Matt Hardy revealed that he once pitched an idea to WWE: have The Hardy Boyz join forces with their longtime rivals, Edge and Christian, during the Attitude Era.
The two teams developed one of WWE’s most memorable rivalries during the late 1990s and early 2000s, becoming known for their innovative ladder matches and high-risk performances. However, Matt Hardy recently revealed that he had proposed taking their relationship in a completely different direction following their groundbreaking ladder match at No Mercy 1999.
Speaking on his Extreme Life podcast, Hardy explained that he wanted the four wrestlers to form a new faction built around their mutual respect and shared vision for the future of professional wrestling.
“It was after our ladder match [No Mercy 1999], you know, I threw in the idea about making myself, Jeff, Edge, and Christian a faction together that we had this unique respect,” Hardy recalled.
“And because of that ladder match and what we did, breaking so many barriers, doing all this new stuff, we are the version of what tomorrow’s wrestlers look like. But obviously, that didn’t happen. They had different plans.”
Matt Hardy’s WWE Faction Idea Never Materialised
The proposed alliance would have brought together four of WWE’s most exciting young performers at a time when factions such as D-Generation X were prominent on the company’s programming.
Hardy’s concept would have positioned the group as a united force representing a new generation of wrestlers, with their respect for one another developing from their experiences inside the ring.
However, WWE ultimately decided against the idea, choosing instead to continue the rivalry between The Hardy Boyz and Edge and Christian. That decision allowed the two teams to further establish their reputations as tag team specialists, with their rivalry becoming an important part of WWE’s Attitude Era.
Although the proposed faction never came together, all four wrestlers went on to enjoy successful careers, both in tag team competition and as singles performers. More than two decades later, Matt and Jeff Hardy remain active as a team in TNA Wrestling, where they have become five-time TNA World Tag Team Champions.
The brothers are currently involved in a rivalry with Syx, the team consisting of Joseph Sawyer and Samuel Shaw. Previously known to WWE audiences as Joe Gacy and Dexter Lumis, respectively, Sawyer and Shaw have become adversaries of The Hardys in TNA.
The two teams met for the first time at Bound For Glory on Sunday, October 11, continuing the brothers’ long history of competing against formidable tag team opponents. While Hardy’s original idea of joining forces with Edge and Christian never became a reality, his comments offer insight into how differently one of WWE’s most celebrated tag team rivalries could have developed.
