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Back Roads
For Matt and Jeff Hardy, all paths lead back to their small-town home
RAW Magazine September 2000 Issue
About 50 miles south of Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina, lies Cameron, a town that seems to have more in common with the fictional town of Mayberry than the high-tech Research Triangle. Yet, this quiet small town is also home of two of the youngest and hippest members of the World Wrestling Federation's roster--the Hardy Boyz.
This month, Matt and Jeff Hardy showcase their Southern hospitality as they take RAW Magazine readers on a guided tour of the place they still call home.
The day began with breakfast at Pat's Cafe, a local restaurant known regionally for its Southern-style homecooking and a favorite of Matt. The propreitor of the cafe, Pat Nurenberg, greeted us, and two waitresses led us to a table.
Matt quickly explained that Jeff would be joining us a little bit late. "As always," he warned with a grin.
After some 20 minutes of waiting, Jeff finally arrived, and the brothers dug into a very traditional country breakfast.
While they were eating, Wendy Stewart, our waitress, spoke about the Hardys. She had known the boys since they were about nine or ten, and recalled keeping stats for one of their Little League teams. "Whenever they get home, they always come by and see us," she said proudly.
Nurenberg echoed those thoughts and added, "They haven't let celebrity get to them."
The Hardys are deeply rooted in Cameron, and are all about giving back to their town. This was most evident by their making a surprise visit to a special education calls at their ama mater, Union Pines High School.
Principal Linda Duncan remembers Jeff fondly. "Matt had already graduated when I started; he was a straight A student. Jeff was also a very good student, very artistic. I think that's where he gets his flair for designing their costumes and the color."
M.D. Guthrie, the brothers' former high school football coach, now the assistant principal, spoke proudly of his two former players. "They were both on the football team. Matt played offensive guard, tight end and defensive end; Jeff was a linebacker. They were good players and good kids."
Guthrie also repeated a description of the Hardys that seemed to be collectively shared by all who knew them: "We're real proud of them. They haven't forgotten where they came from. They remain themselves and don't think they're better than anyone else. That's why people like them."
Robin Calcutt, Matt's and Jeff's art teacher, recalled that they were both good students. "[Jeff] had a way of looking at the world around him and showing it in a unique way. The students were always mesmerized by his work." Calcutt still has some of his early drawings, which she shows to her students on occasion.
Finishing up their visit at the high school, the brothers paid a visit to Cameron Elementary School. Teachers there remembered the boys as well-mannered, great kids whose attitudes gave hints that they'd someday achieve a great deal of success.
"Really, the biggest thing to me about coming back there is just the memories--the good times and the bad," said Matt. "It's always great for me; it brings back a lot of nostalgia whenever I go someplace where I've spent a lot of time. It makes me start thinking. It makes me appreciate where I am now, too."
"It's cool to actually be living [your dream] now and doing something that you thought about as a kid," added Jeff.
When asked about what advice they give to boys and girls interested in following in their footsteps, Jeff is quick to respond. "I tell them: 'If you want to do it: Do it.' If you really want to do something, you can.'
"We try to give 'em the best advice we can," continued Jeff. "These days there are so many kids in their backyards who are beating the hell out of each other. It's ridiculous. They're going to end up hurting themselves. When you turn 18, check out wrestling schools in your area. Enroll in a class and start getting your butt kicked. If you want to get into pro wrestling, then don't hurt yourself in your backyard."
The next stop was to the post office to pick up fan mail, which often includes gifts of videotapes, poetry, and Pearl Jam CDs and concert stuff. The amount of mail that arrives for the brothers tells just how far they've climbed to Superstardom on the Federation roster.
"I think the night we knew we arrived was in Cleveland, Ohio, after the [Terri Invitational] Ladder Match [No Mercy, October 1999]," said Matt. "Winning was a dream come true. The feeling when everybody stood up and gave us a standing ovation was incredible.
"I remember the feeling walking around backstage. I felt like we were now an integral part of the Federation."
"To hear Mankind tell us taht we'd cemented our spots," adds Jeff, "Oh man, it was a great feeling."
After the post office, it was off to Matt's and Jeff's childhood home, a modest ranch surrounded by acres of pine trees and foliage.
Despite the many cities the Hardys have traveled to, both Matt and Jeff remain content to call Cameron home. Though Jeff has since moved into his own place, brother Matt still lives with their dad; both say that they will forever remain North Carolinians.
"I'd say the first person who really stood out in our lives was our dad," said Matt.
"I agree," said Jeff. "Any kid is going to love his father and look up to him as a superhuman person. We were brought up hard, in a tobacco field, farming. Now, I look back on all that and say, "Thank God we were raised that way."
Overall, there's a distinct feeling of natuaralness whenever one's around Matt and Jeff Hardy. Perhaps the biggest reason for their modest grounding is their father, Gilbert Hardy.
A no-nonsense kind of guy, the elder Hardy spent over 20 years working for the U.S. Postal Service as well as growing tobacco, with both brothers helping to strip leaves. There's nothing fancy about Gilbert Hardy, and he likes it that way. He takes gratification in knowing that he helped instill the importance and values of hard work in his boys--all of which pays off when he seems them on TV each week.
The bond between father and sons was shaped in part by tragedy. Gilbert's wife passed away over a decade ago after battling cancer. No amount of success or stardom can offset the loss of their mom, which the brothers still feel deeply to this day.
"We were actually in the room when she moved on," Jeff said. "I was 9 years old and and Matt was 12, so we really hadn't realized what had happened. Our dad was in tears. We knew that she was gone, but we really didn't understand death at the time. My biggest wonder is what she thinks now if she can look down on us and see what we're doing. I think she'd be very proud of us."
"It was really hard to accept for a long time," Matt adds. "I just couldn't believe it happened to us, and it was hard to swallow the fact that we'd never see her again. She was the best person ever; she was the perfect mom. she went to church. She never drank, smoked or did any of that. She ate well, healthy and lived a perfect life. She just happened to get cancer."
Gilbert and his sons were left to fend for themselves, and the strength their father showed and instilled in their lives remains very strong with Matt and Jeff today.
"[Our dad] was just a real strong man who'd lost his wife and raised two kids. Although he was'nt the wealthiest guy, he always took really good care of us. He was a great guy who always worked hard all of his life and always made sure that Jeff and I came first."
"I tried to keep 'em out of bad company," Gilbert said. "They were good kids. When their mother died, I told 'em that we had to go on and make it. And we did. Everything turned out all right. I'm real proud of them."
After dinner, the day wrapped up at Jeff's new house. Lita, Bo and Jack Dupp, Marty Garner, and other friends who were with them before they gained stardom had stopped by. It's a weekly ritual that takes place whenever all are at home at the same time. Some of them wrestled together in OMEGA before joining the Federation.
"OMEGA--the Organization of Modern Extreme Grapping Arts--that was our organization," said Matt. "It was a little promotion that we were successful with and able to build up a small following. Several of our guys have gone on to the Federation--Joey Abs, Lita, the Dupps. It's just great to see everybody succeeding. It's the ultimate feeling of success."
"What really impressed me about them--especially Matt--is that they have this desire," said Jack Dupp. "They love the wrestling business and just wanted to succeed. Matt has a real leadership quality. The OMEGA shows were very organized, a lot of thought was put into it. They cared about what they were doing, and they cared about the product."
Caring is something that echoes in everything the Hardys do.
"I'm weird," says Matt. "I still beleve that when you do good deeds, you get something good back in return. That's why I really enjoy helping other guys succeed."
One of their friends, Tracy Caddell, was asked to reveal something about the brothers that fans might not know. His response came as no surprise to anyone who's knwon the brothers.
"I know one thing about both Matt and Jef: they're true and loyal friends," he said. "They haven't forgotten their roots. They're still Matt and Jeff Hardy. They haven't changed a bit."
Question and Answers
When they weren't showing us around Cameron, Matt and Jeff took time to let RAW Magazine get to know them better. Matt talked about his intense love of music and how he prefers it to television. Jeff spoke of his poetry, which he often writes on the road, and how it is inspired by life itself. From their ring clothes to their favorite colors--both said black and blue--Matt and Jeff gave a little glimpse into their world and each other.
Matt Hardy: We were really big Freebird fans growing up. And we were just lucky to have gotten Michael Hayes [as our first manager]. He's probably done more than anyone else as far as helping us in the Federation. We sometimes consider him our "wrestling father," 'cause he really takes care of us.
RAW: How'd you get into writing poety?
Jeff Hardy: I just started writing. I think about everything: life, death, space, the ocean. Stuff comes into my mind and I write it down, otherwise I'd forget it. I write little short stories, and I still draw a lot. It's great to always be creative.
RAW: If you weren't wrestling, what would you be doing?
Matt: I almost can't picture a world without Jeff and me wrestling. I guess I'd have gotten a degree in engineering [which I was studying before I got into wrestling]. But, now I can't see myself being happy doing that.
RAW: How close are you two? How are you different?
Matt: We're really close, but we're comfortable with each other's differences. I'm the one who stays on top of things. I'm the one who worries. Jeff's cool. He's laid back and [prefers to] live minute by minute.
RAW: you have a unique look in the ring. What are your inspirations as far as fashion goes?
Jeff: I'm always looking at my body adn wondering what I can do to stand out. Not for attention, but for that difference that makes you remembered and thought of as cool. What you see me wear on TV now is something that I used to wear out to the club. And now it's transformed into our battle gear. It's great to see fans in the crowed with the stockings on their arms, the tight shirts and the baggy pants. That's such a thrill to see.
RAW: Do you live your gimmick?
Jeff: No, I don't think we live our gimmicks. I'm Jeff Hardy and always will be.
The long hours and days on the road with the Federation allow Jeff Hardy time to devote to one of his favorite pastimes--writing original poetry. Here is an example of Jeff's writing:
Empty Tank
Here I am again...tired from not
sleeping...
Sad from not loving.
I feel miserable again...here on this plane...
Here on this earth.
I've done it again...I stayed out all night.
I feel it again...I dread this flight.
Why? Because I'm sick...
Sick of being owned...
I write because I'm sick...
Sick of being known.
If I was normal...
Would she like me the same?
If I was just a stockboy...
Would she still enjoy my name?
I'd like to think she does and would...
I believe in her and believe in me she should.
I'm gonna lean my head down against this window...
Close my eyes and go to sleep.
I'll wake up in the next town...
With thoughts beyond deep.
The days will go by as I will just act.
As the days go by I can only look back...
At the good times...the fun.
At the bad times...the fun.
I wonder if she misses me as much as I miss her...
I wonder if she waits to see me...
I wonder if she waits?
I'd like to think she did and would...
I believe in her and believe in me she should.
My heart is curious...
My mind is so blank.
Without you I'm lost...
I'm an empty tank.
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