Did the Matt Hardy version 1.0 gimmick have potential?

[Heelish]

I was a V1 fan. SD in general was gold back then

 

[MushroomX]

V1 gimmick was really done well. Matt facts, and calling people his MFers he and Shannon Moore worked well together

He was a Moore-On

Matt Hardy's best gimmick, and his random shyt.

"Likes his Orange Juice at 68F."
"HAS defeated the Undertaker twice."

It was clear that Matt didn't have the charisma, but he made it work.

 

[Alexander The Great]

He was a Moore-On

Matt Hardy's best gimmick, and his random shyt.

"Likes his Orange Juice at 68F."
"HAS defeated the Undertaker twice."

It was clear that Matt didn't have the charisma, but he made it work.

Moore was a Mfer breh. a Matt follower

Shannon Moore is only 36 he's been wrestling forever

 

[R=G]

this

a lot of these posts are nonsense

Don't forgot that when the push was going strong they put him over Rey Mysterio at WM 19...a WM many believe to be the greatest of all time next to WM 17.

 

[ThatKidBlackHippy]

it was good, i think it earned him a lot more fans too since the stigma of "jeff is the star" existed since they were a team when jeff had the crazy color hair and was pulling off all his stunts

i still think even post v1, when he returned as a face during the whole edge thing, if he had more people behind him in the office he could have ended up a upper midcarder and stayed in that spot. fans were really behind him when he was randomly showing up attacking edge and all that shyt, dude was getting chants and pops for just being the guy who was wronged by his girl and homie. whole story was really made for him to become a star not edge, but what happened happened and here we are

 

[ChemicalBk]

it was good, i think it earned him a lot more fans too since the stigma of "jeff is the star" existed since they were a team when jeff had the crazy color hair and was pulling off all his stunts

i still think even post v1, when he returned as a face during the whole edge thing, if he had more people behind him in the office he could have ended up a upper midcarder and stayed in that spot. fans were really behind him when he was randomly showing up attacking edge and all that shyt, dude was getting chants and pops for just being the guy who was wronged by his girl and homie. whole story was really made for him to become a star not edge, but what happened happened and here we are

WWE are sadist and reward JBL ass niccas

 

[ThatKidBlackHippy]

WWE are sadist and reward JBL ass niccas

still makes me laugh sometimes

fans served them a new star on a silver platter, alley ooped that shyt to them, and they just used it to propel a guy they been pushing for years and would have gotten that spot anyways didnt even try to even it out or anything lol

edit: i like edge and think his rated r run was dope so inb4 any "why u hatin" posts

 

[Project Downtime]

Moore was a Mfer breh. a Matt follower
Shannon Moore is only 36 he's been wrestling forever

Him and Jeff made their professional debut before they graduated high school #Dedication

it was good, i think it earned him a lot more fans too since the stigma of "jeff is the star" existed since they were a team when jeff had the crazy color hair and was pulling off all his stunts

i still think even post v1, when he returned as a face during the whole edge thing, if he had more people behind him in the office he could have ended up a upper midcarder and stayed in that spot. fans were really behind him when he was randomly showing up attacking edge and all that shyt, dude was getting chants and pops for just being the guy who was wronged by his girl and homie. whole story was really made for him to become a star not edge, but what happened happened and here we are

When running your mouth on the net like a little bytch goes terribly wrong.
Vince and company was still ready to get behind him, but he couldn't fully deliver and Cope da Gawd became the breakout star.

 

[DaylitoJames]

V1 was a good gimmick and I thought he could have been a decent World Champion on Smackdown.... but Matt's ass went crazy and couldn't get over Lita and yada yada yada he's eating grapes and beer in the ring and yada yada yada he's gonna need a new job once Impact gets canceled in 2 months

 

[Grifter]

All those weeks trying to cut down to cruiserweight.

 

[ThatKidBlackHippy]

Him and Jeff made their professional debut before they graduated high school #Dedication



When running your mouth on the net like a little bytch goes terribly wrong.
Vince and company was still ready to get behind him, but he couldn't fully deliver and Cope da Gawd became the breakout star.

dont get me wrong, dude definitely fumbled when the ball was passed, prolly still in his feelings

but unlike edge or many others, he wasnt given too many opportunities to redeem himself ... dude lost the feud pretty decisively and wasnt given anything solid to do after while edge went on to win the title

thats just the game, it is what it is

 

[Heelish]

I read that fans weren't behind him once he cut that awful promo wishing Edge died in a car crash. True or history being rewritten ?

 

[mrken12]

I read that fans weren't behind him once he cut that awful promo wishing Edge died in a car crash. True or history being rewritten ?

He killed a lot of his momentum with that whiny ass promo. Then Edge came back with one of his best promos of his career. Then it went downhill from there.





Here's a great breakdown of how Matt dropped the ball big time with his mediocre promo:

http://www.wrestlezone.com/editorials/191639-the-missed-316-moment-matt-hardy-part-two

In mid July, Matt returned to the WWE as the rebel and anti-establishment (ring a bell anyone?!) by showing up uninvited and attacking Edge, while being frisked away by security as if he were a fan interrupting a WWE event. Matt even wrestled on the indys (including ROH, which Matt mentioned on the mic before being removed from the building on one episode). Matt’s popularity was at an all-time high and it looked like he was going to become the next great superstar that only comes around once a decade—and then it came… “The Missed 3:16 Moment.”

Vince McMahon made a big announcement on RAW that he has signed back Matt Hardy (to a big contract by the way) to the WWE. Now, three things bothered me that night on August 1st 2005. First, the anti-establishment Matt Hardy is introduced by Vince McMahon. Second, Hardy comes out of… ready for this: a limo. And third, Matt gets into the ring and shakes Vince McMahon’s hand.

Now I don’t know if this was intended to sabotage Hardy’s return however, either way it did not help the Matt Hardy movement. And his brother Jeff even made those feelings known publicly at the time. Should Matt have barked at the idea to come out of a limo or to enter the ring and shake the evil boss’ hand? Maybe. Maybe he could have fought harder or maybe he could have still created his own “3:16 moment” in spite of a potential sabotage.

Nevertheless, those three things that bothered me failed in comparison to what Matt did next after he shook Vince’s hand. Vince McMahon gives Matt the mic and leaves the ring, and as Vince is leaving I can only wonder if Vince was telling Matt with his body language as he handed that mic… “Sink or Swim – here is your opportunity.”

​

Matt had about four months to come up with the promo of a lifetime… the 3:16 moment that many in this profession don’t get… and instead, Matt sunk his opportunity. Matt missed his 3:16 moment, as he said Edge’s name (not real name, Adam) and that he hopes Edge dies in a car accident before he gets the chance to kill him himself. By Matt saying that, he allowed himself to be an unsympathetic and bitter man who is scared to get his revenge that he hoped Edge died in a car accident. So instead of garnering that sympathy as a babyface, Matt sounded bitter calling Lita a slut on more than one occasion over than few-week spam in his return. There was no ‘Ruthless Aggression’ (remember Vince’s speech on RAW to all the stars in June 2002), no drive, creativity or intensity. Matt’s promo sounded like another mid-card promo of “I hate you and I will kill you.”

Matt’s comeback promo was upstaged a week later by Edge, who showed everyone why he is main event talent. The two had their big match at SummerSlam where Hardy was ‘knocked out’ and couldn’t beat the 10 count. The following night on RAW- Matt loses to :::drum roll::: Rob Conway, a man with a horrible win/loss record and a character that has still not explained what on earth ‘The Conway’ means.

Next month, Matt does the J.O.B. to another guy who’s very familiar to J.O.B.’s, Gene Snitsky. And remember folks, “its not his fault!” Weeks later, Matt’s ex-girlfriend Lita hits his own finisher on him, the Twist of Fate. Ok, it was used to setup the Unforgiven PPV in the cage, which Hardy did beat Edge (for once). Next month on the RAW Homecoming on October 3rd 2005, Hardy loses a Loser leaves RAW ladder match against Edge—sending Matt to the ‘B’ show, Smackdown!

Afterwards, Edge becomes “the Rated R Superstar,” headlines WrestleManias and wins numerous World title belts. And how can we forget having a live sex show with Lita on television that had the Nielsen ratings on fire… something the WWE hadn’t experienced too often following the Attitude Era and Monday Night Wars.

Meanwhile Matt is watching his brother Jeff rise to great popularity; in spite of many personal demons along the way, defeating Triple H, main eventing PPVs and winning the World title (ironically from Edge).

The Missed 3:16 moment that Matt couldn’t capitalize on happened incongruously nine years after Austin took destiny into his own hands at the King the Ring in 1996. Matt had the opportunity to deliver a promo that separates mid-carders from main event talent. And although Matt Hardy still had and currently has a good career, 2005 could have been the year where Matt Hardy: Version 1 took his place in history as one of the greats.

 

[Alexander The Great]

when Edge hit him with that "...you don't measure up to me in any way...in any way..." I was like it's over Matt

 

[Project Downtime]

dont get me wrong, dude definitely fumbled when the ball was passed, prolly still in his feelings

but unlike edge or many others, he wasnt given too many opportunities to redeem himself ... dude lost the feud pretty decisively and wasnt given anything solid to do after while edge went on to win the title

thats just the game, it is what it is

Even before the feud with Edge, Matt was a bit problematic behind the scenes due to his ego and pettiness. Don't get me wrong, he was a better ring worker than Jeff, but Matt didn't have to total package. And considering how stacked the roster was at the time, Matt was lucky Vince kept him around until 2010.

I read that fans weren't behind him once he cut that awful promo wishing Edge died in a car crash. True or history being rewritten ?

True.
Mainly because Shannon was in car accident that inadvertently save Matt's life before Matt cut that garbage promo.