10 Best Matt Hardy Matches

6. Vs. Rey Mysterio (WWE SmackDown, June 5th 2003)

Matt Hardy Edge
WWE

A rare case of the Cruiserweight Division being more than a less-than in WWE, Matt Hardy's climactic title loss to Rey Mysterio in front of the Challenger's hometown fans was as big as the belt ever felt under the ownership of Vince McMahon. Closing SmackDown with the emotional scenes surrounding Rey's success, the duo achieved something that wouldn't ever happen again on WWE's main roster - the title fought for by the smallest guys had at long last commanded the biggest spotlight.

This particular pairing had been sentimental favourites for much of the year since their WrestleMania XIX opener was needlessly abbreviated to a spotfest lasting less than six minutes, but Hardy working at his cynical 'V1' worst in order to cling on to a title he blatantly no longer deserved represented the peak of his heel powers in the role.

Matt hard turned the title from trinket to trophy since making something delightful out of a perceived demotion. His blind buffoonery as a megalomaniacal heel had slotted perfectly into the main event storyline between Brock Lesnar and The Undertaker just a few months earlier, but he'd some how generated enough heat to make the fate of the Cruiserweight Championship main event material.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation nearly 8 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 62,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett