Following Matt Hardy - Day 4
By Zack Zeigler with photos by Rich Freeda
March 31, 2007
As a child growing up in rural North Carolina, Matt Hardy and his brother Jeff dreamed of one day competing in the Mecca of sports-entertainment—World Wrestling Entertainment. Upon achieving that goal, he and Jeff went on to form The Hardys, capturing numerous tag team championships as well as the respect and admiration of the WWE fans.
Now Matt is all grown up and has matured into a well-rounded, level headed SmackDown Superstar fueled by competition. His dream of competing at WrestleMania has once again become a reality. WWE.com will follow Matt Hardy all week before he steps into the ring to face seven other Superstars, including Jeff, in hopes of earning the opportunity to compete for a World Championship. What does the frenzy of WrestleMania do to Matt’s life? Check with WWE.com through the week leading up to WrestleMania 23 to find out.
Fan Favorite, 10:39 p.m.
All week, Matt has done his best to oblige every WWE fan that asked him for an autograph or a picture. After the Hall of Fame ceremonies, he took a detour to give out a few more photos and signatures. He understands the importance of his fans, and is always happy to give back when he can. “Those are the people who keep us in business. If they support Matt Hardy, I support them.”
Game Face, 10:17 p.m.
With the Hall of Fame ceremonies concluded, the next scheduled activity Matt will attend is his match at Ford Field. “Jeff and I know this is a huge match for both of us. If it comes down to us being the only ones left, then we’re going to have a go at it. Winning guarantees us a chance to be the champ.”
Take your Seats, 7:05 p.m.
With one night of peace left before Matt and Jeff will become opponents, the brothers took their seats awaiting the night’s entertainment. The one person Matt was looking forward to seeing inducted was Raw commentator Jim Ross. “It will be said a few times tonight, and I hold the same opinion: J.R. is the best commentator in the history of sports-entertainment.”
Wealth of Knowledge, 4:44 p.m. 
In the early years of the Hardy Boyz, Michael “P.S.” Hayes led Matt and Jeff to tag team Superstardom. On the eve of the biggest match of Matt’s singles career, he sat with the Fabulous Freebird and picked the brain of his former manager. “Michael is hugely responsible for my growth in WWE. He’s the guy I would consider my number one WWE mentor, and my mentor in life. Getting his insight, knowledge and experience is priceless.”
Little off the Top, 2:15 p.m. 
Although it takes a backseat to walking out of the Money in the Bank Ladder Match as healthy as possible, Matt still understands the importance of his appearance. “I cut my hair every six to eight weeks. It’s important to look good. The pictures and videos from WrestleMania 23 are going to be shown over and over again.”
Pressed for Time, 1:30 p.m. 
Shopping didn’t go as quickly as he had planned. With Detroit teeming with WrestleMania enthusiasts, it’s tough for Matt to get anything done quickly. “Everywhere I went, people were talking WrestleMania, asking for autographs and pictures. It’s nice and it’s exciting, but I’m on such a tight schedule to get everything done before the Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony that sometimes it’s hard to find a second for myself.”
Rollin’ Out, 10:15 a.m.
With a full day of activities and errands to complete before attending tonight’s Hall of Fame ceremonies at Detroit’s Fox Theatre, Matt left his hotel room in hopes of following a strict schedule.
Wrestle-Media, 8:46 a.m. 
After waking up at 7 a.m. to do interviews, Matt went back to his room and checked out the Detroit Free Press newspaper that had him and Mr. Kennedy on the front of the Weekend section. “It’s flattering to see myself on the front of a newspaper. I’m not an avid newspaper reader, but if I see an article or a picture that catches my eye, I’ll look at the paper. I’m definitely not the type who gets up every morning and reads it though.”
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