Singling Out the Hardys
So You Think Jeff Has The Edge Over Matt? Think Again!
OKAY, TRIVIA FANS, here's one for ya. Category: baseball. Question: Which two brothers hold the major league record for most career home runs combined, with 768?
Time's up! If you said Henry and Tommie Aaron, then you have a cigar, because you know your baseball. No doubt, you'd also know that Tommie only contributed a scant 13 to the record, while "Hammerin' Hank" belted 755 round-trippers.
That's why some baseball aficionados will tell you that poor Tommie doesn't even deserve to have his name mentioned in the same sentence as his brother's. It's kind of like the way some WWF fans will tell you that Matt Hardy isn't nearly as talented as his brother, Jeff.
Of course, the differences between Hank and Tommie Aaron are laid out in the record books for all to see. The differences between Matt and Jeff are a little less obvious, and, actually, very deceiving. After all, Matt doesn't elicithalf the responses Jeff does. And Matt is less inovative and daring in the ring. Then it only follows that Jeff would be the hands-on favorite if these siblings ever split up and begin feuding. Once he demonstrated to everyone that he was superior to Matt, he'd go on to enjoy a stellar solo career, while Matt would be stuck in mid-card...or looking for a new partner.
Not so fast. Just because Jeff is more popular and takes more risks during his matches, that doesn't make hiim the better wrestler. In fact, it's for those very reasons Matt has a chance to completely outshine his younger brother. As in most sports, a good defense beats a good offense almost every time. Wrestling is no different. Jeff's high-flying style is exciting for sure. But it's not an effective game plan for beating a wrestler as well-versed in mat wrestling as his brother is.
"Being a high-flyer has it's advantages," said Chris Jericho, who's joiined The Hardy Boyz recently in several six-man tag matches. "But the problem is, there aren't too many around. So most of your opponents are likely to be stronger on the mat. Hitting a jaw-dropping maneuveris great for switching momentum or keeping your opponent on his heels. But sooner or later, you gotta get back to basics. I think Matt is better suited for that than Jeff." Even Chris Benoit, a scientific wizard who takes to the air regularly, agrees. "I've always strived to be a complete wrestler," he said. "For example, I can string together three or four German suplexes, a flying headbutt, and the Crippler crossface. That's three styles right there: technical, aerial, and submission. But let me tell you, without the technical and submission ability, the aerial stuff is just window dressing."
Does this mean the only thing Jeff will ever earn with all those fancy swantons, suicide dives, and pescados are some compressed vertebrae? Hardly. Wrestling's past and present is full of men like Shawn Michaels, Rey Mysterio, Jr., Rob Van Dam, and The Dynamite Kid, all of whom won titles, fame, fortune, and respect at home and abroad by dedicating their careers to a breathtaking aerial assault. However, the cumulative effects left Michaels and Dynamite with career-ending injuries, and Mysterio's been forced to undergo several major knee operations. Over the long haul, Matt may be setting himself up for greater success by leaving the high-impact wrestling--and the glory--to Jeff. Who knows, by the time these brothers meet in the ring (and we have to think they will), Jeff might not be in sufficient physical condition to give Matt his best match. His body has already taken some brutal poundings.
Fans of The Hardy Boyz will argue that talk of a match--or even a rift--between Matt and Jeff is ridiculously premature. With help from Lita, they always seem to present a united front, and it's been their diverse skills that have made The Hardy Boyz the formidable tandem they are. Even Hardy critics would have to admit, Jeff's aerial talent and Matt's more conventional abilities constitute a one-two combination that even the WWF's best teams have struggles to counter.
But well-seasoned fans know enough to wonder how long will it be before these two realize just how dissimilar they really are in the ring. And though they operate like a finely tuned engine today, there are only so many WWF tag team championships to be won before the pangs of boredom and personal ambition begin to emerge. Then the specter of a Hardy vs. Hardy showdown will take a more concrete form. And the winner will be the brother who's built the deepest pool of resources to pull from. That's why Chris Benoit, for one, sees Matt as the Hardy with the better chance for long-term singles sccess.
"Let's get something straight, I think they're both cowards. And I'd beat the living hell out of both of them any day of the week," he said. "But if you want my opinion, Matt Hardy will be around longer and have more success on his own than Jeff. He's smarter."
Far be it from us to disagree woth a rabid wolverine. After, all when it comes to being well-rounded in the ring, Benoit is a man without peer. So we're inclined to agree with him.
Unfortunately, most WWF fans are not. That's why on some Monday or Thursday night in the not-so-distant future, there are going to be a lot of little girls weeping for their favorite blue-haired boy.
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