When WWE started the 'Brand Extension' in 2002, they seemed interested in pushing Jeff Hardy as a singles star. That continued on into early-2003, but any talk of a push abruptly halted when Hardy's personal life started to affect his professional one. Jeff was released in April, '03, but not before engaging in a strange storyline with Trish Stratus. Saving Trish from a beatdown by Victoria and Stevie Richards on Raw was fair enough. Hardy was a babyface, and someone had to come to her rescue. That said, it was pretty random when Jeff hauled Trish to her feet and planted a kiss on her. Even worse, the situation seemed to escalate from nowhere. The pair had earlier been involved in a similar situation years prior, but that was never even acknowledged. From there, Stratus and Hardy were shown holding hands, spending time together and kissing. This lasted almost right up until Jeff's departure from the company. The pair looked thoroughly awkward during their interactions, and the whole 'relationship' came across as less-than-natural. This isn't a storyline Trish will look back on fondly, because it came across as unrealistic and awkward.
Lifelong wrestling, video game, music and sports obsessive who has been writing about his passions since childhood. Jamie started writing for WhatCulture in 2013, and has contributed thousands of articles and YouTube videos since then. He cut his teeth penning published pieces for top UK and European wrestling read Fighting Spirit Magazine (FSM), and also has extensive experience working within the wrestling biz as a manager and commentator for promotions like ICW on WWE Network and WCPW/Defiant since 2010. Further, Jamie also hosted the old Ministry Of Slam podcast, and has interviewed everyone from Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels to Bret Hart and Trish Stratus.
