Matt Hardy was fired by WWE in April 2005 due to online threats he made towards Edge and Lita while he was out of action with a knee injury. He made those remarks because Matt's girlfriend Lita had cheated on him with Edge and Matt was hurt by it and decided to use the internet to speak out. Shortly after his release, Hardy explained his actions:
Do I regret doing it? Maybe. Maybe some of the things I did were a little rash, but I really don't regret standing up for what I believe in, what I believe is right. If I have to be a martyr, lose my girlfriend and my job because I stood up for what I believe is right, I stood up for my First Amendment right to speak the truth, then so be it.
While he probably could have reacted a bit better in retrospect, it's easy to see why he was so mad at the time. However, it's also foolish of WWE to fire him for it, considering Hardy was a talented and over performer who, at just 31 years of age, had a lot left to offer them. He was a loyal employee that was just hitting the prime of his career and they cut him loose just like that. Three months after he was fired, Hardy was brought back to WWE and immediately put into a feud with Edge and Lita, who had become an on-screen item. Suddenly, he went from a guy that was released to somebody that was in one of the hottest feuds of the year all because his girlfriend cheated on him. The wrestling business sure is bizarre...
John wrote at WhatCulture from December 2013 to December 2015. It was fun, but it's over for now. Follow him on Twitter @johnreport. You can also send an email to mrjohncanton@gmail.com with any questions or comments as well.
