Matt Hardy

Matt Hardy
Height: 6 foot 2
Weight: 236 pounds
From: Cameron, N.C.
Signature Move: Twist of Fate
Career Highlights: ECW Champion; United States Champion; World Tag Team Champion; European Champion; Hardcore Champion; Cruiserweight Champion; WCW Tag Team Champion
In the ring, Matt Hardy lives his motto: "I will not die." Time and time again he has sacrificed his body for both the enjoyment of the fans, and the sport which he has loved so dearly for his entire life.

Matt came to the WWE in 1998 as a tag team specialist, teaming up with his brother Jeff to form the appropriately named The Hardys. While severely undersized, The Hardy's outstanding chemistry and unmatched heart carried them to stardom. The Hardys went on to become five-time World Tag Team Champions in WWE before breaking up in 2002.

In 2003, shortly after joining the SmackDown roster, Matt Hardy pursued the Cruiserweight Championship. After struggling for weeks to make the weight limit, Hardy defeated Kidman for the Championship at No Way Out '03.

After he won the title, Hardy endured an up and down rivalry with Rey Mysterio. Hardy got the best of Rey Mysterio in a controversial Championship match at WrestleMania 19. A month later however, Mysterio got his revenge, defeating Hardy for the Cruiserweight Championship on SmackDown.

In 2004, Matt Hardy's girlfriend Lita became the object of Kane's affection. For weeks on Raw, Kane stalked Hardy and Lita, routinely abusing Matt while pursuing Lita, at one point even planting a disturbing kiss on Lita's cheek. On a June episode of Raw, Lita told Matt she was pregnant, presumably with his child. One week later, Matt prepared to propose to Lita, but was interrupted by Kane, who made a shocking allegation. Kane claimed that the baby Lita was carrying was not Matt's, but his own. At Vengeance, Hardy got a small matter of revenge, beating Kane in a No Disqualification Match after the use of a steel chair and ring steps. Shortly thereafter, Lita took a DNA test and found out that Kane was indeed the father. Matt told Lita that it didn't matter to him, and he still wanted to marry Lita. Kane however decided that he also wanted to marry Lita. A unique match was set for SummerSlam, Matt Hardy vs. Kane for the right to marry Lita. SummerSlam was a nightmare for Hardy as Kane won the match, and the right to marry Lita on Raw. The marriage took place two weeks later on Raw, but not without drama. A desperate Matt Hardy tried to come down and interrupt the wedding, but a forcefield of flames kept him from getting to the altar. After the vows, Kane attacked Hardy and brutally chokeslammed him off the stage. As a result, Hardy was badly injured and was forced to take time off from Raw.

While Hardy was away, he learned that his long-time real life girlfriend, Lita, was having a sordid affair with Edge. Adding to an already emotional period, Matt was also released from WWE during the same time. It wasn’t long before information regarding the personal hell Matt was experiencing became public knowledge. His faithful followers began to make their voices heard at WWE events across the country. In fact, Matt points out the crowd’s reaction at Madison Square Garden at the April 12 Raw for starting his “movement.”Unable to simply sit at the sidelines while his heart was wrenching, Matt started popping up uninvited at WWE events, wreaking havoc on Edge and Lita every chance he had. He even called in and crashed Lita’s Byte This! interview, confronting her about their tumultuous relationship. Not long after, Mr. McMahon said that Hardy was starting fires all over the place, and he couldn’t help but to pour gasoline on those fires by re-hiring Matt. Upon his return, Hardy adopted a vicious focus that has been previously unmatched in his career. For several months in 2005, Matt made the lives of Lita and Edge a living hell, just as they did to him.After clashing with Edge on several occasions including a classic steel cage bout at the 2005 Unforgiven which saw Hardy defeat Edge following a daring legdrop from the top of the cage, Hardy and Edge would meet one more time in a ladder match at the Raw Homecoming in October 2005. The battle would result in the two bitter rivals’ careers going in quite different directions. After taking Edge to the limit and nearing an end, Lita interjected herself in the match costing Matt not only the match but his spot on the Raw roster.

After joining SmackDown once again, Matt soon found himself tag team champions along with his rival, the then United States Champion, MVP. Although the pair were not the best of friends, they made very effective champions, even though MVP constantly insisted that he was the entire reason for it. Unfortunately for Matt, MVP's true motive for partnering with him was to keep him from challenging him to his beloved United States Championship. When Matt pushed the issue, MVP double-crossed him and caused Matt a serious injury, forcing him to leave SmackDown once again.

Upon returning from this injury, Matt not only cost MVP the Money in the Bank match at WrestleMania XXIV, but inevitability the United States Championship as well.
In 2008, Hardy was drafted to ECW as part of the WWE Draft. A few months later, at Unforgiven, Hardy satisfied his career-long hunger for a World Title when he won the ECW Championship Scramble Match against Mark Henry, Finlay, Chavo Guerrero and The Miz.
After dropping the ECW Title to Jack Swagger in January 2009, Hardy set his sights on teaching his brother, Jeff, a lesson. To do so, he asked to be released from the Extreme brand to allow a return to SmackDown.