April 27, 2003
RAVEN MENTIONS JEFF
Thanks to jnh.com
Raven was on In the Ropes today. One of the callers asked him what he thought about Jeff leaving.. Raven replied that he and Jeff are friends, not really close but they talk. He said that he knew 6 months ago that Jeff wanted to go, but the powers that be talked him out of it. He said that he would be welcome at NWA-TNA if he chose to come over but that he (Raven) thinks he needs to focus on his music right now because that's where his heart is.
April 25, 2003
ANTHONY CALI MENTIONS JEFF As many of you have heard by now, WWE ended its working relationship with Jeff Hardy this past Monday. We here at WWE.com would like to wish Jeff the very best in his future endeavors.
For those of you interested in learning more about the Hardy Boyz’ trip from dream to X-treme, check out their book “Exist to Inspire” on bookstore shelves everywhere. I’ve had a chance to browse through some of the content in this book and I was pleasantly surprised with how well written and interesting their story is. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed, either.
MATT COMMENTS ON JEFF
from jnh.com
The folllowing is from Byte This! with Matt Hardy:
Byte This!: It’s been all over the internet and I realise there’s a lot of people out there Matt, not only on the internet but WWE fans who wanna know the answer to the question, don’t know if you can answer it, don’t know if you really wanna address it, but this being Byte This and the controversial show that it is we’ve gotta ask you, what is the situation with Jeff?
Matt: It’s a very good question, I definitely anticipated getting that question being on the show so we might as well go ahead and knock that out from the beginning. Right now I think the situation with Jeff is this, Jeff obviously his first love of anything in life has been professional wrestling and sports entertainment and currently I think Jeff’s been in a rut for the last 6 - 8 months, possibly even a year, and ever since we’ve split off from each other and I went off on SmackDown and he’s been on Raw I’ve noticed even he’s drifted farther away from really being passionate about sports entertainment, because he’s got a lot of other things he’s interested in, music, art, different things and basically it came to a point where Jeff has some things in his personal life that he needs to take care of and between his personal life and the WWE err Jeff was torn between, the WWE wanted him to make a choice to either fully do things and commit himself to the WWE or take care of things in his personal life, so right now Jeff has opted to take care of things in his personal life and probably for right now this is the right decision because Jeff’s heart isn’t 100% into WWE and sports entertainment and I’m not saying it won’t be.
Byte This!: Not to take anything away from the situation Matt you both have been up and down the road for a few years with your wrestling careers, this is where it all started, from a standpoint of brother to brother is he making the right move, do you feel, you never say never in this industry of course.
Matt: No, no, I mean, in my opinion I don’t think you can even ask me to answer that for him and I couldn’t coz were two different people, although we are united by blood, blood brothers we definitely have different views and opinions and no, me I would never wanna leave, you’re gonna have to kick me out of the joint y’know, Jeff on the other hand just has a different feeling right now, and will Jeff be back, I definitely think he will, I think this is a time where Jeff basically needs to go through a period of really finding out what he wants in life and what he wants to do, because he’s just kinds burned out. Jeff’s very different to most people, I’m very logical, Jeff’s very abstract and right now he needs to find out what he wants to do.
Tom on Byte This agreed that Jeff needs to take two steps back and he will realise whether he wants to stay away or return and that he’d always be welcome.
Matt agreed that he would be welcomed back as the departure wasn't on bad terms.
Matt says that Jeff has a huge following and that he really wanted to thank the fans, Matt has spent the last few days with Jeff and Jeff really wanted to come on air to say thank you but didn’t have the chance to.
Matt says he truly believes that Jeff will be back in WWE, maybe 6 -8 months or it could be 1 - 2 years.
TRISH STRATUS MENTIONS JEFF IN UK CHAT
This week Trish Stratus was involved in a chat with the Sun Online, a UK newspaper. A fan asked about her feelings on Jeff's departure. Here's what she had to say:
I don't know exactly what happened with Jeff, I only just read about it myself. I knew there were some issues but I don't know any of the specifics.
The last time I spoke to Jeff we were talking about how we were going to develop the storyline between us.
People say that Jeff had lost his passion, and I think perhaps he did. Maybe he just needs to be away from the business and find his way again. Maybe he'll find his way back into wrestling or find another passion.
I wish Jeff the best of luck and it would have been a great storyline. We started the angle ages ago, before I got injured with my ankle, and everyone was so excited about it. Then I got injured and I was off TV, so it was good to be starting it up again.
The response I got from the fans was tremendous, especially through my website. I was really looking forward to be combining our two characters, who were so different. At first I thought my guy fans and Jeff's girl fans might not like it, but the audience response – especially when we kissed – was great.
I don't know if I'll get another man in the WWE. My other love interest was Vince McMahon, and we all know how that went! And then there was the kiss I had with The Rock, which people really liked.
But if I got another guy, it would have to be the right one. Because with Stacy and Test I can see the fans saying, "I don't want you to be with Test!"
My girlfriends were pretty jealous about me kissing The Rock and Jeff Hardy and they always ask me who's the better kisser. But I don't kiss and tell!
credit: jnh.com
SOME OF EDGE'S FAVORITE MATCHES INCLUDE THE HARDYZ E&C vs. the Hardys -- No Mercy, Ladder Match Enough has been written already, but for better or worse (for our bodies), we revolutionized the Ladder Match, and made our marks.
E&C vs. the Hardys vs. the Dudleys -- WrestleMania 16, Triangle Ladder Match Essentially the first TLC, since it involved all three items. It featured the first Swanton off a ladder by Jeff onto Bubba, Matt taking the flip bump off the "Ladder City," and finally us reaching up and grabbing the tag team belts for the first time. We'd talked about doing it as kids, and I swear it was like a dream sequence from "Wayne's World." All fuzzy around the edges, or I was on the verge of unconsciousness.
TLC I -- SummerSlam 'Nuff said.
TLC II -- WrestleMania X-Seven Ditto.
TLC III -- SmackDown! The forgotten TLC. Add Benoit & Jericho to an already potent mix. I believe this was the match where Benoit first injured his neck. I was actually opposed to doing this one. I felt TLCs are for pay-per-view and still stand by that.
Credit: WWE.com
MATT MENTIONED IN SHANNON MOORE ARTICLE
Moore was at home in Cameron for a few days last week. He grew up in the area with fellow wrestlers Matt and Jeff Hardy. Hardy's own catch phrase is Mattitude, and his fans are Mattitude Followers.
Credit: Fayetteville (N.C.) Observer
EDGE COMMENTS ON MATT'S WM MATCH
Matt Hardy vs. Rey Mysterio "Perfect match to kick it all off. The first and last slots on the show are always the most important. First match has to set the tone and standard for the night, and Rey Rey and Matt came through with flying colors, with some help from the little MF'er Shannon Moore-on (maybe a name for his flock of fans? Moore-on, get it?). Well, that's the bad joke for the week out of the way. Really enjoyed the headscissors counter to the Side-Effect. Good stuff. Surprised my little buddy didn't take this one, but now the chase is on".
credit wwe.com
EDGE MENTIONS JEFF
The following is from the March 25th installment of Edgeucation:
CHEAP PLUG ALERT! If you read the Hardy's new book "Exist 2 Inspire" -- on sale at a bookstore near you -- even the perennial daredevil Jeff Hardy agrees the slower, but actually just-as-exciting style of storytelling is important.
credit: WWE.com
FROM THE INFORMER
The Deals are Done
Matt Hardy is another interesting case. He has a clause in his contract stating that if he is holding a championship on June 1, 2003, he can either take a $500K bonus or declare himself a free agent, able to negotiate with whoever he wants. You can bet that he’ll be doing everything in his power to win either the WWE Championship or WWE Tag Team Championship come late May. Rumors of his offering fellow Superstars a share of the spoils for losing the titles to him abound, but as of yet I, the Informer, have yet to confirm these rumors.
Credit WWE Magazine and mmh.com
MATT MENTIONED IN WWE MAGAZINE
What the Doctor Ordered By Tazz
But back to Mattitude. How much more powerful can Mattitude become? That is that question that has crossed minds all over the world—all over this universe! Well, in my opinion, Matt Hardy is the David Koresh or World Wrestling Entertainment. Matt Hardy is the Jim Jones of WWE (not to be confused with Jim Johnston, who works over at our TV studio). Matt Hardy is the founding father of Mattitude. Everyone knows that. Look at people like Shannon Moore. Here was a guy who was just a little s***, who didn’t have a clue as to what was going on in the game of life. He definitely didn’t have a clue of what was going on in the crazy world or WWE and Smackdown! Then, out of the goodness of his heart—or whatever—Matt Hardy took this young, silly, nutty little fruity-a**, and turn Shannon Moore in to not just a WWEE Smackdown! Superstar, but into a household name. (Well, that might be stretching it.)
Shannon Moore is the original MF’er (“Mattitude Follower”). He’s a crazy MF’er—a crazy MF’er! But Shannon Moore owes his life to Matt Hardy. How many others people are there out there like Shannon Moore? How many other Superstars on Smackdown! Are looking at Shannon Moore right now and saying, “You know, I think that little MF’er is on to something. Maybe it’s time for me to become an MF’er too!”
I have so much respect for Shannon Moore for following the great mind of Matt Hardy. I sit ringside at Smackdown! And sometimes catch myself drifting away into Mattitude. But I catch myself and say, “Hey, Tazz, you’re doing a broadcast. You can’t become a ‘Mattitude Follower.’” And Matt Hardy himself told me, “Tazz, Mattitude cannot and will not make you taller!”
Mattitude is a sickness, and it’s highly contagious. “Mattitude Followers” are like those freaks who follow Bruce Springsteen all over the country—people like Michael Cole and Barry Werner (if those are your real names). Following Springsteen around the country is the same thing as Mattitude, but different, because Matt Hardy can improve your life and make something out of nothing. Just ask Shannon Moore. (And by the way, Cole and Werner, Bruce Springsteen sucks!)
It’s no secret that Matt Hardy is a highly accomplished Superstar in our great industry. Just when you thought he’d done it all in WWE, he shocks the world and brings us Mattitude—by injecting this drug called Mattitude into sports-entertainment. What’s going to happen when in the next couple of weeks—or 10-12 years, whatever—an arena full of WWE fans stands up and says, “Hi, we are WWE fans, and we’re a big bunch of MF’ers! We’re MF’ers! We’re MF’ers!’ and I’ll be sitting right there next to Michael Cole, and I’ll go, “That’s right, Cole, they’re all MF’ers. But you, Cole, you’re just and F’er!”
In closing, right at this moment, somewhere in this great country of ours, there is a man standing up in a meeting and saying, “Hi, My name is Joe Yambag, and I’m an MF’er!”
JEFF ASKS FOR TIME OFF
Jeff Hardy recently asked Jim Ross if he could be taken off a couple of house shows to spend time with his live-in girlfriend and explore his passion for music. Ross granted him the request, even though it will considerable cut Hardy's pay. WWE allows Jeff a lot of slack because he sells so much merchandise for the company and continues to get a lot of crowd pops. Especially among children, young girls and women. The company remains hopeful he will regain his passion for the wrestling business.
credit jnh.com