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Post by cordless2016 on Jan 31, 2013 20:16:45 GMT -5
So we all know the long story between Matt Hardy, Edge, and Lita. Basically after being rehired in mid-2005, Matt was getting over like crazy against Edge and Lita. He got huge pops every week and had arguably the feud of the year w/ Edge IMO. After Matt lost a ladder match to Edge, he was sent to SD where he soon found himself in the lower midcard putting over guys like JBL, MNM, Mark Henry, and Gregory Helms on a weekly basis.
So my question is, did the WWE miss a huge opportunity w/ Matt Hardy?
I know some people might be bias against him since he became pretty crazy during the last few years, and because of his health issue which led to massive weight gains. But from 2005-2008, Matt was getting crazy pops and was one of the better in-ring performers in the WWE.
When he was moved to SD in late 2005, it was right around the time Eddie Guerrero passed away and when Batista tore up his arm. SD was in dire need of a new top face, and we all know how Rey Mysterio's title reign went. I think the WWE messed up big time by jobbing him out because the pops he was getting during the Edge feud were huge. I'm not saying the WWE should have put the SD World Title on him right away, but they could have built on the huge momentum he had coming off his Edge feud instead of putting him on the loosing end of a year long feud w/ Gregory Helms in 2006.
The WWE has missed on alot of upcoming talent IMO, but Matt was one of the bigger ones to me and it was crazy that they didn't continue to push him.
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Post by ICW on Jan 31, 2013 21:19:01 GMT -5
I'm just not sure what the WWE could've done with Matt once his feud with Edge and Lita eventually finished. He doesn't have the personality or persona like Jeff and, sadly, his ring work wasn't going to get him over with average WWE fans.
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Post by cordless2016 on Jan 31, 2013 23:17:04 GMT -5
I'm just not sure what the WWE could've done with Matt once his feud with Edge and Lita eventually finished. He doesn't have the personality or persona like Jeff and, sadly, his ring work wasn't going to get him over with average WWE fans. I always thought it was a shame Jeff achieved so much while Matt got squat. For being called the "Charasmatic Enigma," Jeff always had terrible mic skills and his in-ring work was always sloppy and uncordinated to me. Sadly, he appealed to little kids and kept getting chance after chance even though he was always violating the drug policies. Matt stayed loyal to the WWE, even refusing to go to TNA when the WWE briefly fired him in 2005, yet was never given a strong push except during the Edge feud. While Jeff was the more flashy "high spots" guy, Matt was by far the better in-ring performer, but I agree that it didn't appeal to the general audience like Jeff's more "crash and burn" style. On the mic, once again Matt was leaps and bounds better than Jeff. I don't think he would have gotten near as over as Jeff did in 2009, but I think Matt could have been one of the top guys if used right after the Edge feud. I always thought it would have been cool if we had seen Edge as the WWE Champ and Matt as the World Champ have another confrontation or match in 2006 or 2007. |
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Post by Todd Pettengill on Jan 31, 2013 23:29:37 GMT -5
I was always under the impression that Vince gave Matt his chance to do something the night he "hired" him back and handed him the mic. I always felt that was Vince saying "heres your opportunity" and Matt just didn't know how to do it.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jan 31, 2013 23:38:50 GMT -5
Honestly, I feel like WWE missed the opportunity with Matt several times.
I loved his Mattitude gimmick in 2003.
Also, when he was doing his feud with MVP, I went to a house show and Matt Hardy easily got the loudest pop of the night.
Not to mention, I always felt he was better than Jeff. I think Matt was a better talker, worker and was much more reliable.
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Post by LeighD on Feb 1, 2013 11:25:01 GMT -5
This is how I always (stereotypically)saw the Hardys:
Jeff - Lazy, carefree drug user that won lots of money by scratch tickets (figuratively speaking)
Matt - Hardworking, bust-his-@ss earning minimum wage year after year. (again figuratively speaking)
I always felt Matt would surpass Jeff. His in-ring skills, mic, and work ethic were years ahead of Jeff's. Jeff had the look but was a sloppy, spot monkey at best.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Feb 1, 2013 11:57:57 GMT -5
Matt always had/has a great mind and passion for the business. I always felt Jeff did it for the fame and drug money while Matt did it because he had genuine love for wrestling.
Anyway, I dunno what was going on with Matt a few years back with his Youtube ranting and stuff but hopefully that mess is all over with and he will be back in WWE someday. Maybe an agent role.
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sharpshooter
Superstar
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Post by sharpshooter on Feb 1, 2013 12:05:23 GMT -5
I was always under the impression that Vince gave Matt his chance to do something the night he "hired" him back and handed him the mic. I always felt that was Vince saying "heres your opportunity" and Matt just didn't know how to do it. I totally agree. Through out the whole feud with Edge & Lita he just didn't look like a star. By the time he went to Smackdown I think they had given up on him. One of the major problems with Matt is that he never changed his gimmick and always stuck to being 'V1' |
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OYDK?
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Post by OYDK? on Feb 1, 2013 12:08:23 GMT -5
I've never been a Matt Hardy fan, but I was surprised that they brought him back only to have him completely decimated at Summerslam in 05. It was embarrassing.
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Post by Mike Giggs' Munchies on Feb 1, 2013 12:21:58 GMT -5
His feud with MVP was excellent.
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Barney Stinson
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Post by Barney Stinson on Feb 1, 2013 12:41:53 GMT -5
I was always under the impression that Vince gave Matt his chance to do something the night he "hired" him back and handed him the mic. I always felt that was Vince saying "heres your opportunity" and Matt just didn't know how to do it. 100% this. Matt completely botched that live promo, fumbling his words and saying he wished Edge would get into a car accident and die. I was like what? Then Edge cuts this killer emotional promo and totally outclasses Matt. The Summerslam match could have been done differently, but Matt basically screwed himself by dropping the ball in the most important promo of his career. And Matt probably is a better worker than Jeff, but as much as people don't want to admit it, wrestling, just like any other form of entertainment is personality driven and driven on what sells. That's why many great shows are cancelled, yet the Kardashians still find there way on to TV and Magazine covers. They sell them. Unfortunately other than in sports it takes more that pure talent to make it to the top, and in most cases marketability and character overrides pure talent. Some people have the total package (Edge, CM Punk, The Rock) but those that have pure talent and are just ok talkers or personalities, will end up lost in the shuffle or stay just a notch below. Matt was never the elite or the Main Eventer, he had moments of Greatness (the MVP feud in 2007), but nothing that was ever going to be sustainable. Unfortunately those are the breaks sometimes. |
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Post by Scott! on Feb 1, 2013 12:44:53 GMT -5
I always loved matt. although jeff did the crazy spots, matt did the wrestling. Much better on the mic too.
If wwe had pushed matt after the edge fued the same as they did edge then he'd have been good to go, same after his heel turn.
I think wwe seriously missed it with him.
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Post by cordless2016 on Feb 1, 2013 17:30:41 GMT -5
While Matts return promo was nothing memorable, I don't think it was terrible. I just felt that the whole feud was designed to get Edge over at Matt's expense. But even then the fans were behind Matt like crazy and its just crazy to me that the WWE didn't capitalize on it when he was moved to SD. Even during his year long feud w/ MVP, it seemed like it was designed to only get MVP over even though Matt ended up coming out on top with the US Title. The guy just never seemed to catch a break.
Alittle off topic but I though Matt's "V1" character from 02-03 was comedy gold. From trying to cut weight to compete for the creuserweight division, to his "Mattitude Follower" Shannon Moore, the stuff he was doing was great. I loved seeing the facts about Matt every week during his entrance.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Feb 2, 2013 9:20:08 GMT -5
Matt was brought back to be punished on live TV for airing WWEs dirty laundy in public and thats exactly what they did.
Vince and she who wont be named(once again)had near sighted and self harming tunnel vision in their desire to punish Hardy.
they had the trailer hitched to Edge and Matts popularity(that they ignored) didnt dent that at all.
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