9. Matt Hardy Betrays Jeff Hardy - Royal Rumble 2009
Jeff Hardy was on top of the world as he entered the arena at the Royal Rumble in January 2009. After a bumpy and tumultuous 2008, he had scaled the mountain and become WWE champion. Arguably the most popular star in the sport at the time, the last year of the new Millennium's first decade was shaping up to be the biggest and best of Hardy's singles career. A series of unfortunate accidents that threatened Hardy's well-being had plagued his title reign and suddenly, fans had an uneasy feeling about his first title defense against Edge. Would Christian make his long-awaited return and be revealed as the cause of the "accidents"? As it turned out, the answer was no. The source of such misfortune proved to be someone far closer to Hardy than anyone would have expected. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6buZlcBwFs8 A brutal chair shot from Matt Hardy to his brother was shocked the wrestling world and brought Jeff's title reign to a disappointing conclusion, just one month after it started. Jealous was at the root of Matt's betrayal. For years, he watched Jeff get opportunities he could only dream of. After losing the ECW Championship to Jack Swagger and being forced to bare witness to the pomp, circumstance and celebration surrounding Jeff's WWE title win, he decided to do something about it. His betrayal was a message to the rest of the wrestling world that he was no longer content to reside in the shadow of his sibling. It set in motion a rivalry that ran through WrestleMania and into Backlash, Jeff ultimately vanquished his brother and returned to title contention, proving that heart and determination overcomes all.
Erik Beaston is a freelance pro wrestling writer who likes long walks in the park, dandelions and has not quite figured out that this introduction is not for Match.com. He resides in Parts Unknown, where he hosts weekly cookouts with Kane, The Ultimate Warrior, Papa Shango and The Boogeyman. Be jealous.
