Matt Hardy's Homecoming loss leads to a SmackDown homecoming
Matt Hardy is living proof that when one door closes,
another one usually opens.
Just weeks after coming up short in a Loser Leaves RAW Ladder Match to
Edge, Hardy has found a new home on SmackDown.
WWE.com recently caught up with Hardy to talk about moving away from the
saga with Edge and Lita and heading back home to SmackDown, where he
originally made a name for himself as a singles star.
WWE.com: What will it be like to get away from Edge and
Lita?
Matt Hardy: I think in reality I’m ready to get away
from it in many ways. It’s something I had to do upon returning to
WWE. I came in and addressed it. From a fan’s standpoint, I
don’t think you can argue with the drama and suspense and storyline
and matches that went with it. I think they were amazing. But from a
personal standpoint, it’s been a tough scenario to deal with.
It’s just one of those weird things with Edge, Adam Copeland. I can
go in the ring and have great matches with the guy. As a performer, I think
he’s amazing. As a human being, I think he’s a piece of sh*t.
But it’s tough to do that. It’s tough to go in the ring and do
that night in and night out. It’s something I did, and I’ve
done everything I need to do as far as that scenario goes and I’m
ready to move on past that. I’m ready to move on and get back to
being me; to be Matt Hardy, the guy who goes out and entertains people and
enjoys what he does every night. As far as the whole scenario goes with me
and Edge, I think it’s like with Shawn Michaels and Bret Hart. As
long as we’re both in the wrestling business, as long as we’re
both in the world, there’s going to be a built-in issue there and I
don’t think it will ever officially end until one of us dies. For the
time being, though, I went in and did that, and it’s just time to
move on to bigger and better things and move on to my ultimate goal and
that’s to be World Heavyweight Champion.
WWE.com: On the Coachcast Edge called you the Bubonic
Plague – would you like to respond to those comments?
Matt Hardy: Well, if anyone is a plague, it’s Edge.
He’s very good at name calling, and he’s one of the best spin
doctors you’ll ever meet. I don’t know anyone that has been
close with the guy that hasn’t ended up with a worse opinion of him
than when they first met. Everyone who’s had a close, personal
relationship with him – especially now that the real Adam Copeland is
out – walks away from him with a lesser opinion of him than they
started. He’s great at trying to twist the truth. Just ask all the
women he’s worked over the course of his life. But in the end they
always catch him, so he’ll get his in the end. I believe in karma,
and I’d hate to have his karma chasing me.
WWE.com: What was it like having to leave RAW and it not
being on your own terms since you ended up being double teamed?
Matt Hardy: I’m not going to lie about it. It sucks
to leave RAW. It’s the longest-running wrestling show out there now.
It’s live, and there’s no atmosphere like a live atmosphere. To
leave under the conditions I left isn’t how I would have wanted to
leave. But I’m a man about it. I’m not going to curl up and
die. I will not die.
WWE.com: What do you have to say to the fans that said by
coming back to WWE you would be buried?
Matt Hardy: The Internet wrestling community is an
interesting bunch. I do appreciate them because they’re very
passionate. But at a moment’s notice they’ll be the first to be
hypocritical. Instead of looking at the glass half full, they’ll look
at it half empty. They didn’t look at as me coming back to the place
I always dreamed of working and that I was going to be in a high-profile
situation. And when you go back and look at Street Fight and the Cage
Match, those are two of the best matches in the careers of both me and
Edge. You just don’t get those every day. The fact is, I came back,
and in an odd way I almost came back in a better position I left in. It
just sucks I had to go through that personal situation. I knew it was going
to be weird coming back to WWE. I was coming in here wrestling someone who
is one of the top guys in the company. I knew it was going to be tough from
an in-ring and out-of-ring perspective. I came in, took my licks and got
past that. Now I’m moving on to SmackDown and things will be bigger
and better than ever.
WWE.com: What are the pros of moving to
SmackDown?
Matt Hardy: I’m excited about going to SmackDown
because it’s really where Matt Hardy Version 1.0 or Matt Hardy the
singles wrestler was born. The most success I ever experienced was in my
first run on SmackDown. And most everyone knows that ended because I wanted
to come back to RAW to spend more time with Lita and resume our
relationship. Looking back, that doesn’t seem like the best career
choice, but it did at the time. Now I’m going back to SmackDown and I
won’t be dealing with Lita, or dealing with Jeff (Hardy) or dealing
with Shannon (Moore). It’s just going to be Matt Hardy worrying about
Matt Hardy, and I’m more focused and more motivated than I’ve
ever been. This is going to be the best run of my career.
WWE.com: Who are you most looking forward to working with
on SmackDown?
Matt Hardy: Right now, one of the first guys that stands
out, of course, is Christian. I’ve done so many great things with him
in the past. I think he’s an amazing athlete in the ring as well as
an amazing personality out of the ring. Then you have guys like Rey
Mysterio, JBL who has come so far; he’ll be interesting to work with.
And obviously, the Champion, Batista. When I go to SmackDown, my goal is to
be the World Heavyweight Champion at some point. I’m going to aim
high. To me, if you don’t go in there with the goal to become the
Champion, you’re not going in with the right mindset. I just feel
like now I’m at a time in my life where I have enough knowledge of
the wrestling business and my body is in the best condition it’s ever
been in. I feel like now I’m one of the best competitors in the
entire wrestling business. I want to give everyone a run for their money.
Shawn Michaels always says he’s the Showstopper, I want to go out
there night in and night out and be the showstopper. There’s also
other guys like Eddie Guerrero and Chris Benoit that I’ve never
wrestled that I look forward to facing.
WWE.com: How do you think the roster is different from the
last time you were on SmackDown?
Matt Hardy: The roster right now, in some ways, is similar
to how it was when I was previously there. When I used to be there Brock
Lesnar was the World Champion, and now Batista is at the top. Some guys
like Eddie and Benoit are still there. The cruiserweights are there, and I
think they’re underutilized. From the heavyweight division
perspective, it’s pretty similar, but in time I think the guys have
progressed and gotten bigger and better.
WWE.com: You’ve been on SmackDown before and had
some success. What do you envision for this go around?
Matt Hardy: I think coming in new and fresh, with other
guys who have been fighting for title shots, I’ll have to work my way
up a little bit. But I’m coming off a pretty hot streak of matches
with Edge so there’s some notoriety attached to the name Matt Hardy.
I’ve got a lot of people behind me, and I’m happy about that.
I’ve always been happy to have the people behind me, because without
the people, there’s no me. But coming in, I’m just going to
bust my ass and do whatever it takes to accomplish my goal of becoming the
World Heavyweight Champion one day. If that means getting in better shape,
adding new moves, jumping off the top of a cage and giving a leg drop,
I’ll do it. I’ll do whatever it takes. I think my performance
has shown that recently, and I’m not going to slow down. I’m
going to strengthen my game from all aspects.
WWE.com: With all of the bad blood brewing
between RAW and SmackDown lately, do you think another Matt Hardy vs.
Edge confrontation could come along or is that something you want to
close the book on completely?
Matt Hardy: I will never close the book on that.
Personally and professionally I will never be able to let that go and it
will always be there. I would never say no to it. I would almost bet money
that there will be another or more Matt Hardy vs. Edge matches. I know he
plans on being around for a while, and I plan on being around for a while,
and I’m sure you haven’t seen the last of that. And who knows,
if he ever gets traded to SmackDown, it might start all over again.
WWE.com: Would you like to comment on the Internet reports
that you’re dating Ashley?
Matt Hardy: Ashley and I traveled together and hung out. I
think Ashley is an awesome person. We spent some time together and I think
each one of us made the other happy. We definitely enjoyed each
other’s company. Now it’s a little different because
she’s on RAW and I’m on SmackDown and we won’t see each
other as much, but you never know. She’s a great person and a great
soul. She’s really working hard and trying to do good in WWE as a
sports-entertainer. I think she’s going to be really good because she
has an awesome attitude and a great mindset. I really dig Ashley.
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