
Move Set:
I think we are all aware of the mind-blowing number of moves that
are possessed by the Hardyz. These two guys have shown off some of
the most amazing moves in recent memory, and always seem to be
adding to their Move Set as they go along. They excel at both
individual moves and
double-teams, and keep introducing us to new stuff. Here are some
of their moves:
Matt Hardy: Twist of Fate~!, Tornado DDT,
GuillotineLeg-drop, Superplex, Brainbuster, Missile Dropkick,
etc... etc...
Jeff Hardy: Senton bomb~!, Corkscrew
Moonsault, Arabian Press, Rail Run, Quebrada etc.
Double teams: Air Hardy(partner-assisted
leg lariat in the corner), leg to groin and throat simultaneously,
double-flapjack. etc.
As you can see, Matt (although he excels
at flying inhis own right) supplies a lot of the well-rounded
power moves and things like that while Jeff the aerial works
nicely. The Hardy Boyz can be considered some of the true
innovators of offense.
Points: 10
Workrate: I think it's very safe to say
that we are getting 110% out of Matt and Jeff Hardy every time
out. Everything these guys do, from selling bumping to pulling off
mind-blowing moves remains top-notch and over-the-top whenever
their in the ring. They seem to have an over-willingness to do
what it takes to pull of an amazing display inside the wrestling
ring.
Points: 10
Psychology: If there is any one area that
the Boyz need to improve in it's their in-ring psychology. Matt
and Jeff are more than often concerned with pulling off
eye-popping highspots than telling a story in a match. However, I
have seen the psychological aspect of a match exist in Hardy Boyz
matches, especially if they are taking on opponents who excel at
it (Edge&Christian, Benoit and Malenko). One thing that works
in the Hardyz' favor: they rarely blow their spots. There is
rarely a moment of downtime in their matches, which
more-than-often will make up for the lack of psychology. I would
be willing to bet that we could see improvement in this area in
the future.
Points: 5
Selling: Nobody in wrestling right now
takes moves better than the Hardyz. Nobody makes an opponent's
offense more convincing either. Matt and Jeff Hardy excel at
taking ass kicking and making it look convincing. They always know
how to land, and they always know how to sell the size difference
so that when they land it appears that they do it with a
tremendous amount of force. They are even good at selling little
things like punches and kicks. I promise you that one of the
things that helped get teams such as the Dudleys and the Acolytes
offense over is how good Matt and Jeff sold it. I will not give
them 10 for one reason: You probably will not see them remember to
sell and in-match injury. That's almost forgivable since they're
so good at everything else they do, but I have to deduct one
point.
Points: 9
Brawling: The Hardy Boyz are not
brawlers, but they can do it. I look back to the three-way ladder
match from Wrestlemania and the tables match against the Dudleys
earlier this year, and see that theHardyz contributed a lot of
general ass-kicking along with pulling off the mind-blowing
highspots. I mentioned earlier how good Matt and Jeff are at
putting over other opponents offense, and that especially is the
case with pure brawlers such as the Dudleys and the Acolytes. The
Hardy Boyz will brawl with you, and do it well, that is just not
their main area of excellence within a match.
Points: 7
Technical Wrestling: I can't honestly say
that I'veever seen Matt or Jeff Hardy wrestle technically.
Somebody can feel free to correct me if I am wrong, but I cannot
recall it. Perhaps they don't need to? The Hardyz are so good at
everything else they do (anyone else noticing a trend?), that
technical wrestling is unnecessary for them.
Points: 1
High-Flying: Is there anyone in North
America thatare consistently amazing high-flyers as Matt and
especially Jeff Hardy? These two have been able to pull off so
much amazing stuff that it is hard to even think of all of it to
write out. Therefore, (simple solution) I will not. I alluded to a
lot of their high-flying offense under the move set category
already anyway. You know their rule, I know their rule, let's move
on.
Points: 10
Athleticism: Matt and Jeff Hardy are
small guys, and they are not powerful guys. But they are two of
the most well-conditioned athletes in the business. Matt and Jeff
are just capable of so much. From all the amazing high spots they
can pull off, to the twisting and flying and the over-the-top
bumping, these guys can really do it all. They are agile, fast and
have great balance and dexterity. Powerhouses? No, but they do not
really need to be.
Points: 10
Bumping: Much talk has been discussed on
the internet about how Matt and Jeff Hardy will probably be
crippled by the time they are thirty. This could conceivably be
the case. There is not a bump I don't think, that they Hardyz are
unwilling to take. They will bump all over the ring, landing on
their head, neck back, or any way that they happen to twist
themselves into. They will fly over the top and crash onto the
outside in any way, shape or form, crash into the guardrail, fly
through tables, get slammed into concrete. The Hardy Boyz come
from the Mick Foley school of: bump in any means necessary to
entertain.
Points: 10
Charisma/Mic Skills: Matt and Jeff Hardy
are among the rare exceptions. Those are, the wrestlers who have
gotten over purely on their in-ring abilities. They definitely
have some natural charisma, which is evident in their matches, but
not evident when they work the mic. The WWF has done a wise move
of keeping the Hardyz off the stick and just letting them wrestle.
They are bad on the mic, and don't need to be using it. They are,
however, charismatic in their matches. They have subtle little
ways of getting the fans going while they are wrestling, in their
facial expressions and their movements (not to mention their
general wrestling). They really are one of the rare exceptions
where they, frankly, do not need to work the stick to get over.
Points: 4
Final Analysis: Goddamn they did well.
Better than I originally expected. Matt and Jeff Hardy are THE
future of wrestling, and the scary thing is, they can only get
better. Final Grade: 76 points for a B+
Next week, I will be doing a WCW
wrestler, so keep the requests coming. I know finding people who
still watch WCW is difficult, but I'm sure there is SOMEBODY from
the company you'd like to see reviewed. Until next time....
I would like to encourage everyone to
visit the Wrestling Oratory, my main page, it contains some of the
best opinion columns on the net. It is located at the following:
http://www.cataclysmal.com/big3/oratory
Thanks,
Adam
Karabel