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06-16-99
Things I Want in Wrestling Since Jeff and I were small, we have been fans of wrestling. Our dream has always been to be successful and to be tag-team champs. People have always said that we would never make it because they think that wrestlers don't come from Cameron, NC. We always knew what we wanted to do. Always wrestling. Never a second guess. We had set our minds to it, it would happen. Now that we are in the WWF, our immediate goal is to become the most over tag-team in history. I think anything is possible as long as you set your mind to it.
Other Things I Want:
I want a really good, tight, closenit group of friends. I want people to like me for Matt Hardy, not for Matt Hardy the wrestler. It is becoming harder to weed out the people who really want to be my friend and not just hang out with me because of what I do. The best times I have are when Jeff and I are out with a bunch of friends talking about our dreams and memories. Everything is tangible, everything of monetary value comes and goes. What is really most important is the intangible stuff, like when you can build solid relationships with people, honesty, and loyalty. Speaking of friends, I am really lucky to have Jeff. he is my best friend in the whole world, not only my brother.
I would defintely love to be in love. I now have my career in line, and it would be nice to come across someone who can be my best friend. it's not a sexual thing. The best relationships between men and women are built on friendships. Whenever I do fall in love, I will be more giving than anyone else ever could be. I feel like I have a lot of good qualities to offer someone. I wuold make them feel like the Queen of the World and like their birthday was every day.
Advice For the Future:
Anyone who has in their mind what they want to do, if they know how they want to do it, shouldn't be dictated by what others think. Defy the odds. Believe in yourself. If you see something you want, go for it, and put your heart and soul behind it. Don't let people tell you what you can and cannot do.
07-08-99
An Example of Good Things Happening to Good People: A couple of months ago, I was seeing someone I really liked a lot. I thought it would possibly amount to something really special. It was something I was willing to invest a lot of time in. But with the way my schedule is now, I'm on the road constantly, so I didn't get to see her very often. One of my best friends started to pursue her behind my back while I was gone. This guy is somebody I really helped out, time and time again. I don't know if it stemmed from jealousy or if he was just trying to compete against me, but the whole fact of the matter is he started seeing her while I was gone. Obviously, I broke up with her. But it was one of those things that made me feel like, the girl was no big deal. I only had a couple of months invested in her. But I had seven years invested with my friend.
It made me ask myself, how much can you really trust people? I thought this was one guy who would never do anything to betray me or disrespect me. Especially after everything I'd done for him. I had helped him fulfill a lifelong dream. At the risk of sounding arrogant, I don't think there is anything he can ever do to repay me. But the least I expected from him was to be honest with me. Anyways, time will tell if the situation between my friend and I can be resolved.
The weight of all this pandemonioum was really being a burden on me. But after the night of June 29, 1999, in Fayetteville, North Carolina, everything was once again okay. Because that was the night Jeff and I became the WWF Tag Team Champions, fulfilling a lifelong dream. Although there had been a small obstacle in the road in my life, because I always believed, and I always lived what I believed, everything turned out okay. Good things do happen to good people. I promise.
I would never have imagined that things would happen for Jeff and I so fast and at so young an age. After I got the pinfall on Bradshaw and rolled out of the ring there was a feeling that came over me that was undescribable. When they announced the new WWF Tag Team Champions, Matt and Jeff Hardy, the Hardy Boyz, it actually set in that it was reality. There was a feeling that rushed through my body that felt like a spirit or a life force, a feeling I've never felt before. As I ran up the ramp to the top of the stage the feeling had completely taken over my whole body and it felt like I had been born again. As I looked out into the crowd, I could see people holding up their hats to us. Looking into individual faces and feeling the connection with them showed me that anything is possible; like seeing Jeff and I fulfill our dreams. Jeff and I gave them a light of hope in their life.
I think a lot of fans look at Jeff and I as regular people, more so than other WWF wrestlers. Everyone that we meet or come across we try to make it a point to not treat them like a fan, but like a friend. We appreciate the response to the P.O. Box. It has been overwhelming. Kudos to everyone who has put a personal touch on the letters. Please continue to do so. As much as everyone knows about Jeff and I, we would like to know about you. A special thanks goes out to Brandi Richardson and Bonnie Fairbrother who both sent us pictures. Please feel free to send us pictures. Remember, you know what we look like, but we don't know how you look. I've made it a point to read each and every letter that I've gotten and I will continue to do so. Checking the P.O. Box is definitely something I look forward to everytime I come home.
I want to thank everyone that has supported Matt and Jeff Hardy through our career up to this point. Whether it be you appreciate where we come from, the work we do in the ring, or the way that we think and believe, each and every one of you has made a special contribution in helping us reach our goals. And we're going to continue to bust our asses to and give everyone something to believe in.
08-03-99
The State of Matt Hardy:
First and foremost, I want to tell everyone hello and wish them well. Currently, things are going outstandingly well for me. I have my mind back on what it should be, WWF and wrestling. I have no plans of swaying anytime soon from what our objective is, regaining the tag titles and becoming the #1 tag team in the WWF. Once again I'd like to thank everyone for everything they have sent Jeff and I at the P.O. Box. If you would like an autograph, please send a self addressed stamped envelope (SASE) to the P.O. Box, and we will do our best to respond. I would also like to thank Kat and Memm for the new site. I really appreciate all of your time, trouble, effort, and hardwork.
Away from wrestling, I'd like to thank Michael Hayes for everything he's done for Jeff and I. I really appreciate him. Though in a lot of ways we are different, we have really bonded to a degree. Regardless of whether we are right or wrong, he always sticks by Jeff and I.
I would also like to congratulate Edge, Adam Copeland, on getting engaged. I wish he and Alannah the best of luck in the future.
It was great to hold the WWF tag titles and be champions for the time that we were. Although it was very physical, rough, and painful, it was also great to work against the Acolytes. I think it helped in making Jeff and I a better team. It is good to be on the road full time, but there are a lot of times when we do a ten day loop, where six or seven days pass and we're both dying to come home and relax and let our bodies recuperate. But I'm not complaining. It is going to be very interesting when we start our new schedule at the end of August. We'll be doing house shows on Saturday and Sunday, TV's on Monday and Tuesday, come home Wednesday, and only have Thursday and Friday off. I am very curious as to how this schedule is going to wind up working out----better or worse.
As of late, I can tell a big difference regarding our TV time and push because Jeff and I can't go anywhere now without someone recognizing us, and either asking for autographs and pictures, which I personally think is wonderful. If we're ever out and you run into us, and if you enjoy what we do in the ring, feel free to come up and say hello and speak to us. I think it's really cool to meet everybody that watches you and supports you or even criticizes you. As everyone is, I am a human being and there are times when you are not in the greatest mood or don't want to socialize with anyone. But socializing with wrestling fans is one of my obligations now. I am the one who chose to try to put myself in the limelight. And I'll always remember how it feels when you first start wrestling and nobody recognizes you and no one cares about you. And that, more than anything else, will always make me appreciate everyone who comes up for an autograph or a picture.
On a side note, this is one of my strange tendencies: whenever I walk into a department store or hotel, if there is ever a choice between an automatic door or a door you have to push or pull, I always go through the door you have to open yourself. The reason I do this is because I make it a point not to take for granted that I have full use of my body and I am fully healthy. Because I always see people that are handicapped or are in wheelchairs that have to use the electronic door because they can't get themselves in on their own. It always makes me stop and think I am still able to get this door open, and so long as I can do it, I'm going to. It is such a blessing to be healthy. I pray every night for everyone who is crippled or who has an ailing disease so that they can once again feel what it's like to be healthy. I feel very fortunate each day that I am blessed with good health.
09-10-99
A quick note before we get started: There have been tons of people sending requests and self addressed stamped envelopes to the P.O. Box for autographs. From now on, if you could please send a photo from a magazine, or a print-out from the site, along with the s.a.s.e, I will guarantee you it will be answered. We are all out of promotional pictures and WWF has yet to give us anymore.
A request for you to answer if you are not a Pearl Jam fan: What is the most mystical thing in existence and why? (i.e.,....oceans, mountains, Kat (oh god!))
First of all, I would like to say hello to everyone and sorry it's been so long since I've put a commentary on here. Currently, Jeff and I have really been treading water for the last month or so. But, if all goes well, we are looking to elevate ourselves in the very near future. There should be some really good stuff happening to us and Gangrel before too long.
By the way, if anyone has any catchy new names that the 3 of us could be called, please send them in to the P.O. Box. Also, the coolest thing ever is riding the elevator up through the flames............yeah, I'm diggin' that.
Also, something I've been meaning to do is give out some hello's and thank you's to close friends. Everyone keep your eye out for Shane Helms. He is one of my closest friends. At the moment, he is out in California doing stunts for the WCW movie with David Arquette. Shane is under contract with WCW and should do really well if given the opportunity. In my opinion, he has one of the greatest minds in the wrestling business. It's amazing how similar mine and Shane's backgrounds are as far as the way we look at wrestling and fans, and how we both taught ourselves how to wrestle. Shane is definitely one of my very closest friends, and I wish him all the luck in the world.
I would also like to thank Thomas Simpson for all the support he's given Jeff and I over the years. Anytime I was flat broke and needed something for our regular wrestling promotions, Thomas was always there and more than willing to help out. Thomas and I made a lot of outstanding things happen for the Omega promotion. I got a ton of great memories of those days that I wouldn't trade for anything. There are already currently 8 guys who worked for Omega who I either trained or was instrumental in their learning process in the wrestling business. Those guys include: obviously, myself and Jeff, Jason Ahrndt (Joey Abbs, WWF), Shannon Moore, Shane Helms, Christian York, Joey Matthews (all WCW), and Angelica (ECW). Steve Corino also wrestled for Omega when he lived in NC. There are also 3 more guys who have tryouts with ECW in the next month: Mike Maverick, Otto Schwanz, and Marty Garner. So potentially, these are 12 people that have legitimately *made it* in the wrestling business who wrestled in Omega. I will personally put that up against any other independent promotion in the U.S. It's occasional that 1 or 2 guys from an outlaw independent promo make it to the bigtime, much less 12. It sucks to a degree now that everyone is doing their own different thing and everyone is off in their own direction because some of the best times we had were after Omega shows when we'd worked all day to put up the ring, get ready for the show, do the show, and then clean up afterwards. Then we would all head out to eat afterwards and we would always spend like 3 hours in Denny's or Perkin's and after the day we'd had, it always felt like such an accomplishment. Those 3 hours were the biggest party ever.
I want to thank all the guys that have ever worked for Omega and especially that solid core group of guys. Individually, I would like to thank all these people who are my closest friends: Shane Helms, Shannon Moore, Mike Maverick, Marty Garner, Joey Matthews, Christian York, Otto Schwanz, Steve Corino, the Thomas Simpson family, Jamie Tucker, Aaron Decker, and Scott Matthews.
I would also like to send out a special thanks to Edge, Christian, Gangrel, Michael Hayes, Blue Meanie, Stevie Richards, Bradshaw, Ron Simmons, Road Dog, Rock, D-Lo, Mark Henry, Undertaker, Paul Bearer, and the rest of the WWF locker room for all being such great people to work with. They've been really great with accepting Jeff and I as part of their family. We see them so much it is more or less like they *are* family. As cold and as cut throat a business as wrestling is politically, it's amazing how many good people are in it.
I'm pretty excited about turning 25. I can now legally rent a car, which means Jeff and I will no longer be stuck at the Hertz counter with no way to get to the show. I'm looking forward to taking a couple of days and going to the beach for my annual "birthday beach trip." Myrtle Beach is the mecca for Matt Hardy. You can never have enough people wish you a happy birthday, so feel free to send me birthday messages. *WOW*!!!!! I'll be a quater of a century old!
If you ever come to the Southern Pines area during the weekends, you should pop in Dockside, the local nightclub. Occasionally Jeff and I hang out there on Friday nights, if we're off. The place is packed with Hardy Boyz memorabilia and photos. I'm personally very flattered with how they've gone out of their way to make the local boys that have made it in wrestling feel special. It's cool to be appreciated. If there's one word I want people to think of when they say, "Matt Hardy," more than anything else, it would be respect. I always try to make it a point to respect other's beliefs, their feelings, and their ways, whether they are like mine or not. And I always give ultimate respect to people who respect me. One of the reasons I try to be a good person and work so hard is to earn everyone's respect...........being respected I think is the highest accolade you can receive in life. This is just my opinion, but if you live your life in a way that whatever you've said and done is thru, and people can respect your for that, then you've done the right thing. Be proud of being respected. It's hard to come by.
In closing, I have wished for so long, but now I wish for you today..............I know what it's like to fulfill a dream and be happy. I pray that everyone else can be as fortunate. Until then...........
10-09-99
First off, I would like to start with a get well soon to Droz...........a very tragic thing took place Tuesday night. Myself, as well as all the other guys in WWF are praying for him that everything will be alright. Darren is such a lighthearted, easy-going, fun loving guy. It's really horrible to think of him not being able to wrestle again, much less not being able to walk. I am definitely pulling for him. I've got faith that he'll be okay, and that he will resume a normal life again. Also, I would like to send my thoughts and prayers out to his fiance, Julie, and all of Darren's family. As for me, I am really enjoying the best of 5 series we are having with Edge and Christian. I am extremely proud of the match we had Thursday on Smackdown that was recorded in Uniondale, NY. I'm looking forward to the next two matches, especially if all the pieces fall into place.
Right now I'm starting to feel a little bit of the physical wear and tear of being on the road full time. After messing up my ankle pretty bad about 6 weeks ago, I just twisted and hyper-extended my left knee at the TV taping this week. It's really tough whenever you get an injury and you are on the road full time. Because when you are working 5 out of 7 days, your body gets very little time to heal.
Thoughts on the departure of Vince Russo and Ed Ferrera:
I really hate to see both of them go because I think that both of them, especially Vince Russo, were very instrumental in the long success streak of RAW and the WWF. I think Vince Russo has a mind that's hard to compare with when it comes to portraying a story on TV. I especially hate that Ed Ferrera will be gone because he would always have time to talk to Jeff and I, or the middle guys, when Vince was busy with the top guys. I'll never forget that it was Ed who thought of us getting together with Michael Hayes and starting our whole new image. It was especially suprising that they left all of a sudden because they seemed so extremely loyal. But what a lot of people forget is that loyalty isn't the first priority in business. Usually money is. With the opportunity to make more money and not work as much, it would be hard for anybody to turn that sort of deal down, regardless of your loyalty. I hate to see them leave, but I wish them both good luck. I think this whole ordeal will fire Vince McMahon up more than anything else. Anytime that Vince McMahon is presented with some sort of monkey wrench in the plans he always looks at it as a new challenge and rises to the occasion. He almost thrives at overcoming the odds. And that's what I personally respect him for the most. That's the quality I think we share.
I can feel the winter coming. Although I'm not a big fan of winter, there's always something about the changing of the seasons that I dig. It seems like when you enter a new season there is always a fresh new feel of weather and of life that comes in with it. As always, I'm looking forward to the future. My new song for this change of season into the winter time is "When the Dolphins Cry" by Live. Because everyone knows I am notorious for associating songs with certain times and events.
One thing I'm sort of excited about........even though I don't think it's as cool as it could possibly be......I'm happy that Jeff and I have our first t-shirt out for sale. It's always cool to receive little monuments in your career.
And once again, let me thank all the supporters of the Hardy Boyz who continue to cheer and root and write to us. I love reading your letters and hearing your opinions on us, whether they are good or bad. Keep 'em coming!
10-24-99
First off, as always, I'd like to say hello to everyone. And especially hello to everyone who tuned in to No Mercy. Hopefully, everyone enjoyed it. I was extremely pleased with the match itself, as well as was the entire WWF pleased with it. Which was definitely good for Jeff and I. It was really cool because it was mine and Jeff's concept, one of the first original things in the WWF we had gotten to do. It culminated in the best of 5 series, and the ladder match turned out better than expected. It is definitely the highlight of all 4 of our careers. Even though I must say, with this ladder match, there was really a ton of pressure because with it being our idea and our brainchild, it was really up to us to make it special. Meaning if it was a flop, we couldn't go back and say that the WWF and the creative team wanted us to do this, because it was our idea.
The pressure really set in the day of the PPV. Everybody from the WWF front office, to the show's producers, to all the production crew, to all the other wrestlers, were coming up to us and saying, "guys, we expect this to be the greatest ladder match of all time and steal the PPV tonight." There was just a lot of pressure on 4 guys who ages combined don't equal a 100 years. We could, myself, Jeff, Edge, and Christian, noticeably detect how nervous one another were before going into this match. Usually, we're real calm, cool, and collected, and it's just another time we are working together. But this time we knew that all eyes were on us. And this was our chance to step up our game a level and steal the show. This was by far the most high profile match any of us had been in. After we got into the ring, and started the match, all the pressures, burdens, and butterflies slowly faded away. We all forgot about expectations. We just started doing what we all do extremely well........wrestle.
The match started slow, with very little crowd interaction. This bothered me. I was thinking in my head, "what if we go through this whole thing and the crowd doesn't come with us?" The first turning point in getting the crowd, I think, was when Christian and Jeff did the tug of war and Jeff went back into the corner and Christian dropkicked him off the ladder. The crowd was coming. From there on, we continued to build our spots and the crowd got better and better. Before long, we could feel the crowd was on the edge of their seats with what was going to happen next. I think during the course of the match, the crowd forgot who was supposed to be the faces and who were supposed to be the heels, and they just started to feel. I think the crowd felt how hard we were working, they felt how we were putting our bodies on the line, they felt how we were giving them our souls. They stopped booing and cheering. They just felt. The crowd was great in the way that they showed us respect towards the end of the match, especially when all 4 guys went down. We were all battling to get back to our feet and the crowd applauded. Once again, I think they applauded out of respect. I felt that night that we really inspired the crowd. They stopped looking at us as Matt and Jeff Hardy the wrestlers, and as Edge and Christian. They saw us as Matt and Jeff Hardy the people, and Adam Copeland and Jay Reso. And I think they were inspired to see these 4 young guys busting their asses to make the best of an opportunity that had they fortunately had been provided with. There was definitely a special feeling of emotion in the Gund Arena, in Cleveland, on October 17, 1999.
As Jeff and I ran back down the aisle after the match, we stepped through the curtain and were welcomed back in with a standing ovation from the WWF front office, including a very warm ovation from Vince McMahon. That was definitely something that won't be forgotten. As we walked to the back, we were passing the monitor where all the wrestlers and crew were watching the event, and we were once again given a standing ovation (from all the boys). Jeff and I were met with hugs and questions, "are you okay?" and "man that was great!" What a special feeling that was. What a height that was. It was great that one time to feel like you were the most important and special thing on the show.
A few minutes later, we saw our battered and bruised opponents. But luckily, we had all survived with no major injuries. If it wasn't a special bond between the 4 of us, that match definitely cemented that all of us will always have a very special relationship with one another. That was definitely the highlight of my professional career.
Once again, I would like to wish Darren Drozdov best wishes and a speedy recovery. His progress has been slow, but he is still coming along. May we all be with him and his family continually through this trying time. Until Darren beats this, we are all going to keep him in our thoughts and prayers.
I want to say personally that I will miss Jeff Jarrett. Jeff, being a veteran, was always super cool towards myself and my brother. I've heard many different rumors and speculations about why he left, and I would rather not comment on those. Because way too many people already have, and way too many people have already exaggerated the story, believe me. But nevertheless, I hate that he couldn't reach an agreement to stay in the WWF. I think Jarrett is a real stand up guy and a good person. And he fit really well into the WWF family. So I wish Jeff all the luck in the future.
Jeff and I were fortunately given the weekend off, so we can recuperate from our ladder match. Needless to say, we are extremely sore, banged, and bruised. But now, after having 3 days off with no wrestling, I don't know what to do with myself. It's weird, but I'm almost looking forward to Monday so we can go back to TV. I think with the performance of the ladder match you'll see a little more time devoted to Matt and Jeff Hardy as far as developing our characters, storyline, and mic time. We're ready for this step, I feel.
And I want to reiterate to everyone out there, through hard work, dedication, belief, and perserverance, you can make anything happen. Jeff and I have never been given anything more than a small opportunity from time to time. And by god, we took it and ran with it. You can do the same.
Always believe, and be well.
11-14-99
Hello everybody! I know I'm a little past due on this commentary. Dreadful etiquette, I apologize. It's been an extremely busy last 3 weeks for myself and Jeff. Seems like we've done 3 months work. I guess it's good to be in demand in the wrestling business. Though it can definitely leave you exhausted..........even a little jaded. Look for some big things to come from Matt and Jeff Hardy by WrestleMania of next year. Hopefully, our relationship with Edge and Christian will continue to mature. We would all love four love to work as a unit for at least a little while. I think we could be a force to be reckoned with in the WWF.
Have any of you ever listened to the song, "Long Road," by Peal Jam? Some of the lyrics in the song include, "I have wished for so long, now I wish for you today," and "we all walk the long road." I always think back to this song whenever I see young and up and coming independent wrestlers, or people just trying to break into the business. I know what it's like to put all your hopes and dreams and faith into something. It seems almost completely unattainable. But it is not impossible. Once again, I am living, breathing proof of that. I want all these guys and/or gals to know that it is possible. Through hard work and determination and believing in yourself, you can accomplish your goals. At one point in my life I was exactly like you. I was the same person who questioned myself, if I was wasting my time, if I was stupid for believing I could fulfill a dream. Or for trying to scrounge up a little more hope to keep me going. The most important thing is to never stop..........believing.
Eddie Vedder says in one of his songs, "when you trade magic for fact, there are no tradebacks." I believe that to a degree. When you give up on your dreams and goals, and accept where you are at, you become complacent and lose the drive and dedication it takes to get to the next level. That's something that I still have to continue to instill in myself, in forms of drive and inspiration. I *REFUSE* to become complacent and happy with where I'm at. At the risk of sounding arrogant, you can never settle for what you have. You have to constantly update, try to make your life better, try to become a better person, and try to achieve more accomplishments. It's hard to do. But it's a formula for success. So now I say to everyone who is trying to fulfill the dream, "I have wished for so long, now I wish for you today."
Someone wrote to me and said that Matt Hardy was a liar. They said that not everyone can accomplish dreams just like I have, and to stop lying and saying anyone could. This was a person who, god bless her heart, has a paranoia of being around people, going out in public, and so on. I say to her this........people achieving their dreams and overcoming their odds, doesn't mean they have to be a professional wrestler. It could be things as small as being able to cope with your paranoia or being able to deal with a disease as such. Some people that are paralyzed fulfill their dreams just by finding the inspiriation to enjoy life again. Whatever your boundaries may be, there is still always something within the realm of possibility that people have to deal with and overcome. That's why I say I think anyone can achieve their goals and dreams if they believe and work hard enough. If you don't agree with me, that's perfectly fine. Because it's only my opinion. And my opinion is not necessarily right. Or wrong. It's just my opinion. You decide how you interpret it.
Last Saturday night, November 6, 1999, we wrestled in Raleigh, NC for the first time. The ovation Jeff and I got was extraordinary. I want to thank everyone that came out to Raleigh and supported myself and Jeff and our battle against the Dudley's. Fortunately, we won in our home state, much to the delight of the wonderful crowd. The new Raleigh arena may become the mecca for Matt and Jeff Hardy.
Congratulations to Amy Dumas. She has reached an agreement with the WWF and will be starting soon. She is a wonderful and very intellectual person and should do well for herself. I consider her a really special friend......someone I can talk to and always be on the same page with. Best of luck Amy.
Last Friday night I had my tarot cards read. It was the first time I'd ever done this. One of the first things noted was that I should take a trip somewhere that I've been putting off and that I'm in very desperate need of it. I found that very interesting because there have been a couple of times this summer we were planning on going to Myrtle Beach and didn't make it. The tarot cards also said that my future is on a very strong foundation and looks much more positive and brighter than my present. The cards also said that I'm very compassionate towards the way I deal with others and other people's problems. It also said I'm very compassionate towards everything in my life and in order to make it the best it can be I need to lead by example. That was interesting. It also said that I had helped one of my friends fulfill a dream of his......and I asked if it was getting him his dream job. And they said no, you introduced him to true love. The lady said, without you he would have never found this love. I was responsible. (see July 8, 1999 commentary) The tarot cards also stated that I have never known true love and it's never came near me because I shunned it away and was afraid of it. They said within the next 6 months you will meet someone of the female sex that you will be magnetically attracted to and cannot stay away from. She will come into your life and make changes in you that will last forever. Although it might not be in a romantic scenario. In 6 months I'll have to update on this to see how all these predictions panned out. I certainly don't trust the tarot cards to tell my future, but it's great for stimulating thought and creating mental scenario's.
This is Matt Hardy signing off.................until then.
12-10-99
The first issue I would like to address today is called "expectations." A while back I was reading some results posted online. More specifically, results from the Toronto house show WWF had there in November. It listed the results of our match, the Acolytes defeat the Hardys and Dudley's in a 3 way match. They also said this was the biggest dissapointment of the night for them.......the Hardys' only did a couple of high flying moves and basically weren't up to par. If you work extremely hard, bust your ass, and put out the best product that you can, and you make that product really something special and something you don't see every day............people sometimes tend to expect that all the time. But people also forget that Matt and Jeff Hardy are human beings, not machines, and are on the road 280-300 days a year. There are times when we're sick, hurt, depressed, or tired. It's unrealistic for people to expect us to be perfect everytime we step into the ring. That's one thing that specifically bothers me about internet wrestling fans.........they forget to take into account that guys are wrestling every night. And even though they may be working hard, due to conditions somehow beyond their control (such as physical health, opponents, and booking) they can't always have a great match. That night in Toronto I felt our match was okay, but definitely not one of our best. Jeff had severly injured his shoulder the week before at Survivor Series and I was just coming off a mild concussion and was sick as a dog. So I was happy with the effort we still put forth. Remember, even wrestlers' are human. We all have good days, and we all have bad days. Just to play the devil's advocate, I ask this of you............do you ever mess up at work? Or do you ever feel like not being at work? WWF wrestlers don't get sick days. The only way we don't wrestle is if we have major physical injury. Everyone works hurt at one time or another. We just work around it. Believe me you, we take pride in what we do. So I ask you to stop and think before you pass judgement on one wrestling match. Judge on a majority.
More than ever right now I'm looking forward to January 1, 2000. I always reinvent myself every new year. There is always a feeling to the first day of a new year that there is a brand new start to your life. It's a clean slate in which you can start doing things that you've been wanting to do and start setting goals that you want to achieve. It's easy to get inspired from the beginning of the year. Just because it's so much................a fresh start. In 2000 I will get into the best shape of my life. I will become a much better wrestler. I will become a much better businessman. And more important that all that, I will become a much better person. Everything I've done up till this point in my life (December 31, 1999) is nothing to be happy with. Although I'm happy with my accomplishments and have achieved so many personal goals at such a young age. 2000 is a new time and everything in the past is nothing I want to depend on for future success. In 2000 Matt Hardy and the Hardy Boyz are going to make huge waves. Remember I said that. God willing, I will hold true to my word. I hope each and every one of you set goals for yourselves in the year 2000 and I hope you achieve them. Just remember not to give up. Work hard for what you want. It's the beginning of the millennium.........it's a great time to start the first day of the rest of your life. Be smart in your decisions. Be true to yourself. Don't wallow in self pity. Don't succumb to temptation. Keep your mind set on what you want to achieve. May the year 2000 be the best year of mine and your life.
Remember this terminology: "Special Version 1." You'll hear more about this later.
The WWF is now more of a home than my actual home is. I see the wrestlers and employees more than I do my father. And that's really weird because I could really never fathom that. It's what I wanted to do so I'm not going to complain about this small nuisance. It occasionally comes in life. It's just like anything else you get close to.......your family, your mate, your best friend.........over exposure can sometimes drive you crazy. But if it wasn't there, you'd be crazy all the time.
I want to wish a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to my father and brother, to all my friends, to all my fellow WWF compadres, to all our fans and supporters, and also to Kat for making it through the end of the calender year. To everyone out there, best wishes. And for everyone who has ever uttered the words "Matt Hardy," be it in a positive or negative light, in some way, somehow, inside of you there is a piece of me and inside of me there is a piece of you. Thank you guys for '99. Be well and until then...........
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