THE BOYZ BEHIND THE GAME

If there’s two people that know about Attitude in the WWF, it’s Jeff and Matt Hardy. Before this high impact duo started making waves in the World Wrestling Federation, they gave Acclaim all they had for five grueling days of motion-capture. Game Informer had to talk to the Hardy Boyz. Their amazing work for the game is second only to the seemingly impossible things they do in the ring.

The hardest working tag team in wrestling answered our prayers at the last minute. At the two and three-quarters count of this issue’s deadline, they called us up and chatted for a bit about old jokes, new directions, and big plans.

GI: You guys did all the motion-capture for Attitude, but you’re not in the game. What happened?

Matt: That’s a good question. At the time, we had just started in the WWF and were at the bottom of the totem pole. There were a limited number of guys they could put in, and we didn’t make the cut. If the game were being made now, I think we would have been in it.

Jeff: You know what? I ask myself that every day. Now that it’s time for the release, I’m really upset about that. We weren’t really involved in the mainstream back then and we were just kind of fillers for the jobs like that. The WWF knew we could do everything, so they sent us out. I was hoping we’d be secret characters at least.

GI: But we’ll be see you in the next WWF game, right?

Matt: I’m sure.

Jeff: I would think so, now that we’ve had our makeovers.

GI: How much time did you put in for attitude?

Matt: We did five days of motion-capture, from 9 to 6 each day, and it was five days of hell. Our bodies are used to punishment, but we had to do things over and over again in these sensor suits. If just one sensor got knocked off, we had to do the move again. Obviously, since we were doing wrestling moves and were in close contact, sensors came off all the time. We would have to do moves 10 or 11 times for 300 or 400 moves. By the end of the week, we were physically destroyed.

Jeff: The first day, the guy showed us the list of moves we have to do and it’s like a mile long. He had everything on there: Japanese, Mexican, and American moves. After the third day, I was starting to get real sore. But we got through it.

GI: After the mo-cap, then, did you take a couple of days off?

Matt: As a matter of fact, we flew straight out to the Survivor Series pay per view after we were done.

GI: What would you guys do to get everyone’s moves down?

Matt: Really, we didn’t have to study too much. They had a VCR and TV that we would watch the moves on beforehand. But for most everything we did, we knew what it was. Jeff and I do most every move is existence. A lot of guys have a real limited arsenal they stick to, but we can do almost anything. Most of what they had us do, we’d done before.

Jeff: We knew most of them, but if there was a move we didn’t know, they would show us them on video. Even the little things, like Val Venis’ hip gyrations. That was one of the hardest things for me to do, actually.

GI: So out of all the moves you guys did, which was the biggest pain in the ass to capture?

Matt: A lot of the powerbomb variations were tough, because you roll the guy up your body and the sensors keep coming off. I’m a little bigger than Jeff, so I’d be usually picking him up for moves like that. After having to pick him up over and over, it got really tiring.

Jeff: All the Japanese submission holds. Matt knew a few of them, but I’m real bad with submissions. I see ’em, but I can hardly ever remember how to put them on someone. Getting those in the right position and making it look painful was the hardest.

GI: Are you guys looking forward to WWF Attitude coming out?

Matt: I need to get a new system because I’m defiantly getting Attitude. It’ll be great to look at the images and see Jeff and I doing everything.

Jeff: I’m going to buy a PlayStation for sure. It’s going to be cool to see Stone Cold do the stunner and say, “That’s us!” It’s funny, because I always joke with Edge how Matt has jimmy-legs. His hips bend funny and his legs are all freaky when he gets up.. I can’t wait to play the video game, be beating someone up, and see his jimmy-legs.

GI: Do you have any recommendations for those creating the Hardy Boyz at home?

Matt: You got to have good looks. You need a lot of speed, charisma, drive and will. Even if those abilities aren’t in the game, you gotta have them. That’s what we live off of.

Jeff: Baggy pants, tight shirts, wet hair, one fast, one kinda fast, and crazy as hell. Not afraid to dive in the ring and land on their head.

GI: So there you guys are at home playing Attitude. You’ve made the Hardy Boyz with the Create-A-Wrestler feature, and now you want to have the ultimate challenge for your video game selves. Who do you fight or make?

Matt: I hope everyone at home is making the Hardy Boyz. Well, I’d have to put us up against Stone Cold and The Rock. We’ve already decided that we’re going to set our goals high. If we could have a dream match, that’s who we’d take on. The only way to get better is to be in there with the best.

Jeff: I’ll go totally out of the wrestling world. The guy from the movie Powder and The Crow.

GI: Former Freebird, Michael Hayes, has been helping you guys out, and your recent feud has been with another three man team, The Brood. Are you guys building a Freebird kind of thing?

Matt: We’re definitely not shooting to be like the Freebirds, because the second coming of anything usually ends up being a disaster. It works out great the way it is.. I don’t know how much of a permanent fixture Michael will end up being, but I definitely appreciate him. He’s got a vast knowledge of the wrestling business, and he’s helped us out a ton already. He’s a great mentor.

Jeff: At first, I thought we were going to be just like the Freebirds. But I was surprised when (the WWF) didn’t want us to look anything like the Freebirds-especially Michael. They wanted a totally different approach. We still get a Freebird chant sometimes when Michael comes out with us.

GI: The Freebirds were notorious party animals. Has he trained you guys in that respect?

Matt: I tell you what, he’s working on it. He’s 40 now and I can’t imagine him at 25. I’m 24 and I can’t keep up with him now.

Jeff: He’s still a party guy. Every night he likes to kick back and drink a cold one. We’re not big drinkers. I drank my first beer probably two months ago. Every so often, I try to drink a beer with him to be cool and drink with this guy I used to watch as a kid, but it’s tough to keep up.

GI: Have you guys ever considered getting a valet named Nancy Drew?

Matt: Haven’t heard that one in a while. When we first started coming out, people saw us as a Rock N’ Roll Express or Rockers-type team. But people are taking us a lot more seriously with our new look, so the Nancy Drew question doesn’t come up as often. But in all honesty we’ve never considered having a valet named Nancy Drew, or a valet at all.

GI: So you like the direction the WWF has you going now?

Jeff: I’m totally happy. The first night we wore our new outfits, I couldn’t believe we were going to wrestle in them. I felt so awkward. But then I saw it on TV and everybody started talking about how much they liked the new outfits. When Debra said she liked our new look, I thought, this can’t be wrong.

GI: If one of you guys got injured, would the other compete in singles? Or is it tag team or nothing?

Matt: Jeff and I are from a real small town in North Carolina, and no one expected us to be as successful as we are now. Our driving forces has been faith in ourselves, desire, and dedication. We really worked our asses off. So I’m sure one of us would give complete consent to the other to go ahead if that happened.

Jeff: I would hope so. I guess it would be up to the office. If I got hurt, I would hate for Matt to have to stop. With Michael Hayes, though, I wouldn’t think we’d have to stop. Who ever was injured could stay on the outside until they recovered.

GI: We’ve got some fictional matches here, you make the call. Hardy Boyz vs. The Hanson Brothers.

Matt: Hardy Boyz. There’s three of them, but they’re too small and not vicious enough.

Jeff: The Hardy Boyz.

GI: Too Much vs. The Ambiguously Gay Duo.

Matt: If they were Too Cool, they would win. But if they were Too Much, they would lose.

Jeff: The Ambiguously Gay Duo.

GI: The Brood vs. the vampires in the Lost Boys.

Matt: The Brood all the way. I really appreciate being in the ring with the Brood because they’re three talented guys. You know you’re going to have a great match with them.

Jeff: Lost Boys because they’re real vampires.

GI: Nicole Bass vs. Chewbacca

Matt: Wow! Hmmm…that would be a draw. I can’t even give you a straight winner on that one.

Jeff: Chewbacca. He’s the big hairy guy, right?

GI: Jeff Hardy vs. Matt Hardy

Matt: That would be a dream match up. It used to happen every day when we were kids. Since I’m on the phone right now, I’d have to say me. But if that match ever happens, I promise it will be something that you do not want to miss.

Jeff: Three years ago, it would have been Matt, but now it’s me. Or maybe a double knock out or DQ or something.

GI: With the WWF giving you guys a push lately, are you starting to be recognized in public more?

Matt: I can tell a huge difference in the last couple months, especially if we’re with Michael. If we’re alone, people aren’t sure. But if they see all three of us together, they know beyond a shadow of a doubt. In Boston, after a live RAW, we couldn’t keep people off us. It’s weird,but I’ll never complain that it’s aggravating or anything.

Jeff: A lot more. The power of RAW just overwhelmed me. The key to recognition is getting on RAW. After appearing for the first time on the show, it seems like now there’s always at least one person that recognizes you in restaurants or stores. I’m sure it’s only going to get worse. It’s unreal. I can’t imagine being Stone Cold.

GI: Any big plans for the upcoming year?

Matt: We would love to end the year being the tag team champions.

GI: Who will be your main competition for the tag team belts?

Matt: The Acolytes are the current champs, and they’re a couple mean, tough, nasty guys. The Brood will definitely have their tag team title run. But Jeff and I will not have it any other way. We are going to be the tag team champions.

GI: Lastly, what’s your opinion on a device that we think could save countless injuries in the ring–the nut cup?

Matt: Yeah, it’s important to protect your nuts. I’ve never even thought about it. With all the flipping we do, it would probably cause more damage than it would prevent. I’ll just have to take my chances and hope the other guys don’t go for the low blow.

Jeff: You know what? I’m going to start wearing one now that you mention it. We could get away with it in the loose pants. It might make the girls like us more, too.