Bleacher Report - Articles by Justin Thomas

Extreme Impact: Jeff Hardy Left His Mark On Professional Wrestling

Justin Thomas — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 13:55:56 -0400

Who has made the greatest impact in professional wrestling history? That question could be answered by many different names.

You've got Hulk Hogan (only had three moves), you've got Bret Hart (he had the personality of a soda can), you've got The Rock (sell-out), you've got Ric Flair (does he know what "retirement" means?), you've got Triple H (married to the boss), you've got Shawn Michaels (he screwed Bret), and so many other worthless pieces of wrestling history.

Why are they worthless, you ask? Because they all pale in comparison to the extreme, charismatic, rainbow-haired, fate twisting, enigmatic warrior—Jeff Hardy.

For years, Jeff Hardy provided fans with unselfish entertainment. He would put his body on the line, all for the sake of entertaining fans. He built a special connection and relationship with his fans, one that cannot be duplicated.

Jeff has many detractors as well. Similar to other greats such as Hogan, Flair, The Rock, and, Shawn Michaels, people love to hate Jeff Hardy. As the old saying goes, "you can't be considered great, if you don't get your hate." Even though I just made that quote up, there's no denying Jeff gets the love and hate necessary to make him great.

Some will say "oh, Jeff doesn't have enough World Titles to be considered great." Another misinterpretation on the Hardy hater's part. If it was simply based on World Title reigns, Batista would be greater than Shawn Michaels. Clearly there's more to it.

In order to even earn a World Title, Hardy had to work his way up by dominating the tag team and mid card divisions. Some will ask, "didn't Edge and Christian dominate the tag team division?"—how wrong they are. Edge and Christian split in 2001, the same time that the Hardyz won their tag titles. Was it a mere coincidence? I'd say no.

The Hardyz have even held the WCW Tag Team titles, despite not competing in WCW! That says it all.

Aside from his World Titles, the most prestigious title Hardy has on his list is the Intercontinental title. He is by far the greatest Intercontinental Champion of all time.

Some will say Jericho and Honky Tonk Man were better champs. How many times did Honky hold the title? How long did Jericho hold the title? Make no mistake about it: Hardy is indeed greater than the rest. Umaga and John Morrison's best feuds—along with their best matches—came from the Intercontinental Champion, Jeff Hardy.

Still not convinced of Hardy's greatness? Aside from the fact that he is indeed a Grand Slam Champion, let's take a look at the top five superstars of this decade (excluding Jeff), and let's see how many of them Hardy has beat:

Triple H? Check
The Undertaker? Check
Chris Jericho? Check
Edge? Check
Shawn Michaels? And check!

The list goes on and on, but the point is they all fell one by one to Jeff Hardy. In 2008, the backbone of Smackdown for the past 3 years, was sent to hell by the Undertaker. Many fans were left pondering how Smackdown could possibly recover from the loss of the Rated R Superstar.

Jeff Hardy provided us with some of the most entertaining television we've seen in a long time. He chased after the WWE Championship in consecutive Pay-Per-Views. The fact that he had to work his way up the way he did, put some legitimacy around the belt. He finally won the belt at the end of the year, defeating Edge and Triple H in a triple threat match.

An accomplishment that cannot be taken for granted, Jeff defeated the two most storied champions in WWE history. Although his reign was short-lived, he has cemented his place in history with his World Title wins.

Jeff Hardy defies odds night in and night out, to the point where people begin to wonder "is there anything this man cannot do?"

At the young age of 25, Hardy took it to the Deadman in a 30-minute, hard-fought bout. How many 25-year-olds can stand up to, and compete with, one of the most intimidating superstars in history? I'd say not many.

Hardy overcame so many obstacles to reach the pinnacle of the WWE. At a young age, he decided he wanted to become a pro wrestler. His dad, who couldn't afford to send him to wrestling school, told him it would never happen.

That didn't stop Jeff, along with his brother Matt, from religiously training themselves, imitating their favorite tag team, the Rockers.

His hard work paid off, as Jeff was given a spot on live television, to wrestle against Razor Ramon at the young age of 16. Only a truly great wrestler would be given an opportunity like that.

Hardy was told he was too much of a screw-up to ever be champion, he was also told he wasn't built to be champ. Jeff proved you can overcome past issues (he's innocent until proven guilty), and you don't have to be a muscle-head to be a successful wrestler.

Despite what people say, Hardy gave it his all, night in and night out. Unlike so many today, he worked his way up to reach the top. What he lacks on the mic, he more than makes up for with his charisma and in-ring abilities.

He brought the A-game out of Internet favorites John Morrison and CM Punk. He broke his back fighting through injuries, all for the sake of his fans.

He is one of—if not the most—captivating, innovative, and breath-taking superstars in professional wrestling. Jeff Hardy truly left his Swanton Bomb in wrestling history.

For all the pain you had to endure to bring us unselfish entertainment, thank you, Jeff!

One-on-One: Debating the Enigma That is Jeff Hardy

Justin Thomas — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 14:30:58 -0400

Anyone who knows me knows I am a huge fan of Jeff Hardy.

I can remember as far back as attending Raw in '99 and watching Summerslam 2000, when I became a huge fan of both the Hardyz: To this day I am hooked on Hardy.

I recently decided to have a one-on-one discussion with Pro Wrestling's Community Leader, Shane Howard about Hardy, basically to see if we could find any common ground.

Keep in mind folks, a few of these questions were done before Hardy won his third title. Shane's answers are in italics, and the questions are bolded.

Q: A lot of people seem to hate Jeff, how much of that do you believe can be attributed to his history with drug use? Is it a mistake to allow someone with a history like Jeff to be World Champion?

To answer your first question, I don't think the drug history is why Jeff has so many naysayers. From my experience at a SmackDown taping, Jeff is tremendously over with kids and adults. Right now, I would go as far as saying he is the most over wrestler in the entire WWE.

Fans have been known to be forgiving. They root for those that can overcome the odds. Look at the love Josh Hamilton and Manny Ramirez still gets in baseball, Kobe Bryant in basketball, etc. We've seen them at their worst, yet they are still cheered for. The same can be said about Jeff.

Most of Jeff's opposers are the fans who care for actual wrestling prowess. My feelings on Jeff Hardy are similar to my feelings on Mick Foley.

They are memorable due to their stuntman-like ways. Mick is better than Jeff because Mick can work the mic and is slightly better in the ring as well.

What Jeff Hardy match can you say was classic that didn't involve him Swanton Bombing or delivering a leg drop from an insane height? He's a spot-monkey and that's why he gets his naysayers.

Those spots, though, are incredible and they do wow us.

As for the second part of the question, it can go either way. Wrestling has always had to battle the drug use issue.

Now, more than ever, the steroids and drug abuse talk is all over the sporting world. Having Jeff as a champion can definitely be a bad thing in people's eyes.

On the other hand, putting the strap on him and allowing him to show everyone that the company has faith in him can be a good thing. Jeff is adamant that he is clean. That he hasn't failed a test in a year. He is ready to prove his doubters wrong.

He (and the WWE) knows that children make up the majority of his fan base and having him with the belt can be a way to prove that despite making mistakes, you can learn from them and achieve your goals.

Me: Jeff Hardy is the most over superstar in the company. He gets the best post-Attitude Era ovation. He even sells hundreds of fishnets for people to wear! If that doesn't say how over he is, nothing will. I truly feel he has solidified his spot as one of the most popular and charismatic superstar of all-time.

But just like any athlete, he will be hated by some. I always felt top faces like Hardy were very polarizing figures where fans just don't want to take a liking to them. I don't deny he's made himself famous for spots, and thus people do not like him. But there is no doubt in my mind people hold his past against him.

Even in his current feud with CM Punk, people say why cheer a drug abuser over Hardy? Hardy is not the first, and he will not be the last wrestler to have had a drug problem. No one ever complained that DX, Austin, or Eddie Guerrero were bad role models. Obviously those were gimmick-based while Jeff's is his real life situation, but to the young kids its all the same.

In the current feud between MVP and Jack Swagger, I have yet to hear anyone complain about kids cheering an ex-con over a well-educated college grad. I don't understand why Hardy is held to a double standard. I am in no way saying all of his naysayers despise him for past problems, but there's no doubt in my mind a few people hold them against him.

I feel we are in total agreement on the second answer, that as long as he is truly clean, the WWE would be foolish not to let a man of his talent and standing amongst fans succeed.

Q: Has Jeff's gimmick gone stale, and should he turn heel? Could he play a heel?

I don't think Jeff needs to change gimmicks. If it's not broken, why fix it?

I'm not sure why he paints his face a la The Joker, but the whole enigma thing works for him.

For the love of all that is Holy, do not let Jeff go heel. He's horrible as a heel. They have tried it before and it didn't last long as it was an epic failure. Some people can be both a face and a heel, but some people can't. Jeff should only attempt the good guy role. A heel turn would flop.

Me: No need to change Jeff's gimmick, like I stated earlier he is the most over superstar in the WWE. Why change that and have his popularity plummet?

Fans love his unique gimmick, basically everything he does, he's doing it his way. I always felt some faces like Hardy and Shawn Michaels act like their own person, while others like Cena and Rey Mysterio, come off as too generic with no different dimensions to their character.

Hardy's character has so much to it, and I don't think he's been given proper credit for it.

If you started watching wrestling the past year and saw Shawn Michaels, I doubt you'd think he could play a good heel. If Hardy was truly allowed to go through with a heel turn, I definitely don't think it would be an epic fail like others do. But I am not in favor of it either.

Q: Jeff is able to put emphasis and emotion into his words without stumbling or stuttering, yet most believe his mic skills are nowhere near good. Of all the upper mid-carders and main-event talent in the WWE, where does Jeff rank?

Have you truly listened to the guy speak? They should look into a voice-over actor just for Jeff and his promos. I know the guy is from North Carolina, but there is just something about his tone and his delivery.

It's rather quite annoying, humorous, and horrendous all at the same time. Hurricane Helms grew up in N.C. and doesn't sound like Jeff.

If I'm ranking Jeff, I'm ranking him among the main-event talent because that is what he is. As for the main event we have: Orton, Triple H, Cena, Batista, HBK, Edge, Jericho, CM Punk, The Undertaker, I'll throw in Tommy Dreamer, Christian, and Kozlov from ECW.

Out of all of those men, Jeff only comes ahead of Kozlov and Kozlov has the disadvantage of being Russian.

Me: I admit he is not the best when it comes to promos. Whenever he's talking, he paces around the ring, and sometimes even acts like he's dealing with demons while talking! His voice is rather annoying. That said, he really has a way of getting the crowd excited.

Edge, Chris Jericho, Triple H, and HBK are the guys who stick out to me as having the best mic skills today. Cena and Orton are rather inconsistent, but can deliver great promos from time to time. Outside of them, is Hardy really that much worse than the others?

He's not great, but he gets the reaction and excites the crowd. That's good enough in my view.

He walks around the ring and appears as if he's battling the demons within? That sounds a bit crazy to me. How is that exciting? I'd want to have someone committed if I saw them doing that.

It was really only a thing he did in February. He was in midst of a feud with Edge fueled by hatred, his brother had just turned on him, and he lost what could have been his only title.

It was part of his character, albeit a little "odd", it worked. He doesn't do it anymore. For the time being, I thought it was ok.

Q: Although Jeff's title wins have come through classic matches, both title reigns have been forgettable. Will Hardy ever win another title, and if so will he be given a legit title reign?

I wouldn't say both matches were classics. The second one was. It wasn't my favorite ladder match, but the whole ending with the cashing in of the briefcase made it worthwhile.

Jeff Hardy, granted that he re-signs with the WWE, will indeed win another title. Will it be a world title? More than likely, but he'll definitely hold gold again even if it's a lower-tier belt. There is no denying his popularity and management would be stupid not to capitalize on that.

When you say legit, now, exactly what constitutes as legit? Many of the titles in the WWE are constantly switching like a game of hot potato.

Would a two- or three-month reign be considered legit? Because CM Punk's first reign as World Champion lasted that long, but no one bought him as a credible champ.

I'm not sure I can answer that question right now because I can't get into the minds of WWE Creative. As a Jeff hater, I hope it doesn't happen. As a fan of wrestling, all champs should have some legitimacy.

Me: I do believe when Edge and Hardy met, it was a hell of a matchup. The hatred and history between the two make for a compelling storyline, though I don't believe it was properly executed.

I think a solo Hardy-Edge matchup would have been better than having Triple H and Kozlov involved, which is why I believe their ladder match was one of the better matches I've ever witnessed.

Jeff has been involved in so many title matches, because the WWE knows they can't let him look weak. So without question he will likely hold the World title, and possibly the tag titles again.

If a title run is considered legit, it would have to be long and memorable. These title runs will seemingly not happen for anyone anymore, except maybe for Cena and Orton. I could honestly see Jeff winning 6 or 7 World titles, without a single one being memorable.

Q: When it's all said and done, where will Hardy rank among the all-time greats, in terms of his overall legacy?

Hmm, the dreaded legacy question. If Jeff was to call it quits right now (prays this to be so) then he will go down as one half of the most revolutionary tag teams in wrestling history.

The Hardy Boyz were this generation's Rockers, so Jeff will be remembered. Years from now, WWE Classics will show Jeff diving off some ladder, scaffolding, or cage. He will be known as one of the most captivating superstars to grace the ring.

Will he be ranked up there with HBK, Triple H, The Rock, Stone Cold, Randy Orton, Edge? No. But I believe we will see a Hall of Fame induction for the Rainbow-Haired Warrior.

Unfortunately, we'll have to listen to him make the acceptance speech. Let's hope Matt does the talking for both of them.

Me: Jim Ross said he considers the Hardyz the greatest tag team of the past 20 years, I believe everyone agrees they're one of the greatest of all-time. Tag team wrestling thrived when the Hardyz were together, and pretty much collapsed once they separated. When they reunited two years back, they brought that certain something with them that made fans care about TT wrestling. Once they went their separate ways again, tag team wrestling lost it.

He is like HBK, where he doesn't have many World Titles, but he's known for stealing the show. He'll go down as arguably the greatest Intercontinental Champion of all-time.

Jeff is a rockstar to this generation of fans. He connected with this decade's fans through both a personal and professional way, something very few of the all-time greats can say. He revolutionized and redefined an entire industry. He gave fans jaw-dropping and unexpected moments that most will never forget. He brought a high-risk, high reward, leave no chance untaken, unique, unorthodox, style that fans everywhere loved. This daredevil will never be forgotten.

Q: Jeff's biggest critics have spoken up about his in-ring work or lack there of. Is Jeff able to work with just about anyone and bring about a good match?

Justin: In terms of in-ring abilities, Jeff is very underrated. People need to look past the Jeff of 1999, and realize that its 2009. Jeff can work the mat, use technical offense, consistently put on great matches with mid-carders (MVP, Punk & JoMo), and make a match great or at least decent against a below average or horrible opponent (Kozlov & Umaga). Outside of Shawn Michaels, Jeff is the best guy of his stature to work with opponents who're much bigger/ stronger, in part due to his own offense, and in part due to his great ability to sell. (Compare his matches with Undertaker, Umaga, and Kane to CM Punk's matches with them)

In comparison to other top stars like Cena and Orton, I don't think they're any better, certainly not that much better. Jeff has a wide arsenal of great moves, which make him one of the best today in my opinion.

I just don't see it. To me, Jeff does a lot of flailing around. He's like a little kid hopped up on caffeine. I don't think he can deliver different styles in the ring, where he slows the tempo down and controls his opponent. He is to the WWE what the Phoenix Suns are to the NBA.

To have a good match, I think he requires a better talent in the ring. He needs someone who can switch up the pace and call a match. This is not to say that high-flying matches aren't good, but high spots for the sake of high spots can leave you winded.

No one is going to really be able to get a good match out of someone the likes of Khali, but I honestly feel that Jeff isn't a ring general and needs someone else in there with him, a la Edge, Jericho, Taker, etc.

Q: Will Jeff forever be remembered as a tag team wrestler or a singles competitor?

That's a tough one to call. Jeff has recently been given a main event push, and like I said earlier he could be in store for many titles considering the way they've been throwing them around. The reality is though that none of those titles will be remembered, while his success as a tag team wrestler can never be forgotten.

It all depends on how hard he is pushed from now on. Matt Hardy will likely need Jeff to get inducted into the HOF, so if they were inducted as a team, my guess is that years from now that's how they'll be remembered. Though Jeff's impact as a singles star will never be forgotten.

I asked this question and now I'm not sure what answer to say. I want to say tag wrestler but if the WWE continues to bury the tag division, no one might remember the Hardy Boyz's classic feuds and matches.

Jeff has had singles' success for a few years now. He's won several Intercontinental titles and the World Heavyweight Championship three times. If he was to leave today (please do this) then I think he would be seen as a tag team wrestler.

If he continues to wrestle, I don't see him and Matt being a tag team too often down the line, so he might do enough to leave a stamp as a singles star.

Q: Many of the Jeff Hardy fans have claimed how great the guy is. Do you honestly think that he is capable of carrying a brand by himself?

Out of all the recent title runs in the WWE, the only superstars I can say that actually carried a brand at some point were John Cena and Edge. As great as Chris Jericho and Triple H are, I can't say they carried the brand during their runs, but were just essential pieces.

Randy Orton and CM Punk have been terrible champions if you ask me, and fans have grown weary of seeing either of them with the belt despite the fact neither has ever gotten a legitimate title run.

Jeff always keeps fans excited, so I say a title run for him would likely mean better ratings than Punk could bring in. But ultimately, Jeff will need a good supporting cast to be a successful champ. A rivalry with Chris Jericho would do the trick.

First off, you said that CM Punk was a terrible champion, how so? The guy was doing a tremendous job before the WWE took the strap off of him. Punk was the reason many tuned into Smackdown! because they wanted to see how his transformation was going.

Edge carried SD! for a while, Cena can carry a brand, Taker, HHH, Orton, Jericho, HBK, they can carry a brand. They have tremendous drawing power.

They can all be pitted in a PPV match were the main event is a match versus Mark Henry and people would probably still pay to see it. Jeff is not at that level.

Sure, he is a merchandise mover, but so is Rey Mysterio. Mysterio can't carry a brand either. Just because you are popular and can woo folks with leaping abilities doesn't make you eligible to carry a brand.

Punk was progressing well, I won't deny that. But my main point was that if you took any of today's top heels (Jericho, Edge, or Orton) and turned them face, they'd be cheered. Heels are important to the overall entertainment, so even if they are booed, deep down the fans want to see them as champs. Punk as a face champion was not heavily cheered, and when he was about to win the Money in the Bank he was booed out of the arena. The internet loves Punk, but he should not have been given the title at this point in my opinion.

I completely disagree about Jeff not having drawing power on the level of Orton, Jericho and Taker. Hardy main evented Night of Champions, and is set to main event Summerslam, the second biggest PPV of the year. Earlier in the year, Jeff was feuding with HHH and Edge, so thus it could be argued that back then he couldn't draw and was working with big-time draws. However now he is feuding with CM Punk, and it really can't be said that Punk is a big draw. Had Punk been feuding with Rey, he wouldn't get the main event match on consecutive PPVs.

Jeff sells, draws, and excites. In my opinion, he is more than fit to carry Smackdown.

(End of Discussion)

I'd like to thank Shane for doing this. I had a few "minor barriers" that stalled this from being done, but he was a good sport. We'll never see eye to eye on Hardy, but I still consider Shane a good person.

He may be on the wrong side of Father Time, but I don't hate on the elderly. Hope you all enjoyed this, stay tuned to Smackdown to see how Hardy's title reign unfolds.

Shane Howard is a member of Hit the Ropes Radio Show. You can check out the web site here. Upcoming guests include Buff Bagwell and Petey Williams.

CvC: Trish Stratus Is the Greatest Women's Champion

Justin Thomas — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 04:51:15 -0400

"Trish Stratus. She was a seven-time champ who had a tireless work ethic, an unquenchable thirst to improve, an under-appreciated toughness, and, of course, an amazing presence."

- Jim Ross

In professional wrestling, there are female wrestlers who stand out. Some because of their looks and others because of their talent to wrestle. Some female wrestlers stand out because of both.

In all my years as a wrestling fan, one female stands above the rest. Whenever I hear "Women's Champion," "Female Wrestler," or "Diva," one name will always come to mind—Trish Stratus.

Trish first broke into the WWE as the valet for T&A, otherwise known as Test and Albert. During this time, T&A would have several run-ins with the Hardyz, which meant Trish and Lita would loosely feud with one another due to their alliances.

After T&A disbanded, her feud with Lita would be put on a temporary hold. Despite having a great talent who could put on some great matches, Vince McMahon decided to use Trish for less of the sport, and more of his entertainment.

He literally had her on all fours, stripped down, barking like a dog. This storyline would continue until Wrestlemania X-7, when she had the guts to stand up to her boss, slap him in the face, and cost him a match.

After freeing herself from Vince, she returned full-time to the Diva's division to be taken as a serious female wrestler. She took time off in the summer of 2001, until she made a return at Survivor Series to win the gold (I swear that same storyline was used by another Canadian).

Despite the match being overshadowed by the WWF vs. the Alliance storyline, no one could take away from Trish that she had just won her first ever title.

After losing the Women's title to Jazz, Trish Stratus joined Molly Holly and Terri Runnels as the only divas to ever win the Hardcore Championship.

Although she would lose that title moments later, she would regain her Women's Title a week later, defeating Jazz. After winning back the title, Trish would begin feuds with Molly Holly, Victoria, and Gail Kim, while teaming up with Lita.

Trish would be put into memorable storylines, such as teaming with Jeff Hardy to take on Victoria and Stevie Richards, teaming with, and then turning on Chris Jericho in favor of Christian, a short-lived relationship with the Caribbean Playboy, Carlito, and hiding from a demented and unmasked Kane.

As the top diva in the WWE, she would face challenges from Christy Hemme, Victoria, Melina, Torrie Wilson, and Candice Michelle, all of whom she would defeat. In what may have been the most recent actual diva storyline, Trish met her biggest fan Mickie James.

James portrayed a crazy, psychotic fan that would not leave Trish alone. They would engage in a "friendly" feud, until James turned on and defeated Trish at Wrestlemania 22. After putting James over, Trish took time off to nurse injuries until she returned for one final feud, the final chapter in her feud with Lita.

Lita and Trish may be regarded as the greatest women's feud of all time. The two would trade the title back and forth, always giving female fans across the world something to be proud of.

Their final match against one another was at Unforgiven 2006, in Trish's hometown of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, for the WWE Women's Title. After a long and hard fought battle, Trish paid homage to Canada's own Bret Hart, and defeated Lita to retire as champion. Although the hometown hero Edge was unable to prevail in his home turf in his own match, Trish was able to win one for the boys back home.

As far as looks go, Trish is one of the best. Yet she was one of the few divas who actually turned down an offer from Playboy.

Her reason? At the end of the day, she wanted to be a diva that left everything she had in the ring, and would rather be remembered as a talented, ambitious, hard worker who gave the company everything she had, rather than just a good looker.

Of all the professional wrestling companies worldwide, the WWE is the most demanding and most watched. That isn't to take anything away from any other promotion, but the WWE has the most fans, which means more criticism, and the most grueling schedule, which means more work with less breaks.

The fact that Trish was able to go on past all that and prove herself as the most important diva of this decade says a lot.

Trish has held the title more times than any other diva. She has also held it for a longer period of time than any diva with the exception of the Fabulous Moolah. With all due respect to Moolah, she did not face the same fans or competition that Trish did.

In terms of overall title reigns and length of title reign, Trish has faced six of the top-12 champions on the list. Not to mention the most demanding fans, sports entertainment has ever known.

The Fabulous Moolah will always be the most important figure in women's wrestling, who put women's wrestling on the map. Trish Stratus will always be the seven-time champion, who kept women's wrestling on the map.

She could play a good valet heel or face, work great matches and a great feud, and more importantly hold a title like no other diva could. The hottest thing to ever come out of Canada, simply left us Stratusfied.