Hardy was drafted to the ECW brand on the June 23, 2008 episode of Raw
during the 2008 WWE Draft
, in the process making the United States Championship exclusive to ECW. After a successful title defense against Chavo Guerrero
at Night of Champions
, he dropped the United States Championship to Shelton Benjamin
at the Great American Bash
pay-per-view on July 20, 2008, which meant that the title returned to SmackDown.
's ECW World Heavyweight Championship
after defeating John Morrison, The Miz
and Finlay
in a fatal four-way match. He won the title match at SummerSlam
by disqualification due to interference from Henry's manager, Tony Atlas
, thus he failed to win the title. Due to the ending of the pay-per-view match, Hardy received a rematch for the title on the next episode of ECW, but again failed to win the title when Henry pinned him after a distraction by Atlas.
At Unforgiven
, Hardy won the ECW World Heavyweight Championship during the Championship scramble match, defeating then-champion Henry, The Miz, Finlay and Chavo Guerrero
by pinning the Miz with three minutes left, thus making Hardy the first person in history to win a championship scramble in WWE, and marking his first world heavyweight championship win. He continued to feud with Henry until No Mercy
, where Hardy successfully retained the title. After successful defenses against Henry, Chavo, Finlay, and Evan Bourne, Hardy lost the title to Jack Swagger on the January 13, 2009 episode of ECW, which was taped on January 12.
At the 2009 Royal Rumble
pay-per-view, after losing an ECW Championship rematch to Swagger, Hardy turned into a villain when he hit his brother Jeff with a steel chair
, allowing Edge to win the WWE Championship
. On the January 27, 2009 episode of ECW, it was announced by General Manager Theodore Long
that Hardy had requested, and been granted, his release from ECW, and had re-signed with the SmackDown brand. As part of the buildup to this feud, Hardy implied that he was responsible for all of Jeff's accidents leading back to November, including an automobile accident and a pyrotechnics
accident, in an attempt to stop Jeff holding the WWE Championship, and at WrestleMania XXV
, Hardy defeated Jeff in an Extreme Rules match, and in a stretcher match on the following episode of SmackDown.
On the April 13 episode of Raw, Hardy was drafted to the Raw brand as part of the WWE draft
. Two weeks later, in a rematch from WrestleMania, Hardy lost to Jeff in an "I Quit" match at Backlash
, in which he broke his hand. Hardy continued to wrestle with his hand in a cast, incorporating it into his persona and claiming that he was wrestling under protest. At the June 22 taping of WWE Superstars
, Hardy suffered yet another injury, when his intestines "exploded" through his abdominal wall, during a Triple Threat match against MVP and Kofi Kingston
. Hardy had suffered a tear in his abdominal muscle two years previously, but had not needed surgery until it worsened, and became a danger to his health.
match between his brother, Jeff, and CM Punk, and helped Jeff retain the championship by counting the pinfall. The following week Hardy saved his brother when CM Punk and The Hart Dynasty
attacked both Jeff and John Morrison, turning into a fan favorite
again. On the August 21 episode of SmackDown, after apologizing for his past actions towards Jeff, he had his first match back after his injury when he teamed with Jeff and John Morrison to defeat The Hart Dynasty and CM Punk, when Matt pinned Punk.
In early 2010, Hardy began an onscreen relationship with Maria
; the relationship was short-lived, however, as Maria was released from her WWE contract. On the February 16, 2010 episode of ECW, it was announced that Hardy would be mentoring Justin Gabriel on WWE NXT
. On the March 5 episode of SmackDown, Hardy qualified for the Money in the Bank ladder match at WrestleMania XXVI
by defeating Drew McIntyre, but was unsuccessful at WrestleMania, as the match was won by Jack Swagger. Hardy was kayfabe suspended by Vince McMahon
because he attacked Drew McIntyre after McIntyre lost to Kofi Kingston
at Over the Limit. He was able to get his revenge on McIntyre during the Viewer's Choice episode of Raw when chosen as the opponent for McIntyre, with Theodore Long
stating that Hardy was suspended from SmackDown but not from Raw. On the following edition of Smackdown however, McIntyre announced per orders of Vince McMahon
, that Hardy had been suspended from all WWE programming. At Fatal 4-Way
however, Hardy prevented McIntyre from regaining the Intercontinental Championship, thus continuing their feud. On the following edition of SmackDown he was reinstated by General Manager Theodore Long
and had a match with McIntyre which Hardy won. After the match, it was announced that McIntyre's visa had legitimately expired and was sent back to Scotland, thus ending their feud.
On September 12, WWE confirmed they had sent Hardy home from a European tour. Following this Hardy began posting videos on his YouTube
channel expressing his disinterest in the WWE product and insisting that he wanted to be released from the company. On October 15, 2010, WWE announced that Hardy had been released from his contract. Hardy later stated that his release had been in effect two weeks before WWE made the announcement.
(TNA) at the Genesis
pay-per-view, as part of the heel stable Immortal
. He was the surprise opponent for Rob Van Dam, and defeated him to prevent Van Dam from receiving a match for the TNA World Heavyweight Championship
, held by Hardy's brother Jeff. In the main event, Hardy attempted to interfere in Jeff's World Heavyweight Championship match with Mr. Anderson, but was stopped by Van Dam, which led to Jeff losing both the match and the championship. On the January 13 episode of TNA Impact!
the Hardy Boyz reunited to defeat Anderson and Van Dam in a tag team match, following interference from Beer Money, Inc.
. Two weeks later, Hardy suffered his first loss in TNA when he was defeated by Mr. Anderson. On February 13 at Against All Odds
, Rob Van Dam defeated Hardy in a rematch.
On the following edition of Impact!, Hardy, along with the rest of Immortal and Ric Flair
, betrayed Fortune
. On March 13 at Victory Road
Hardy was defeated by Flair's previous protégé, A.J. Styles
. On April 17 at Lockdown
, Immortal, represented by Hardy, Abyss, Bully Ray and Ric Flair, was defeated by Fortune members James Storm
, Kazarian
and Robert Roode and Christopher Daniels, who replaced an injured A.J. Styles, in a Lethal Lockdown match. On the April 21 episode of Impact!, Hardy faced Sting
for the TNA World Heavyweight Championship
, Hardy's first World Title match in TNA, but was defeated. The following month Hardy was granted a shot at the TNA World Tag Team Championship
against James Storm and Robert Roode, Beer Money, Inc. While the champions looked to defend the title against the Hardy Boyz, Matt instead introduced the returning Chris Harris
, Storm's old tag team partner, as his partner for the title match. The match took place at Sacrifice
, where Storm and Roode retained their title.
On June 20 Hardy announced that he was taking a few weeks off from TNA. The following day, it was reported that the promotion had actually suspended Hardy. On August 20, Hardy was released from TNA following a DWI arrest that occurred earlier that same day.
Hardy announced his retirement from full time professional wrestling due to injuries on September 1.
episode "That Wrestling Show". Hardy and Jeff also appeared on Tough Enough
in early 2001, talking to and wrestling the contestants. He appeared in the February 25, 2002 episode of Fear Factor
competing against five other World Wrestling Federation
wrestlers. He became the eventual winner, and won $
50,000 for the American Cancer Society
. Hardy also appeared on the October 13, 2009 episode of Scare Tactics
, as a mental patient who threatens to attack the prank's victim.
In 2001, Hardy, Jeff and Lita appeared in Rolling Stone
magazine's 2001 Sports Hall of Fame issue. In 2003, Hardy and Jeff, with the help of Michael Krugman, wrote and published their autobiography The Hardy Boyz: Exist 2 Inspire. As part of WWE, Hardy appeared in their 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 featured footage of the brothers in OMEGA and WWE. Hardy also appears on The Hardy Show, an internet web show which features the Hardys, Shannon Moore
and many of their friends.
Son to Gilbert and Ruby Moore Hardy, he is the older brother of Jeff Hardy
. Their mother died of brain cancer in 1986. Hardy played baseball as a child and throughout high school, but had stopped by his senior year. He also played football, either as a linebacker
or a defensive end
. Hardy was a good student at Union Pines High School in North Carolina, and was a nominee for the "Morehead Award", a scholarship to any university in North Carolina
. Hardy attended University of North Carolina at Charlotte
, where he majored in engineering; however, after a year he dropped out due to his father being ill. He then attended Sandhills Community College in Pinehurst
to gain his associate's degree.
Hardy is good friends with Marty Garner
, Shannon Moore
and Gregory Helms
. Hardy was in a six year relationship with former WWE Diva Amy Dumas
, known by the ring name "Lita". They first met in January 1999, at a NWA Mid-Atlantic
show, but did not begin dating until a few months later. They used to share a home in North Carolina. The couple broke up when she had an affair with one of Hardy's close friends, fellow wrestler Adam "Edge" Copeland in February 2005. Hardy has stated in interviews that he and Dumas have since patched things up, and he still considers her a close friend. He also dated former WWE Diva Ashley Massaro
. In February 2011, Hardy stated he was dating Reby Sky
.
Hardy was arrested on August 20, 2011 for driving while intoxicated
after crashing into a tree, and was released by TNA shortly later. Hardy was later also charged with reckless driving
, with a hearing scheduled to take place October 11. Four days later, Hardy was rushed to an emergency room, after falling down in his house.
On August 30, Hardy posted a video on his YouTube channel, which has since been taken down by the site, implying that he was about to commit suicide: "Goodbye, World... My time here is Almost complete... I only have a few hours & minutes... I loved you all... Regardless of how you felt about me... I'll miss you all... September 23, 1974 - August 31, 2011." The video sparked 25 to 30 phone calls to 911 to check on Hardy's well being. Police checked on Hardy and confirmed that he was not planning to commit suicide, with the video apparently being a hoax by Hardy. The stunt drew much criticism; his sister-in-law Beth Britt claimed that "the f---ing joke is over. Stop trying to work the internet." and WWE commentator Jim Ross
commented that the "Matt Hardy fiasco [was] totally embarrassing and inexplicable", asking for Hardy to "seek answers". Hardy later claimed on Twitter
that the "YouTube Video was not in any way a suicide note.. No words such as death, suicide, kill, heaven or hell were included", and defended his actions as he "needed one last attention grabber to let the World know that Matt Hardy has re-found his true self."
On September 12, 2011, Hardy was arrested on another DWI charge, with a court date set for November 30. Hardy was arrested for the third time in a month on September 14, when his girlfriend Reby Sky called 911, claiming that he was "strung out on pills and needed help". Police found 20 vials of anabolic steroids, one dose of ecstasy, drug paraphernalia and $1,900 in cash after conducting a search of his home. Hardy was arrested on charges of possession with intent to sell or deliver a controlled substance, possession of a controlled substance, maintaining a drug dwelling and possession of drug paraphernalia.
On September 19, Hardy announced that he was going to check himself into a WWE-sponsored rehabilitation center for the next three months. It was later reported that entering rehab was one of the conditions for Hardy's release from custody on his latest arrest. On November 19, Hardy was kicked out of the rehabilitation center, with a month left to complete the program, for failing a breathalyzer test. Following this, Hardy was arrested for violating the court order when he returned to Moore County
in North Carolina
, and was put in the Moore County jail on a $1.0 million bond. On November 29, Hardy was released from jail on the condition that he complete his court-ordered drug rehabilitation, and his bond from $1.0 million to $100,000, which Hardy posted in order to be released to rehab. If Hardy fails to complete rehab on the second try, he will be jailed again, but on a reduced bond of $250,000.
1The titles have been vacant since 1999 due to the Hardy Boys
signing contracts with the WWF and have been declared inactive until they defend the titles again.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
professional wrestler
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...
. He is best known for his stints in World Wrestling Entertainment
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...
(WWE) and 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).
Before signing with WWE, Hardy, with his brother Jeff
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...
, founded a wrestling organization called 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). While there, Hardy held many championships including the Heavyweight
OMEGA Heavyweight Championship
The 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....
and 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:...
, which he held with Jeff. The promotion folded in October 1999 when they signed contracts with WWE. The Hardys gained notoriety in WWE's 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...
division due to their participation in 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. As a tag team wrestler, Hardy is a six-time World Tag Team Champion, a one-time WWE Tag Team Champion
WWE Tag Team Championship
The 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...
, and a one-time WCW Tag Team Champion
WCW World Tag Team Championship
The World Championship Wrestling Tag Team Championship was a professional wrestling world tag team championship in World Championship Wrestling...
.
Apart from his success as a tag team wrestler, Hardy is a one-time world champion, having won the ECW Championship
ECW World Heavyweight Championship
The Extreme Championship Wrestling World Heavyweight Championship was a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in Extreme Championship Wrestling and World Wrestling Entertainment...
in 2008. He also has won other singles championships, having held the Hardcore
WWE Hardcore Championship
The 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...
, European
WWE European Championship
The 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...
, Cruiserweight
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...
, and United States Championship
WWE United States Championship
The 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....
on one occasion each.
Professional wrestling career
Hardy, along with his brother JeffJeff 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...
and friends, started their own federation, the Trampoline Wrestling Federation (TWF) and mimicked the moves they saw on television. They later created their own wrestling promotion
Professional wrestling promotion
A professional wrestling promotion is a company or business that regularly performs shows involving professional wrestling. Promotion also describes a role which entails management, advertising and logistics of running a wrestling event...
, OMEGA Wrestling
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....
, in which Hardy competed under the name High Voltage. Shortly after Hardy sent in a tape for the World Championship Wrestling
World Championship Wrestling
World Championship Wrestling, Inc. was an American professional wrestling promotion which existed from 1988 to 2001. Based in Atlanta, Georgia, it began as a regional promotion affiliated with the National Wrestling Alliance , named Jim Crockett Promotions until November 1988, when Ted Turner and...
(WCW) Amateur Challenge using the ring name High Voltage, a tag team named High Voltage
High Voltage (professional wrestling)
High Voltage was a tag team in World Championship Wrestling between 1996 and 1998. The team consisted of Robbie Rage and Kenny Kaos. The team regularly appeared on WCW Saturday Night and WCW World Wide. They were not successful on WCW Monday Nitro...
began competing in WCW, causing Hardy to change his name to Surge. A few years later, it was revealed to him by Chris Kanyon
Chris Kanyon
Christopher Klucsarits was an American professional wrestler, best known for his work in World Championship Wrestling and the World Wrestling Federation, under the ring names Chris Kanyon and Mortis.-Early career:After college, he began training under Pete McKay Gonzalez, Ismael Gerena and Bobby...
that the tape had been kept in the WCW Power Plant
WCW Power Plant
The WCW Power Plant was a professional wrestling school located in Atlanta, Georgia and owned and operated by World Championship Wrestling. The Power Plant, which was developed from a school operated by Jody Hamilton, was in operation throughout the 1990s...
, watched multiple times, and that the name High Voltage was blatantly stolen from it.
The Hardys also wrestled for several other North Carolina based wrestling organizations and adapted a number of alter-egos. As The Wolverine, Hardy captured the New England Wrestling Alliance (NEWA) Championship in May 1994. As High Voltage, he teamed with Venom
Jason Arhndt
Jason 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...
to claim the New Frontier Wrestling Association (NFWA) Tag Team titles in March 1995. A month later, High Voltage defeated the Willow
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...
for the NFWA Championship.
The Hardy Boyz (1998–2001)
Hardy worked as a jobber for 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) from 1994 up until he signed a full-time contract. His first WWF match was against Nikolai Volkoff
Nikolai Volkoff
Josip Nikolai Peruzović , better known by his ring name of Nikolai Volkoff, is a professional wrestler who is best known for his performances for the World Wrestling Federation...
on May 23, 1994, which he lost by submission He wrestled sporadically throughout 1994 in the WWF, losing matches against Crush
Brian Adams (wrestler)
Brian Keith Adams was an American professional wrestler. Adams gained fame in the 1990s while performing for the World Wrestling Federation , under the name Crush, and for World Championship Wrestling under his given name.Trained in Japan by Antonio Inoki, Adams was a two time WCW World Tag Team...
, Razor Ramon
Scott Hall
Scott Hall is an American professional wrestler. He is best known for his tenure with the World Wrestling Federation in the early and mid 1990s under the ring name Razor Ramon, as well as for his period in the mid 1990s and early 2000s with World Championship Wrestling under his real name...
, Owen Hart
Owen Hart
Owen James Hart was a Canadian professional and amateur wrestler who worked for several promotions including Stampede Wrestling, New Japan Pro Wrestling , World Championship Wrestling , and most notably, the World Wrestling Federation , where he wrestled under both his own name, and ring name The...
and The Undertaker. Hardy continued wrestling with the WWF sporadically, including matches against Hunter Hearst Helmsley
Triple H
Paul Michael Levesque is an American professional wrestler, professional wrestling authority figure, WWE Executive Vice President of Talent and actor, better known by his ring name Triple H, an abbreviation of the ring name, Hunter Hearst Helmsley...
and "The Ringmaster" Steve Austin
Stone Cold Steve Austin
Steve Austin , better known by his ring name "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, is an American film and television actor and retired professional wrestler...
. It was not until 1998, however, that the Hardy brothers were given full-time WWF contracts, and sent to train with former wrestler 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...
. The Hardy Boyz
Hardy Boyz
The Hardy Boyz are a professional wrestling tag team, consisting of real-life brothers Matt and Jeff Hardy...
used a cruiserweight
Cruiserweight (professional wrestling)
In professional wrestling, a cruiserweight is a wrestler weighing 220 lb and less, sometimes 215. The older term junior heavyweight, which was used to describe the division, is more favored in Japan, where many titles for lighter-weight competitors are called junior heavyweight titles...
, fast-paced high flying style in their matches, often leaping from great heights to do damage to their opponents (and themselves in the process). Although Jeff was better known for his extreme moves, Hardy was a prodigious high-flier himself. In 1999, while feuding with 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...
, the duo briefly picked up 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 a 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...
. On July 5, they won their first WWF Tag team Championship
World Tag Team Championship
The World Tag Team Championship was the original professional wrestling world tag team championship contested for in World Wrestling Entertainment . It served as the premier title for tag teams in WWE from 1971 until 2002 when a second WWE Tag Team Championship was established...
by defeating 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....
, but lost it back to them a month later. They soon dumped Hayes however, and joined the short lived stable The New Brood 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:...
. After breaking away from Gangrel, Hardy and Jeff were briefly managed by 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....
, after they won her services in the first ever tag team 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...
.
In 2000, the Hardy Boyz found a new 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....
. Together, the three became known as "Team Xtreme". Throughout 2000 they continued feuding with 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...
, defeating them for the WWF Tag Team Titles on two occasions. Hardy won the WWE Hardcore Championship
WWE Hardcore Championship
The 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...
on April 24, 2000, on 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...
, by defeating 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....
, but lost it back to Holly three days later on SmackDown!. 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 competed in the first ever 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....
, for the Tag Team Titles against the Dudley Boyz
Dudley 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...
and 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...
, but were unsuccessful.
Singles career (2001–2005)
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...
's Intercontinental Championship
WWE 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...
run, Hardy was given a singles championship push. He won the European Championship
WWE European Championship
The 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...
on SmackDown! four days before Backlash. Hardy believes that he was pushed to win the title because of Jeff winning the Intercontinental Championship, and because of the effort he put into his previous storyline with Triple H
Triple H
Paul Michael Levesque is an American professional wrestler, professional wrestling authority figure, WWE Executive Vice President of Talent and actor, better known by his ring name Triple H, an abbreviation of the ring name, Hunter Hearst Helmsley...
and Stone Cold Steve Austin
Stone Cold Steve Austin
Steve Austin , better known by his ring name "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, is an American film and television actor and retired professional wrestler...
. He became the second-longest reigning European Champion in history and the longest-reigning American-born European Champion.
Throughout the year, the Hardy Boyz continued to win as a tag team, winning the WWF Tag Team Titles two more times, and the WCW Tag Team Championship during the Invasion. By the end of the year, the Hardy Boyz began a storyline where they were having trouble co-existing. This culminated in a match between the two, with Lita as the guest referee, at the Vengeance
Vengeance (2001)
Vengeance was the first annual Vengeance professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by the World Wrestling Federation . It took place on December 9, 2001 at the San Diego Sports Arena in San Diego, California....
pay-per-view, which Jeff won.
At the beginning of 2002, it seemed Team Xtreme had patched things up. After the Brand Extension, however, Hardy was relegated to Heat while Jeff wrestled on the main show, Raw. On the August 12 episode of Raw, Hardy turned against Jeff during Jeff's match against 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 ....
, because Hardy was frustrated at not receiving a match against Van Dam for the number one contendership for the Intercontinental Championship. A short time later, Hardy joined the SmackDown! roster. On the October 3 episode of the show, Hardy took advantage of a run-in from 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...
to defeat The Undertaker.
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...
in his corner, 2003 began with Hardy frantically trying to lose weight to get under the 220 lb (99.8 kg) weight limit to compete for the WWE 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...
. After just barely making weight, Hardy defeated Billy Kidman at 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...
to win the Cruiserweight title. At WrestleMania XIX
WrestleMania XIX
WrestleMania XIX was the nineteenth annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment . It took place on March 30, 2003 at Safeco Field in Seattle, Washington. The event was the first WrestleMania held in the state of Washington, and the first...
, he successfully defended it against Rey Mysterio. The Mattitude faction then expanded to include 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 Moore's "Moore-on" (follower). He later disbanded the group and returned to Raw in order to be able to travel and work with his then girlfriend 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....
, who just returned from an injury. On his first night back, he turned on Lita in storyline after teasing a proposal to her. Hardy spent little time on Raw and later turned into a fan favorite by engaging in a rivalry with Kane
Kane (wrestler)
Glenn Thomas Jacobs is a Spanish-born American professional wrestler and actor better known by his ring name, Kane. He is signed to WWE, appearing on its SmackDown brand, but is currently inactive due to injury....
. Lita was also involved in the storyline, and Hardy took time off after a chokeslam
Chokeslam
A chokeslam refers to a type of body slam in professional wrestling in which the wrestler grasps their opponent's neck, lifts them up, and slams them to the mat. It is common in televised wrestling because it is simple and relatively safe, yet looks powerful on camera...
from Kane off the stage during Lita and Kane's wedding. This time off was due to a knee injury.
Release and independent circuit (2005)
Along with his friend RhynoTerry 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...
, Hardy was released by WWE on April 11, 2005. Edge and Lita received jeers from the crowds at WWE events, often resulting in chants, "You screwed Matt", and, "We want Matt". 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....
, in a "shoot" promo, mocked Edge for his actions at One Night Stand
ECW One Night Stand (2005)
ECW One Night Stand was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment . It was held on June 12, 2005 at the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York, New York. The main event was a tag team match between The Dudley Boyz and the team of Tommy Dreamer and The Sandman...
. Lita, for the first time in over five years, became a heel
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...
(villainous character) as a result of the affair becoming public knowledge. Fans began a petition on the internet, wanting WWE to re-sign Hardy, and amassed over fifteen thousand signatures.
Hardy released two character promotional vignettes, that he was planning to use before he was offered a new contract by WWE. Hardy called himself The Angelic Diablo with the tagline "the scar will become a symbol" in reference to the way in which he had been treated by Lita and WWE. On the June 20 episode of Raw, during the storyline wedding of Edge and Lita, Hardy's entrance music and video were played when the priest asked if anyone had a reason why Edge and Lita should not be wed. On the July 11 episode of Raw, Hardy made his return, attacking Edge as he made his way to the ring. On the July 13 edition of WWE's webcast Byte This!, which featured Lita as its guest, one of the callers was Hardy himself. The two engaged in a huge argument which led to Lita walking off the set.
Hardy appeared at a scheduled Ring of Honor
Ring of Honor
Ring of Honor ' is an American professional wrestling promotion, founded in 2002 by Rob Feinstein and Gabe Sapolsky. From 2004 to 2011, the promotion was under the ownership of Cary Silkin before being sold to the Sinclair Broadcast Group in May 2011...
(ROH) event on July 16 in Woodbridge, Connecticut
Woodbridge, Connecticut
Woodbridge is a town in New Haven County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 8,983 at the 2000 census. It is one of the wealthiest towns in Connecticut, ranking 16th in the state in terms of per capita income, and is home to many of the faculty of Yale University...
where he defeated Christopher Daniels
Christopher Daniels
Daniel Christopher Covell is an American professional wrestler, best known in the United States by his ring name "The Fallen Angel" Christopher Daniels. He is also known for performing under the ring name Curry Man. He is currently under contract with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling , while also...
via submission. Hardy also cut a brief promo where he continued in full 'worked shoot' mode, attacking WWE and John Laurinaitis
John Laurinaitis
John Joseph Laurinaitis is the Executive Vice President of Talent Relations for WWE and appears on WWE's Raw Brand as interim General Manager. He was previously a professional wrestler under the ring name Johnny Ace, and wrestled for such promotions as the National Wrestling Alliance and All...
. Following his official return to WWE, Hardy was met with backlash following a match with Homicide
Nelson Erazo
Nelson Rodriguez Erazo is an American professional wrestler of Puerto Rican descent, better known by his ring name, Homicide...
from the fans at a subsequent ROH event, which Hardy won. The next day at his final ROH appearance, he lost to Roderick Strong
Roderick Strong
Chris Lindsey is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, Roderick Strong. Strong currently competes in several independent promotions, most notably Ring of Honor , Full Impact Pro , and Pro Wrestling Guerrilla .He initially debuted as The Jester on the Floridian...
.
Return (2005–2006)
WWE RAW
WWE Raw ) is a sports entertainment television program for WWE that currently airs on the USA Network in the United States...
, Hardy attacked Edge backstage and again later during Edge's match with Kane, leaving the commentators speechless. Before being escorted out of the building by security, Hardy stated that Edge and Lita would pay for their actions and told fans that they could see him at Ring of Honor while security officials and event staff were trying to restrain him. Hardy also called out Johnny Ace as security had him in handcuffs
Handcuffs
Handcuffs are restraint devices designed to secure an individual's wrists close together. They comprise two parts, linked together by a chain, a hinge, or rigid bar. Each half has a rotating arm which engages with a ratchet that prevents it from being opened once closed around a person's wrist...
taking him out of the arena. This caused an uproar amongst fans, who were confused and wondered if the whole thing was a work or a shoot. Similar occurrences repeated during the following two weeks.
On the August 1 episode of Raw, Vince McMahon
Vince McMahon
Vincent Kennedy "Vince" McMahon is an American professional wrestling promoter, announcer, commentator, film producer, actor and former occasional professional wrestler. McMahon is the current Chairman, CEO and Chairman of the Executive Committee of professional wrestling promotion WWE...
officially announced Hardy's return to WWE, adding that Hardy would face Edge at SummerSlam
SummerSlam (2005)
SummerSlam was the eighteenth annual SummerSlam professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment . It took place on August 21, 2005 at the MCI Center in Washington, D.C...
. Hardy made his in-ring return, defeating Snitsky
Gene Snitsky
Eugene Alan "Gene" Snisky is a professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Snitsky, who is best known for his time spent with World Wrestling Entertainment. He had played college football at the University of Missouri and was on the pre-season roster in 1995 for the Birmingham Barracudas...
on the August 8 Raw. Seconds after the victory, Hardy was attacked by Edge, and as he was being carried backstage, Matt counterattacked Edge in the locker room. On August 21 at SummerSlam, their match came to a premature end when Edge dropped Hardy onto the top of a ring post, causing him to bleed heavily. The referee ended the match on the grounds that Hardy could not continue, and Edge was declared the winner. After SummerSlam, the two continued fighting on Raw, including a Street Fight that resulted in Hardy performing a Side Effect on Edge off the entrance stage and into electrical equipment below. At Unforgiven
Unforgiven (2005)
Unforgiven was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment . It was the seventh annual Unforgiven event and took place on September 18, 2005 at the Ford Center in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma...
, Edge faced Hardy in a steel cage match. Hardy caught an interfering Lita with the Twist of Fate and won the match with a leg-drop off the top of the cage. Hardy and Edge faced each other at WWE Homecoming in a Loser Leaves Raw ladder match. Edge's briefcase holding the contract for his WWE World title shot was suspended above the ring. The winner of the match received the contract and the loser was forced to leave Raw. After a contentious match, Edge tied Hardy's arms in the ropes, and Lita trapped Hardy in a crucifix hold, leaving Hardy only able to watch Edge win. When the match ended, Edge and Lita gloated over the victory, but Hardy took it in stride and left the arena. With his defeat at the hands of Edge, Hardy was moved to the SmackDown! brand where he re-debuted with a win over Simon Dean
Mike Bucci
Michael "Mike" Bucci is an American semi-retired professional wrestler. Bucci is probably best known for his appearances in Extreme Championship Wrestling as Nova, Super Nova, and "Hollywood" Nova and World Wrestling Entertainment as Simon Dean...
on October 21 in Reno, Nevada
Reno, Nevada
Reno is the county seat of Washoe County, Nevada, United States. The city has a population of about 220,500 and is the most populous Nevada city outside of the Las Vegas metropolitan area...
.
Back on SmackDown!, Hardy started an angle 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....
(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...
) and 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...
Melina
Melina Perez
Melina Nava Perez is an American professional wrestler currently signed to Women Superstars Uncensored. She is best known for her time with World Wrestling Entertainment under the ring mononym Melina....
when Melina approached Hardy, seemingly wanting Hardy to join with her team. Hardy refused the offer, which led to him facing the tag team on several occasions with a variety of partners. One of his partners, Road Warrior Animal
Road Warrior Animal
Joseph Aaron "Joe" Laurinaitis is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring names, Road Warrior Animal and Road Warrior...
, brutally attacked him after they were defeated – sick of "pulling all the weight in tag teams". Animal, who was renamed The Road Warrior, and Hardy feuded
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...
for a while after this, with Hardy picking up several wins over the veteran, including a qualifying match for the Money in the Bank ladder match
Money in the Bank ladder match
The Money in the Bank ladder match is a professional wrestling ladder match held by WWE. The match can feature anywhere from six to ten participants from any WWE brand, with the objective being to retrieve a briefcase that is suspended 20 feet above the ring...
at WrestleMania 22
WrestleMania 22
Notes: .The predominant feud on the SmackDown! brand was between Kurt Angle, Rey Mysterio, and Randy Orton over the World Heavyweight Championship. Mysterio won the 2006 Royal Rumble match, last eliminating Orton, to earn a World Championship match at WrestleMania. At No Way Out, Orton defeated...
, which was ultimately won by 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 ....
.
Hardy next competed in the SmackDown! King of the Ring tournament, losing to eventual winner 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...
in the opening round thanks to a low blow and distraction from Sharmell. Hardy also became the first man to defeat Mr. Kennedy. On July 25, after the SmackDown! taping, Hardy was taken out of action after doctors found the remnants of the staph infection
Staphylococcus aureus
Staphylococcus aureus is a facultative anaerobic Gram-positive coccal bacterium. It is frequently found as part of the normal skin flora on the skin and nasal passages. It is estimated that 20% of the human population are long-term carriers of S. aureus. S. aureus is the most common species of...
that had plagued him the previous year. He was sidelined until August 25 while he healed. Hardy made a surprise appearance backstage at Unforgiven
Unforgiven (2006)
Unforgiven was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment , which took place on September 17, 2006 at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto, Ontario. It was the eighth annual Unforgiven event. The show's seven matches showcased prominent WWE wrestlers, who...
after Jeff's match against Johnny Nitro. Lita joined the two in the segment, making this the first time the three had been seen together on WWE television since February 2003. Hardy then began a rivalry against Gregory Helms
Gregory Helms
Gregory Shane Helms is an American professional wrestler. He is best known for his time with World Wrestling Entertainment where he wrestled as The Hurricane and Gregory Helms. He is also known for his time with World Championship Wrestling where he wrestled as "Sugar" Shane Helms...
which saw both winning over each other time and time again. Then at No Mercy
No Mercy (2006)
No Mercy was the eighth annual No Mercy professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment . It took place on October 8, 2006 from the RBC Center in Raleigh, North Carolina and was a SmackDown! brand-exclusive event.The main event was a Fatal Four-Way match for...
, in both of their hometown, Cameron, North Carolina, Hardy beat Helms. The two met again one more time at 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...
, where Hardy's team won in a clean sweep.
The Hardys reunion (2006–2007)
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:...
. At 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 Hardy Boyz competed with 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 D-Generation X
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...
(Triple H
Triple H
Paul Michael Levesque is an American professional wrestler, professional wrestling authority figure, WWE Executive Vice President of Talent and actor, better known by his ring name Triple H, an abbreviation of the ring name, Hunter Hearst Helmsley...
and Shawn Michaels
Shawn Michaels
Michael Shawn Hickenbottom , better known by his ring name Shawn Michaels, is an American television host and retired professional wrestler. He presents the Outdoor Channel show MacMillan River Adventures, and is currently signed to WWE, where he has served in an ambassadorial role since December...
) as part of Team DX versus Team Rated-RKO (which included Edge, 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...
, Johnny Nitro with Melina, Mike Knox
Mike Knox
Michael Shawn Hettinga is a American professional wrestler. He is best known for wrestling for World Wrestling Entertainment as Mike Knox. He is also an avid fisherman, and fishes in his spare time.-Independent circuit :...
, and Gregory Helms) in a traditional Survivor Series match. Team DX won with a shut out, last eliminating Orton. At December to Dismember, the Hardy Boyz issued an open challenge to any tag team who wanted to face them. MNM answered their challenge by reuniting at December to Dismember, but ultimately lost to the Hardy Boyz. 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...
, Hardy and Jeff competed against 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...
, MNM, and Dave Taylor and William Regal in a 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...
for the WWE Tag Team Championship but lost. Subsequently, he and Jeff feuded with Joey Mercury and Johnny Nitro after the legitimate incident where they injured Mercury's face at Armageddon 2006. This led to a bitter long term rivalry, and at the 2007 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...
, Hardy and Jeff defeated MNM. Mercury and Hardy continued to feud until Mercury was released from WWE in March. Before Mercury's release, however, Hardy defeated him to earn a spot in the Money in the Bank ladder match
Money in the Bank ladder match
The Money in the Bank ladder match is a professional wrestling ladder match held by WWE. The match can feature anywhere from six to ten participants from any WWE brand, with the objective being to retrieve a briefcase that is suspended 20 feet above the ring...
at WrestleMania 23
WrestleMania 23
WrestleMania 23 was the twenty-third annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment . It took place on April 1, 2007 at Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan...
, which was ultimately won by Mr. Kennedy.
The next night on Raw, the Hardys competed in a 10-team battle royal for the World Tag Team Championship. They won the titles for the sixth time after last eliminating Lance Cade and Trevor Murdoch. After briefly feuding with Cade and Murdoch, the Hardys retained their World Tag Team Championship in their first title defense at 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...
. Similar results occurred at 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...
. One month later 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...
, they defeated 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...
to retain the titles in a Ladder match. The following night on Raw, The Hardys lost their titles to Cade and Murdoch, after Murdoch pushed Jeff's foot off the bottom rope during Cade's pinfall, causing the three count to continue. They invoked their rematch clause against Cade and Murdoch at Vengeance: Night of Champions
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 were unsuccessful.
Storyline with MVP (2007–2008)
The Great American Bash (2007)
The Great American Bash was the fourth annual Great American Bash professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment...
for the WWE United States Championship
WWE United States Championship
The 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....
. MVP then claimed that he was "better than Hardy at everything", which led to a series of contests between Hardy and MVP, such as a basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
game, an arm wrestling
Arm wrestling
Arm wrestling is a sport with two participants. Each participant places one arm on a surface with their elbows bent and touching the surface, and they grip each other's hand...
contest, and a chess
Chess
Chess is a two-player board game played on a chessboard, a square-checkered board with 64 squares arranged in an eight-by-eight grid. It is one of the world's most popular games, played by millions of people worldwide at home, in clubs, online, by correspondence, and in tournaments.Each player...
match which MVP "sneezed" on and ruined when Hardy put him in check. MVP challenged Hardy to a boxing match at Saturday Night's Main Event, however MVP was legitimately diagnosed with the heart condition Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome
Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome
Wolff–Parkinson–White syndrome is a disorder of the heart in which the ventricles of the heart contract prematurely due to an accessory pathway known as the bundle of Kent. This accessory pathway is an abnormal electrical communication from the atria to the ventricles...
. Since MVP was unable to compete, Hardy faced his replacement, former world champion boxer, Evander Holyfield
Evander Holyfield
Evander Holyfield is a professional boxer from the United States. He is a former undisputed world champion in both the cruiserweight and heavyweight divisions, earning him the nickname "The Real Deal"...
. The match ended in a no contest after MVP entered the ring to verbally abuse Holyfield, who then knocked him out. MVP also challenged Hardy to a beer drinking contest at SummerSlam
SummerSlam (2007)
SummerSlam was the twentieth annual SummerSlam professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment . It took place on August 26, 2007 at the Continental Airlines Arena in East Rutherford, New Jersey and featured talent from each of WWE's three brands: Raw,...
, but as revenge for what happened at SNME, Hardy allowed Stone Cold Steve Austin
Stone Cold Steve Austin
Steve Austin , better known by his ring name "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, is an American film and television actor and retired professional wrestler...
to replace him; Austin simply performed a stunner
Stunner (professional wrestling)
A stunner is a common term in professional wrestling referring to the seated three-quarter facelock jawbreaker maneuver, predominantly used by Stone Cold Steve Austin and named for his Stone Cold Stunner finisher...
on MVP then kept drinking.
After a segment involving MVP inadvertently choosing Hardy as his tag-team partner, Theodore Long
Theodore Long
Theodore R. "Teddy" Long is an American professional wrestling manager and former referee who currently works for WWE on its SmackDown brand as its General Manager.-National Wrestling Alliance / World Championship Wrestling:...
promptly set up a match against Deuce 'n Domino
Deuce 'n Domino
Deuce 'n Domino was the name of a professional wrestling tag team consisting of Deuce Shade and Dice Domino, who were managed for the majority of their run by Cherry Pie and briefly by Maryse. The pair teamed together in World Wrestling Entertainment and Ohio Valley Wrestling from 2006 through 2008...
for the WWE Tag Team Championship which the duo were able to win, therefore setting up Hardy's first reign as WWE Tag Team Champion. It was the first time Hardy held a tag team championship with someone other than his brother. Hardy and MVP retained the titles at Unforgiven
Unforgiven (2007)
Unforgiven was the tenth annual Unforgiven pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment . It took place on September 16, 2007 from the FedExForum in Memphis, Tennessee and featured talent from the Raw, SmackDown, and ECW brands.The main match on the SmackDown brand was The...
in a rematch against former champions Deuce 'n Domino. Hardy was scheduled to face MVP at Cyber Sunday
Cyber Sunday (2007)
Cyber Sunday was the fourth annual Cyber Sunday professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment . It took place on October 28, 2007 at the Verizon Center in Washington, D.C...
, but due to a head injury sustained on the previous episode of SmackDown!, he was not medically cleared to compete.
On the November 16 episode of SmackDown!, Hardy and MVP dropped the WWE Tag Team Championship 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...
. Despite the fact that Hardy was hurt, MVP immediately invoked the rematch clause. After the rematch, in which Hardy was forced to tap out, MVP attacked Hardy, repeatedly targeting his knee. It was later confirmed by WWE.com that Hardy had suffered an injury at his former partner's hands and that he might not be able to compete at Survivor Series
Survivor Series (2007)
Survivor Series was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment , which took place on November 18, 2007 at the American Airlines Arena in Miami, Florida...
. Despite his absence at the pay-per-view, his team was able to win the match. On November 21, WWE's official website reported that Hardy underwent an emergency appendectomy in Tampa, Florida
Tampa, Florida
Tampa is a city in the U.S. state of Florida. It serves as the county seat for Hillsborough County. Tampa is located on the west coast of Florida. The population of Tampa in 2010 was 335,709....
. A CAT scan revealed an inflamed appendix after Hardy was feeling extreme pain. Later surgery revealed that his appendix had already burst. According to Hardy himself, on December 8 doctors back in North Carolina found an abscess of infection that had not been caught, and he had it drained, spending an additional several days in the hospital. Hardy made an appearance at the December 31 episode of Raw
WWE RAW
WWE Raw ) is a sports entertainment television program for WWE that currently airs on the USA Network in the United States...
supporting his brother Jeff. To further Jeff's storyline with 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...
, however, Hardy was attacked by Orton. Hardy made his return at a live event in Muncie, Indiana
Muncie, Indiana
Muncie is a city in Center Township, Delaware County in east central Indiana, best known as the home of Ball State University and the birthplace of the Ball Corporation. It is the principal city of the Muncie, Indiana, Metropolitan Statistical Area, which has a population of 118,769...
on March 1, 2008.
WrestleMania XXIV
WrestleMania XXIV was the twenty-fourth annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment . The event took place on March 30, 2008, at the Citrus Bowl in Orlando, Florida and was the first WrestleMania to be held in the state of Florida...
, Hardy made his televised return to WWE programming in the Money in the Bank ladder match
Money in the Bank ladder match
The Money in the Bank ladder match is a professional wrestling ladder match held by WWE. The match can feature anywhere from six to ten participants from any WWE brand, with the objective being to retrieve a briefcase that is suspended 20 feet above the ring...
by cutting through the crowd, and attacking MVP to prevent him from winning the match. He made his official in-ring return the next night on Raw, losing a singles match to WWE Champion Randy Orton. On the April 4 episode of SmackDown!, Hardy faced MVP in a non-title match, which he won, re-igniting their storyline rivalry. On April 27, 2008, Hardy defeated MVP to win the United States Championship
WWE United States Championship
The 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....
at Backlash
Backlash (2008)
Backlash was the tenth annual Backlash professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment . It took place on April 27, 2008 at the 1st Mariner Arena in Baltimore, Maryland...
.
After some sporadic feuds for the title, Hardy was drafted to the ECW brand on the June 23, 2008 episode of Raw
WWE RAW
WWE Raw ) is a sports entertainment television program for WWE that currently airs on the USA Network in the United States...
during the 2008 WWE Draft
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,...
, in the process making the United States Championship exclusive to ECW. After a successful title defense against Chavo Guerrero
Chavo Guerrero, Jr.
Salvador "Chavo" Guerrero IV also known as Chavo Guerrero and Chavo Guerrero, Jr., is a third generation Mexican-American professional wrestler and member of the famed Guerrero wrestling family who was well known for working with World Wrestling Entertainment and World Championship Wrestling...
at Night of Champions
Night of Champions (2008)
Night of Champions was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment , which took place on June 29, 2008 at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas. It was the first annual event to be promoted solely under the Night of Champions name and the eighth...
, he dropped the United States Championship to 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...
at the Great American Bash
The Great American Bash (2008)
The Great American Bash was the fifth annual Great American Bash professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment...
pay-per-view on July 20, 2008, which meant that the title returned to SmackDown.
ECW Champion, feud with Jeff and injuries (2008-2009)
On the July 22 episode of ECW, Hardy became the number one contender to Mark HenryMark Henry
Mark Jerrold Henry is an American professional wrestler signed with WWE, where he performs on its SmackDown brand as the reigning World Heavyweight Champion. He is a 1992 Olympian, and winner of the 2002 Arnold Strongman Classic...
's ECW World Heavyweight Championship
ECW World Heavyweight Championship
The Extreme Championship Wrestling World Heavyweight Championship was a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in Extreme Championship Wrestling and World Wrestling Entertainment...
after defeating John Morrison, The Miz
Mike Mizanin
Michael "Mike" Gregory Mizanin is an American professional wrestler and reality television personality better known by his nickname and ring name The Miz. He is currently signed to World Wrestling Entertainment on its Raw brand...
and Finlay
Dave Finlay
David John "Fit" Finlay Jr. is a Northern Irish professional wrestler and road agent. He is perhaps best known for his time in World Championship Wrestling and WWE as an active wrestler and later as a road agent...
in a fatal four-way match. He won the title match at SummerSlam
SummerSlam (2008)
SummerSlam was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment , which took place on August 17, 2008 at Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana. It was the 21st annual SummerSlam event and starred wrestlers from the Raw, SmackDown and ECW brands.Seven...
by disqualification due to interference from Henry's manager, Tony Atlas
Tony Atlas
Anthony White better known by his ring name "Tony Atlas" is an American bodybuilder, powerlifter, and professional wrestler who has held multiple titles and championships in each sport. He is also known by his bodybuilding title, "Mr...
, thus he failed to win the title. Due to the ending of the pay-per-view match, Hardy received a rematch for the title on the next episode of ECW, but again failed to win the title when Henry pinned him after a distraction by Atlas.
At Unforgiven
Unforgiven (2008)
Unforgiven was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment , which took place on September 7, 2008 at the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio...
, Hardy won the ECW World Heavyweight Championship during the Championship scramble match, defeating then-champion Henry, The Miz, Finlay and Chavo Guerrero
Chavo Guerrero, Jr.
Salvador "Chavo" Guerrero IV also known as Chavo Guerrero and Chavo Guerrero, Jr., is a third generation Mexican-American professional wrestler and member of the famed Guerrero wrestling family who was well known for working with World Wrestling Entertainment and World Championship Wrestling...
by pinning the Miz with three minutes left, thus making Hardy the first person in history to win a championship scramble in WWE, and marking his first world heavyweight championship win. He continued to feud with Henry until No Mercy
No Mercy (2008)
No Mercy was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment , which took place on October 5, 2008 at the Rose Garden in Portland, Oregon...
, where Hardy successfully retained the title. After successful defenses against Henry, Chavo, Finlay, and Evan Bourne, Hardy lost the title to Jack Swagger on the January 13, 2009 episode of ECW, which was taped on January 12.
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, after losing an ECW Championship rematch to Swagger, Hardy turned into a villain when he hit his brother 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...
, allowing Edge to win 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...
. On the January 27, 2009 episode of ECW, it was announced by General Manager Theodore Long
Theodore Long
Theodore R. "Teddy" Long is an American professional wrestling manager and former referee who currently works for WWE on its SmackDown brand as its General Manager.-National Wrestling Alliance / World Championship Wrestling:...
that Hardy had requested, and been granted, his release from ECW, and had re-signed with the SmackDown brand. As part of the buildup to this feud, Hardy implied that he was responsible for all of Jeff's accidents leading back to November, including an automobile accident and a pyrotechnics
Pyrotechnics
Pyrotechnics is the science of using materials capable of undergoing self-contained and self-sustained exothermic chemical reactions for the production of heat, light, gas, smoke and/or sound...
accident, in an attempt to stop Jeff holding the WWE Championship, and 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...
, Hardy defeated Jeff in an Extreme Rules match, and in a stretcher match on the following episode of SmackDown.
On the April 13 episode of Raw, Hardy was drafted to the Raw brand as part of the 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...
. Two weeks later, in a rematch from WrestleMania, Hardy lost to Jeff in an "I Quit" match at 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,...
, in which he broke his hand. Hardy continued to wrestle with his hand in a cast, incorporating it into his persona and claiming that he was wrestling under protest. At the June 22 taping of WWE Superstars
WWE Superstars
WWE Superstars is a professional wrestling television program produced by World Wrestling Entertainment that originally aired on WGN America in the United States. It debuted on April 16, 2009 and ended its domestic broadcasting on April 7, 2011...
, Hardy suffered yet another injury, when his intestines "exploded" through his abdominal wall, during a Triple Threat match against MVP and Kofi Kingston
Kofi Kingston
Kofi Nahaje Sarkodie-Mensah , is a Ghanaian American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, Kofi Kingston. He is currently signed to WWE and works on its Raw brand where he is one half of the WWE Tag Team Champions with Evan Bourne as Air Boom...
. Hardy had suffered a tear in his abdominal muscle two years previously, but had not needed surgery until it worsened, and became a danger to his health.
SmackDown and departure (2009–2010)
He was then traded to the SmackDown brand on June 29, and underwent surgery for the torn abdominal muscle on July 2. He made his return on the August 7 episode of SmackDown as the special guest referee in the 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...
match between his brother, Jeff, and CM Punk, and helped Jeff retain the championship by counting the pinfall. The following week Hardy saved his brother when CM Punk 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...
attacked both Jeff and John Morrison, turning into a fan favorite
Face (professional wrestling)
In professional wrestling, a babyface or face or in simple words, a fan favorite is a character who is portrayed as a heroic relative to the heel wrestlers, who are analogous to villains...
again. On the August 21 episode of SmackDown, after apologizing for his past actions towards Jeff, he had his first match back after his injury when he teamed with Jeff and John Morrison to defeat The Hart Dynasty and CM Punk, when Matt pinned Punk.
In early 2010, Hardy began an onscreen relationship with Maria
Maria Kanellis
Maria Louise Kanellis, , or simply Maria, is a singer-songwriter, actress, model, and professional wrestler, best known for her time with World Wrestling Entertainment. Kanellis's career began as a contestant on the reality show Outback Jack in 2004...
; the relationship was short-lived, however, as Maria was released from her WWE contract. On the February 16, 2010 episode of ECW, it was announced that Hardy would be mentoring Justin Gabriel on WWE NXT
WWE NXT
WWE NXT is a sports entertainment television program produced by WWE that debuted on February 23, 2010. Described as a hybrid between reality television and WWE's scripted live event shows, the premise of the show follows select talent contracted to WWE's developmental territory Florida...
. On the March 5 episode of SmackDown, Hardy qualified for the Money in the Bank ladder match at WrestleMania XXVI
WrestleMania XXVI
WrestleMania XXVI was the twenty-sixth annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment , which took place on March 28, 2010 at the University of Phoenix Stadium in the Phoenix suburb of Glendale, Arizona. This was the fourth WrestleMania to...
by defeating Drew McIntyre, but was unsuccessful at WrestleMania, as the match was won by Jack Swagger. Hardy was kayfabe suspended by Vince McMahon
Vince McMahon
Vincent Kennedy "Vince" McMahon is an American professional wrestling promoter, announcer, commentator, film producer, actor and former occasional professional wrestler. McMahon is the current Chairman, CEO and Chairman of the Executive Committee of professional wrestling promotion WWE...
because he attacked Drew McIntyre after McIntyre lost to Kofi Kingston
Kofi Kingston
Kofi Nahaje Sarkodie-Mensah , is a Ghanaian American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, Kofi Kingston. He is currently signed to WWE and works on its Raw brand where he is one half of the WWE Tag Team Champions with Evan Bourne as Air Boom...
at Over the Limit. He was able to get his revenge on McIntyre during the Viewer's Choice episode of Raw when chosen as the opponent for McIntyre, with Theodore Long
Theodore Long
Theodore R. "Teddy" Long is an American professional wrestling manager and former referee who currently works for WWE on its SmackDown brand as its General Manager.-National Wrestling Alliance / World Championship Wrestling:...
stating that Hardy was suspended from SmackDown but not from Raw. On the following edition of Smackdown however, McIntyre announced per orders of Vince McMahon
Vince McMahon
Vincent Kennedy "Vince" McMahon is an American professional wrestling promoter, announcer, commentator, film producer, actor and former occasional professional wrestler. McMahon is the current Chairman, CEO and Chairman of the Executive Committee of professional wrestling promotion WWE...
, that Hardy had been suspended from all WWE programming. At Fatal 4-Way
WWE Fatal 4-Way
Fatal 4-Way was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment , which took place on June 20, 2010 at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Uniondale, New York...
however, Hardy prevented McIntyre from regaining the Intercontinental Championship, thus continuing their feud. On the following edition of SmackDown he was reinstated by General Manager Theodore Long
Theodore Long
Theodore R. "Teddy" Long is an American professional wrestling manager and former referee who currently works for WWE on its SmackDown brand as its General Manager.-National Wrestling Alliance / World Championship Wrestling:...
and had a match with McIntyre which Hardy won. After the match, it was announced that McIntyre's visa had legitimately expired and was sent back to Scotland, thus ending their feud.
On September 12, WWE confirmed they had sent Hardy home from a European tour. Following this Hardy began posting videos on his YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
channel expressing his disinterest in the WWE product and insisting that he wanted to be released from the company. On October 15, 2010, WWE announced that Hardy had been released from his contract. Hardy later stated that his release had been in effect two weeks before WWE made the announcement.
TNA and semi-retirement (2011)
On January 9, 2011, Hardy made his debut for Total Nonstop Action WrestlingTotal 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) at the 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...
pay-per-view, as part of the heel stable 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...
. He was the surprise opponent for Rob Van Dam, and defeated him to prevent Van Dam from receiving a match for 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...
, held by Hardy's brother Jeff. In the main event, Hardy attempted to interfere in Jeff's World Heavyweight Championship match with Mr. Anderson, but was stopped by Van Dam, which led to Jeff losing both the match and the championship. On the January 13 episode of TNA 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...
the Hardy Boyz reunited to defeat Anderson and Van Dam in a tag team match, following interference from Beer Money, Inc.
Beer Money, Inc.
Beer Money, Inc. was a professional wrestling tag team consisting of Robert "Bobby" Roode and James Storm in the professional wrestling promotion Total Nonstop Action Wrestling , where they are former four-time TNA World Tag Team Champions, while also holding the record for the longest reign as...
. Two weeks later, Hardy suffered his first loss in TNA when he was defeated by Mr. Anderson. On February 13 at Against All Odds
Against All Odds (2011)
Against All Odds was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by Total Nonstop Action Wrestling , which took place on February 13, 2011 at TNA Impact! Zone in Universal Studios Florida...
, Rob Van Dam defeated Hardy in a rematch.
On the following edition of Impact!, Hardy, along with the rest of Immortal and Ric Flair
Ric Flair
Richard Morgan Fliehr is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Ric Flair. Also known as "The Nature Boy", Flair is one of the most well-known professional wrestlers in the world....
, betrayed Fortune
Fortune (professional wrestling)
Fortune is a professional wrestling alliance in the Total Nonstop Action Wrestling promotion. It currently consists of A.J. Styles, James Storm and Kazarian...
. On March 13 at 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...
Hardy was defeated by Flair's previous protégé, A.J. Styles
A.J. Styles
Allen Neal Jones , better known by his ring name A.J. Styles is an American professional wrestler currently working for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling...
. On April 17 at Lockdown
Lockdown (2011)
Lockdown was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by the Total Nonstop Action Wrestling promotion, that took place on April 17, 2011 at the U.S. Bank Arena in Cincinnati, Ohio. It was the seventh event under the Lockdown chronology and the fourth event of the 2011 TNA PPV schedule...
, Immortal, represented by Hardy, Abyss, Bully Ray and Ric Flair, was defeated by Fortune members James Storm
James Storm
James Allen Cox is an American professional wrestler who competes under the ring name "The Cowboy" James Storm. Since 2002, Storm has been employed by Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, where he, along with A.J...
, Kazarian
Frankie Kazarian
Frank B. Gerdelman is an Armenian-American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Frankie Kazarian or simply Kazarian. He is currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling...
and Robert Roode and Christopher Daniels, who replaced an injured A.J. Styles, in a Lethal Lockdown match. On the April 21 episode of Impact!, Hardy faced Sting
Sting (wrestler)
Steven James "Steve" Borden , better known by his ring name Sting, is an American semi-retired professional wrestler, currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling...
for 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...
, Hardy's first World Title match in TNA, but was defeated. The following month Hardy was granted a shot at the TNA World Tag Team Championship
TNA World Tag Team Championship
The TNA World Tag Team Championship is a professional wrestling world tag team championship owned by the Total Nonstop Action Wrestling promotion. It is primarily contested within TNA's tag team division. It was created and debuted on May 14, 2007 at the taping of TNA's primary television program,...
against James Storm and Robert Roode, Beer Money, Inc. While the champions looked to defend the title against the Hardy Boyz, Matt instead introduced the returning Chris Harris
Chris Harris (wrestler)
Christopher Eric "Chris" Harris is an American professional wrestler. He is best known for working for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, where he was formerly one-half of the tag team America's Most Wanted along with partner & Former TNA World Heavyweight Champion James Storm.-World Championship...
, Storm's old tag team partner, as his partner for the title match. The match took place at Sacrifice
Sacrifice (2011)
Sacrifice was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by Total Nonstop Action Wrestling promotion, which took place on May 15, 2011 at the TNA Impact! Zone in Orlando, Florida...
, where Storm and Roode retained their title.
On June 20 Hardy announced that he was taking a few weeks off from TNA. The following day, it was reported that the promotion had actually suspended Hardy. On August 20, Hardy was released from TNA following a DWI arrest that occurred earlier that same day.
Hardy announced his retirement from full time professional wrestling due to injuries on September 1.
Other media
In 1999, Hardy, along with his brother Jeff, appeared as an uncredited wrestler on 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...
episode "That Wrestling Show". Hardy and Jeff 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 to and wrestling the contestants. He appeared in 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 five other 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...
wrestlers. He became the eventual winner, and won $
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...
. Hardy also appeared on the October 13, 2009 episode of Scare Tactics
Scare Tactics
Scare Tactics is a hidden camera/comedy television show, produced by Hallock Healey Entertainment. Its first two seasons aired from April 2003 to December 2004. After a hiatus, the show returned for a third season, beginning July 9, 2008. The first season of the show was hosted by Shannen Doherty....
, as a mental patient who threatens to attack the prank's victim.
In 2001, Hardy, Jeff and Lita appeared in Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
magazine's 2001 Sports Hall of Fame issue. In 2003, Hardy and Jeff, with the help of Michael Krugman, wrote and published their autobiography The Hardy Boyz: Exist 2 Inspire. As part of WWE, Hardy appeared in their 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 featured footage of the brothers in OMEGA and WWE. Hardy also appears on The Hardy Show, an internet web show which features the Hardys, 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 many of their friends.
Personal life
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...
. Their mother died of brain cancer in 1986. Hardy played baseball as a child and throughout high school, but had stopped by his senior year. He also played football, either as a linebacker
Linebacker
A linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen...
or a defensive end
Defensive end
Defensive end is the name of a defensive position in the sport of American and Canadian football.This position has designated the players at each end of the defensive line, but changes in formations have substantially changed how the position is played over the years...
. Hardy was a good student at Union Pines High School in North Carolina, and was a nominee for the "Morehead Award", a scholarship to any university 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...
. Hardy attended University of North Carolina at Charlotte
University of North Carolina at Charlotte
The University of North Carolina at Charlotte , also known as UNC Charlotte or simply Charlotte, is a public research university located in Charlotte, North Carolina, United States...
, where he majored in engineering; however, after a year he dropped out due to his father being ill. He then attended Sandhills Community College in Pinehurst
Pinehurst, North Carolina
Pinehurst is a village in Moore County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 9,706 at the 2000 census. It is the location of the Pinehurst Resort, venue of the 1936 PGA Championship, the 1951 Ryder Cup. The host site for the 1999, 2005,& 2014 U.S. Open Golf Championships, the 2008 U.S....
to gain his associate's degree.
Hardy is good friends with Marty Garner
Marty Garner
Marty Garner is an American professional wrestler most noted for his appearances for World Wrestling Entertainment and his time in Extreme Championship Wrestling...
, 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 Gregory Helms
Gregory Helms
Gregory Shane Helms is an American professional wrestler. He is best known for his time with World Wrestling Entertainment where he wrestled as The Hurricane and Gregory Helms. He is also known for his time with World Championship Wrestling where he wrestled as "Sugar" Shane Helms...
. Hardy was in a six year relationship with former WWE Diva Amy Dumas
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....
, known by the ring name "Lita". They first met in January 1999, at a NWA Mid-Atlantic
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...
show, but did not begin dating until a few months later. They used to share a home in North Carolina. The couple broke up when she had an affair with one of Hardy's close friends, fellow wrestler Adam "Edge" Copeland in February 2005. Hardy has stated in interviews that he and Dumas have since patched things up, and he still considers her a close friend. He also dated former WWE Diva Ashley Massaro
Ashley Massaro
Ashley Marie Massaro is an American professional wrestler, currently signed to World Independent Ladies Division Wrestling. She is best known for her work with World Wrestling Entertainment and her appearance on Survivor: China....
. In February 2011, Hardy stated he was dating Reby Sky
Reby Sky
Rebecca Victoria Reyes , professionally known as Reby Sky , is an American glamour model, radio and television personality, photographer, dancer and professional wrestler.-Early life:...
.
Hardy was arrested on August 20, 2011 for driving while intoxicated
Driving under the influence
Driving under the influence is the act of driving a motor vehicle with blood levels of alcohol in excess of a legal limit...
after crashing into a tree, and was released by TNA shortly later. Hardy was later also charged with reckless driving
Reckless driving
Reckless driving is a major moving traffic violation. As a legal term, it is used within the United States. This offence has been abolished in the United Kingdom and replaced...
, with a hearing scheduled to take place October 11. Four days later, Hardy was rushed to an emergency room, after falling down in his house.
On August 30, Hardy posted a video on his YouTube channel, which has since been taken down by the site, implying that he was about to commit suicide: "Goodbye, World... My time here is Almost complete... I only have a few hours & minutes... I loved you all... Regardless of how you felt about me... I'll miss you all... September 23, 1974 - August 31, 2011." The video sparked 25 to 30 phone calls to 911 to check on Hardy's well being. Police checked on Hardy and confirmed that he was not planning to commit suicide, with the video apparently being a hoax by Hardy. The stunt drew much criticism; his sister-in-law Beth Britt claimed that "the f---ing joke is over. Stop trying to work the internet." and WWE commentator Jim Ross
Jim Ross
James William "Jim" Ross is a professional wrestling commentator, former professional wrestling referee, restaurateur, occasional wrestler, and former company executive of WWE, where he currently works as a commentator on the WWE Raw brand...
commented that the "Matt Hardy fiasco [was] totally embarrassing and inexplicable", asking for Hardy to "seek answers". Hardy later claimed on Twitter
Twitter
Twitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...
that the "YouTube Video was not in any way a suicide note.. No words such as death, suicide, kill, heaven or hell were included", and defended his actions as he "needed one last attention grabber to let the World know that Matt Hardy has re-found his true self."
On September 12, 2011, Hardy was arrested on another DWI charge, with a court date set for November 30. Hardy was arrested for the third time in a month on September 14, when his girlfriend Reby Sky called 911, claiming that he was "strung out on pills and needed help". Police found 20 vials of anabolic steroids, one dose of ecstasy, drug paraphernalia and $1,900 in cash after conducting a search of his home. Hardy was arrested on charges of possession with intent to sell or deliver a controlled substance, possession of a controlled substance, maintaining a drug dwelling and possession of drug paraphernalia.
On September 19, Hardy announced that he was going to check himself into a WWE-sponsored rehabilitation center for the next three months. It was later reported that entering rehab was one of the conditions for Hardy's release from custody on his latest arrest. On November 19, Hardy was kicked out of the rehabilitation center, with a month left to complete the program, for failing a breathalyzer test. Following this, Hardy was arrested for violating the court order when he returned to Moore County
Moore County
Moore County is the name of several counties in the United States:* Moore County, North Carolina* Moore County, Tennessee* Moore County, Texas...
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...
, and was put in the Moore County jail on a $1.0 million bond. On November 29, Hardy was released from jail on the condition that he complete his court-ordered drug rehabilitation, and his bond from $1.0 million to $100,000, which Hardy posted in order to be released to rehab. If Hardy fails to complete rehab on the second try, he will be jailed again, but on a reduced bond of $250,000.
In wrestling
- Finishing moves
-
- Ice Pick (TNATotal 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...
; 2011) / Scar (Independent circuitIndependent circuitIn 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...
; 2005, used rarely in WWE) (Double underhook with bodyscissors) - Twist of Fate / Twist of Hate (TNA), sometimes from the top rope or the top of a ladder
- Ice Pick (TNA
- Signature moves
-
- Corner clothesline followed by a running bulldog
- Corner powerbomb
- Diving elbow drop, sometimes to the back of a bent-over or kneeling opponent's head
- Diving leg drop
- Forearm smash
- Inverted DDT
- MoonsaultMoonsaultA moonsault, moonsault press, or back flip splash is a professional wrestling aerial technique. Much of its popularity in American wrestling is attributed to The Great Muta, despite it being used in North America by "Leaping" Lanny Poffo years before Muta came from Japan.In a standard moonsault,...
- Northern Lights suplex
- Ricochet (Belly to back suplex lift transitioned into an elbow drop to the opponent's midsection) – 2003
- Russian legsweep
- Side Effect (Wrist–lock sitout side slam)
- Splash Mountain (Sitout crucifix powerbomb)
- 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...
- Terri RunnelsTerri RunnelsTerri Lynne Boatright Runnels is a former World Championship Wrestling and World Wrestling Federation professional wrestling manager, television host and occasional wrestler....
- 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:...
- 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....
- Ric FlairRic FlairRichard Morgan Fliehr is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Ric Flair. Also known as "The Nature Boy", Flair is one of the most well-known professional wrestlers in the world....
- Michael Hayes
- NicknameNicknameA nickname is "a usually familiar or humorous but sometimes pointed or cruel name given to a person or place, as a supposedly appropriate replacement for or addition to the proper name.", or a name similar in origin and pronunciation from the original name....
s- "Version 1 (V1)"
- "The Angelic Diablo"
- "The Sensei of Mattitude"
- "The Man Who Will Not Die"
- "(Arguably) Everyone's Favorite Wrestler"
- "Cold Blood"
- 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
- "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...
(WWE) - "Rogue and Cold Blooded" by 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) - "Immortal Theme" by Dale Oliver
Championships and accomplishments
- National Championship Wrestling
- NCW Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- New Dimension Wrestling
- NDW Tag Team Championship (1 time)1 – with Jeff HardyJeff HardyJeffrey 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...
- NDW Tag Team Championship (1 time)1 – with Jeff Hardy
- New England Wrestling Alliance
- NEWA Championship (1 time)
- New Frontier Wrestling Association
- NFWA Championship (1 time)
- 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...
- NWA 2000National Wrestling AllianceThe 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...
- NWA 2000 Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Jeff Hardy
- 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 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) - 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) – with Jeff Hardy
- OMEGA Heavyweight 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 Feud of the Year (2005)vs. EdgeAdam CopelandAdam Joseph Copeland is a retired Canadian professional wrestler and actor, better known by his ring name Edge. He is currently signed to WWE under a Legends contract....
and 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.... - PWI Match of the Year (2000) with Jeff Hardy vs. The Dudley BoyzDudley BoyzTeam 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...
and Edge and ChristianEdge and ChristianEdge 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...
at WrestleMania 2000WrestleMania 2000WrestleMania 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... - PWI Match of the Year (2001)with Jeff Hardy vs. The Dudley Boyz and Edge and Christian at WrestleMania X-SevenWrestleMania X-SevenWrestleMania 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...
- PWI Tag Team of the Year (2000) with Jeff Hardy
- PWI ranked him #17 of the top 500 singles wrestlers in the PWI 500 in 2003
- PWI Feud of the Year (2005)vs. Edge
- 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...
- ECW 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) - 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) – with Jeff Hardy - WWF 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...
(1 time) - WWF 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...
(1 time) - WWF/World Tag Team Championship (6 times) – with Jeff Hardy
- 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) - 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 - 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) - 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....
– with Jeff Hardy
- ECW Championship
- Wrestling Observer Newsletter
- Best Gimmick (2002)
- Worst Feud of the Year (2004) with Lita vs. KaneKane (wrestler)Glenn Thomas Jacobs is a Spanish-born American professional wrestler and actor better known by his ring name, Kane. He is signed to WWE, appearing on its SmackDown brand, but is currently inactive due to injury....
1The titles have been vacant since 1999 due to the Hardy Boys
Hardy Boyz
The Hardy Boyz are a professional wrestling tag team, consisting of real-life brothers Matt and Jeff Hardy...
signing contracts with the WWF and have been declared inactive until they defend the titles again.