The first issue I would like to address today is called “expectations.”
A while back I was reading some results posted online. More specifically, results from the Toronto house show WWF had there in November. It listed the results of our match, the Acolytes defeat the Hardys and Dudley’s in a 3 way match. They also said this was the biggest dissapointment of the night for them……….the Hardys’ only did a couple of high flying moves and basically weren’t up to par. If you work extremely hard, bust your ass, and put out the best product that you can, and you make that product really something special and something you don’t see every day…………people sometimes tend to expect that all the time. But people also forget that Matt and Jeff Hardy are human beings, not machines, and are on the road 280-300 days a year. There are times when we’re sick, hurt, depressed, or tired. It’s unrealistic for people to expect us to be perfect everytime we step into the ring. That’s one thing that specifically bothers me about internet wrestling fans………they forget to take into account that guys are wrestling every night. And even though they may be working hard, due to conditions somehow beyond their control (such as physical health, opponents, and booking) they can’t always have a great match. That night in Toronto I felt our match was okay, but definitely not one of our best. Jeff had severly injured his shoulder the week before at Survivor Series and I was just coming off a mild concussion and was sick as a dog. So I was happy with the effort we still put forth. Remember, even wrestlers’ are human. We all have good days, and we all have bad days. Just to play the devil’s advocate, I ask this of you…………do you ever mess up at work? Or do you ever feel like not being at work? WWF wrestlers don’t get sick days. The only way we don’t wrestle is if we have major physical injury. Everyone works hurt at one time or another. We just work around it. Believe me you, we take pride in what we do. So I ask you to stop and think before you pass judgement on one wrestling match. Judge on a majority.
More than ever right now I’m looking forward to January 1, 2000. I always reinvent myself every new year. There is always a feeling to the first day of a new year that there is a brand new start to your life. It’s a clean slate in which you can start doing things that you’ve been wanting to do and start setting goals that you want to achieve. It’s easy to get inspired from the beginning of the year. Just because it’s so much…………….a fresh start. In 2000 I will get into the best shape of my life. I will become a much better wrestler. I will become a much better businessman. And more important that all that, I will become a much better person. Everything I’ve done up till this point in my life (December 31, 1999) is nothing to be happy with. Although I’m happy with my accomplishments and have achieved so many personal goals at such a young age. 2000 is a new time and everything in the past is nothing I want to depend on for future success. In 2000 Matt Hardy and the Hardy Boyz are going to make huge waves. Remember I said that. God willing, I will hold true to my word. I hope each and every one of you set goals for yourselves in the year 2000 and I hope you achieve them. Just remember not to give up. Work hard for what you want. It’s the beginning of the millennium………it’s a great time to start the first day of the rest of your life. Be smart in your decisions. Be true to yourself. Don’t wallow in self pity. Don’t succumb to temptation. Keep your mind set on what you want to achieve. May the year 2000 be the best year of mine and your life.
Remember this terminology: “Special Version 1.” You’ll hear more about this later.
The WWF is now more of a home than my actual home is. I see the wrestlers and employees more than I do my father. And that’s really weird because I could really never fathom that. It’s what I wanted to do so I’m not going to complain about this small nuisance. It occasionally comes in life. It’s just like anything else you get close to……….your family, your mate, your best friend………over exposure can sometimes drive you crazy. But if it wasn’t there, you’d be crazy all the time.
I want to wish a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to my father and brother, to all my friends, to all my fellow WWF compadres, to all our fans and supporters, and also to Kat for making it through the end of the calender year. To everyone out there, best wishes. And for everyone who has ever uttered the words “Matt Hardy,” be it in a positive or negative light, in some way, somehow, inside of you there is a piece of me and inside of me there is a piece of you.
Thank you guys for ’99. Be well and until then………………….
