In 2002, Jeff Hardy found success on RAW after the WWE Chairman pushed him as a babyface singles competitor. At the same time, Matt Hardy’s appearances became limited as McMahon thought fans may get confused if the company simultaneously pushed two singles stars called Hardy.
Speaking on The Extreme Life of Matt Hardy, Matt disclosed details of his conversation with McMahon:
While McMahon did not agree to Matt Hardy’s name change, he has been known to alter several superstars’ names in recent years. WWE talent reportedly received a memo recently saying the 76-year-old does not want anyone using real names or names they used on the independent scene.
How Vince McMahon booked Matt Hardy after their meeting
Matt Hardy also suggested that he could move to SmackDown, which meant he would no longer appear on the same weekly show as his brother.
Vince McMahon liked the idea and agreed to give the former United States Champion a push of his own on the blue brand:
The 47-year-old became known as Matt Hardy Version 1.0 on SmackDown, where he quickly made an impression with two wins over The Undertaker. He also competed in matches involving Brock Lesnar and John Cena during that time.
Please credit The Extreme Life of Matt Hardy and give a H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling for the transcription if you use quotes from this article.
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