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During the "My World with Jeff Jarrett" podcast, WWE Hall of Famer Jeff Jarrett turned to various topics of the wrestling scene, with an emphasis on Jeff Hardy and the Victory Road 2004 main event.
Jarrett recalls the moment he saw the poster for the event and thought of the huge ladder Hardy wanted to use. Hardy had specific ideas about what should be included in the match, as the audience and organizers expected to see something spectacular, which is characteristic of his style.
As preparations progressed, Hardy suggested using a scale that was longer than the standard eight feet. They began to consider the idea of a two-sided ladder, which would be even larger. Jarrett stresses how they initially planned for a ten-foot ladder, but Hardy wanted even higher; even up to twelve feet.
“When I see that poster, I still think of that big-ass ladder. And he’s like, ‘Yeah, we’re going to do this and that.’ And I’m like, ‘Damn, okay’… If Jeff Hardy’s in the main event, they’re going to expect a Jeff Hardy match, or a Jeff Hardy spot, or they want to see Jeff Hardy. And he couldn’t agree more. And so as the conversations got going through the weeks in the build-up for it, he gave us the old, ‘Hey, man, would it be possible to get a ladder bigger than an eight-foot ladder?’ ‘Yeah, let’s go to work on that.’ And you gotta get a double-sided [ladder] and all that. And then, you know, ‘How big do you want it, Jeff?’ ‘Oh, I want it big.’ And so when you go from eight to 10, that’s big. You go from eight to 12, Conrad? You don’t really realize, like, ‘Alright, that’s a big ass ladder.’”- he said, as quoted by Pwmania.
Jeff Jarrett explains how Jeff Hardy is a specific type of pro wrestling talent. Jarrett says that over the years he has learned that some people, namely fighters, have unique characteristics that set them apart from others. According to him, Jeff Hardy is one of those fighters. He is like a "daredevil" (crazy brave man), because he is known for extreme and risky actions in the ring.
From the beginning of his career, Jeff was known as someone who is ready to take risks, to show that no one can stand in his way. This experienced wrestler never looked at who his opponent would be, ready to fight anyone and take risks that few dared. This is also the reason why the fans, just like the leaders of WWE, respected him and considered him a special person.
Jarrett goes on to explain that Jeff is particularly known for his "charismatic enigma", meaning that his performance is somehow mysterious and hard to explain, but audiences just love him. His ability to connect with the audience is something that is unique and difficult to describe in words.
Although Jeff Hardy is physically recognizable (his appearance is specific), Jarrett believes that there are many factors that make Hardy special: his fighting style, his promo skills (how he behaves and communicates with the audience), and his "daredevil" skills, all of them contributes to its popularity.
Matt Hardy and the match that inspired him
In his long career, Matt had the opportunity to fight with many famous names in the wrestling scene, but a few matches remained engraved in his memory. Hardy remembers the match that inspired him and Jeff to do great things.
The match that most inspired their career was the one between Shawn Michaels and Razor Ramon, who had a famous ladder match many years ago. As teenagers, Jeff and Matt watched that match and were so impressed that they began imitating what they saw, first on the trampoline and later in real wrestling rings. That match became a key moment in their careers as they considered it the beginning of their success. After that, they wanted to be just as powerful and good, and leave their mark in the world of wrestling.
When talking about their tag team ladder match at No Mercy 1999, they noted how that first tag team ladder match changed their careers significantly and led them to great success. That match allowed them to become more recognizable and helped them rise to a higher level in professional wrestling.
The careers of these two wrestlers are specific in many ways, but no one can say that they were not great at what they did. There are many incidents that have marked their careers, but this great duo has always remained committed to their work. No one could destroy their love for the wrestling.
English (US)