Since his arrival in World Wrestling Entertainment, Matt Hardy's daredevil antics and never say die attitude have made him one of the most popular Superstars of all time. WWE Fans have supported Matt through thick and thin. Through the emotional events in his personal life to his amazing triumphs in the ring, the fans and Matt Hardy have always stood together. 

Matt's Mailbag for October 3, 2006

Matt,
What do you think of the recent pack of newcomers to the Smackdown scene such as K.C. James, Idol Stevens, M.V.P., and Jimmy Wang Yang?
-Robert in Arlington, TX

I personally love to see new talent get an opportunity at "the dance", which is WWE television. K.C. James reminds me of an old school wrestler… he isn't terribly extravagant, but he's extremely solid within the roped square. I've actually wrestled Aaron Stevens before, and I think he has a very bright future in the WWE.  I also like the fact that these two are now wearing resembling outfits, giving them that "tag team feel".  I hope the tag team division can continue to grow, it can be a money drawing, highly entertaining entity on SmackDown. Believe me, I know from experience (See Hardys, Dudleys, Edge & Christian circa 99-01). I don't know very much about the M.V.P., but he's definitely got some big hype to live up to. Jimmy Wang Yang is a very talented individual. Yang wrestles an exciting, high impact style that's fun to watch. Hopefully the Asian redneck will find much success during this tenure with the WWE. Speaking of tenures, some of us joke about how Jimmy has been in and out of major companies six times during his career and he's only 24.  That's gotta be some kind record, right? Ha!

Matt,
I see that you're a fan of Slipknot, so I was wondering, what's your favorite song from Slipknot.  My favorite song from Slipknot is Wait and Bleed.
-Scott in Philadelphia

I dig quite a few of Slipknot's songs, including "Wait and Bleed", as well as "Duality" and "Circle".  But my favorite Slipknot song is definitely "Vermillion", more specifically "Vermillion Part 2". I really dig their music, and maybe this is my age showing, but I prefer the songs where I can actually understand their lyrics. I also think
the whole mask concept behind the band is ultra cool.

Dear Matt,
If you could open up a restaurant with any other WWE Superstar what
type of restaurant would it be and with whom?
-Kelly in Dallas

Interesting you should ask that Kelly, as I was just talking about a restaurant concept a couple weeks ago.  My dream restaurant would have a combination Japanese/Mexican menu, along with a plethora of hot drinks (flavored coffees, teas, etc.), and of course a full bar.  It would serve sushi and hibachi, as well as a very tasty Mexican menu, as well as a delicious white chocolate mocha.  I would actually open up this venture with two WWE superstars, Rey Mysterio and Funaki.  Why you ask? Rey would be the manager of the Mexican side, Funaki would be the manager of the Japanese side, and I would manage the bar.  I would at least manage to drink at the bar, lol.

Matt,
I just bought the classic "I will not die" T-Shirt at a live event in Florida. What's it like to look out at the crowd and see people wearing your T-Shirt? Do you get to help design your shirts?
- Frank from West Palm Beach, FL

Thanks for picking up some Matt Hardy merchandise Frank, I greatly appreciate the support. It's incredibly flattering to see someone wearing a shirt that represents you and you solely.  I actually do help create and design my merchandise. I coined the "I will not die" slogan, and I absolutely loved that shirt. Speaking of T-shirts, it's about time for a new Matt Hardy T-shirt, and I'm always open to ideas and suggestions. If you have any good ideas, let's hear them!

Dear Matt,
Does being on the road sometimes affect your in-ring motivation?
- John from Long Island, NY

Most definitely.  If everything in life on the road is going good, it is always easier and more fun to perform inside the wrestling ring. When you run into times were you're down and dragging from being on the road, it's much more difficult to perform in-ring.  Being on a tough travel schedule when you're tired and you're body's hurting can also be detrimental to your performance motivation.  It's so much harder to get up for a match when you're hurting and exhausted.  And that's also when you're most susceptible to getting hurt.  It's very important to try and enjoy yourself but also take good care of yourself when you're on the road.  So yes, being on the road can most certainly affect your in-ring motivation.

Since I mentioned the tag team division earlier, I wanted to take a moment and talk about Paul London and Brian Kendrick. I'm very happy for the success that Paul and Brian have experienced, as they are two guys who constantly bust their asses to entertain and perform. They've been good Tag Team Champions and remind me of Jeff and I in quite a few ways. I remember wrestling London in Austin, Texas before he was under contract with the WWE.  I wanted to have a good match with him, as I had seen tapes of some of his previous stuff, and knew he had potential. After the match, I walked back through the curtain and said "hire him". Actually, it didn't go down quite like that--but I recommended they look at Paul closely because he was very talented.  Shortly thereafter, he was a contracted WWE superstar. I also wrestled Brian Kendrick in his first television match when he went under the guise of "The Penguin". Later on, myself and Shannon Moore had some matches against L & K, the first time around when they teamed.  Every night, Paul would clothesline my trachea out of my neck, and I would have to stiffly and swiftly beat him up to remind him we weren't in Japan or doing MMA.  Hopefully these two can stay healthy and be successful for a long time to come.  I also think having Ashley valet these guys is a good idea. It gives Paul and Brian a little more attention, because it's virtually impossible to not look in the direction of Ashley when she's in your sights. It's also a great gig for Ashley, it allows her to get involved in small dosages while constantly learning about performing in the squared circle.  I think it's a winning combo for both parties.  And on a personal note, I'm very happy that Ashley Marie has come across such a good role for her, she deserves it. Ashley is a one of a kind girl who is the best human being you'll ever meet. See ya next week, after I beat Gregory Helms from Raleigh to Cameron and back at No Mercy on Sunday...

Also... for all those that may have missed an edition of the Mailbag... you can catch up on what you missed in the Matt's Mailbag Archive... 

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