Matt Hardy has spoken about an iconic WWE match he believes deserves more credit than it gets.
Matt Hardy believes The Hardy Boyz’s ladder match against Edge and Christian at WWE No Mercy 1999 deserves greater recognition for its lasting influence on professional wrestling. The TNA World Tag Team Champion has competed across WWE, TNA, AEW and ROH during his lengthy career. However, when asked by Fox News Digital which of his accomplishments doesn’t receive enough recognition, Hardy pointed to the first tag team ladder match.
“A moment still that I don’t think gets talked about quite enough… was the first-ever tag team ladder match,” Hardy said.
The Hardy Boyz defeated Edge and Christian in the match at No Mercy on October 17, 1999. Hardy believes the bout helped change how weapons and other objects could be incorporated into wrestling matches and directly influenced several concepts that followed.
“It was so instrumental in leading the way for change,” he said.
Matt Hardy Spoke About How The No Mercy Ladder Match Led To The Iconic TLC Matches
Matt Hardy explained that the match eventually led to The Hardy Boyz facing The Dudley Boyz in WWE’s first tag team tables match. He said he pitched the concept to Vince McMahon, and the rivalry later evolved when Edge and Christian were added to the mix.
The three teams competed in the first Tables, Ladders and Chairs Match at SummerSlam 2000, establishing a stipulation that would become a regular part of WWE programming.
Hardy also pointed towards similar concepts being adopted elsewhere in professional wrestling, including Full Metal Mayhem in TNA and Ladder War in ROH.
“That tag team ladder match… was absolutely the beginning and origin point of the TLC concept,” Hardy said.
He believes the No Mercy match will ultimately be remembered as:
“The moment where all of this insanity started.”
