History of Matt Hardy in Timeline
Matt Hardy is a professional wrestler and actor currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA), where he holds the TNA World Tag Team Championship. He also appears for WWE's NXT brand as a former NXT Tag Team Champion. Hardy is also known for his run in All Elite Wrestling (AEW) and holds the HOG Tag Team Championship. He is best known as one-half of The Hardy Boyz/Hardy's tag team with his brother Jeff Hardy, achieving considerable success across various promotions throughout his career.
September 23, 1974: Matthew Moore Hardy Born
On September 23, 1974, Matthew Moore Hardy was born. He later became a professional wrestler and actor, known for his work in TNA, WWE, and AEW.
1987: Mother's Death
In 1987, Matt Hardy's mother, Ruby Moore Hardy, passed away from brain cancer. This was a significant life event for Matt and his brother Jeff Hardy.
May 1994: NEWA Championship Win
In May 1994, Matt Hardy, wrestling as The Wolverine, captured the New England Wrestling Alliance (NEWA) Championship.
May 23, 1994: First WWF Match
On May 23, 1994, Matt Hardy had his first match in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) against Nikolai Volkoff on Monday Night Raw. Matt lost the match by submission.
March 1995: NFWA Tag Team Championship Win
In March 1995, Matt Hardy, wrestling as High Voltage and teaming with Venom, won the New Frontier Wrestling Association (NFWA) Tag Team Championship.
1995: Sporadic WWF Matches
Throughout 1995, Matt Hardy wrestled sporadically in the WWF, losing matches against wrestlers such as Crush, Irwin R. Schyster, Razor Ramon, Hakushi, Owen Hart, the imposter Undertaker, Hunter Hearst Helmsley and "The Ringmaster" Steve Austin.
1996: First WWF Tag Team with Jeff
In 1996, Matt Hardy teamed with Jeff for the first time in the WWF, losing to teams such as The Smoking Gunns and The Grimm Twins on WWF television.
1997: OMEGA Wrestling Promotion Created
In 1997, Matt and Jeff Hardy created their own wrestling promotion, The Organization of Modern Extreme Grappling Arts (OMEGA). Matt competed under the name High Voltage in OMEGA.
1997: Tag Team Matches
In 1997, Matt and Jeff Hardy had matches with The Headbangers and Kurrgan twice each, experimenting with different ring names.
May 1998: Final Singles Match Before Contract
In May 1998, Matt Hardy had his final singles match for the WWF before signing a full-time contract, losing to Val Venis on a taping of Shotgun.
1998: Full-Time WWF Contract
In 1998, Matt Hardy signed a full-time contract with the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) after working as a jobber since 1994.
October 1999: OMEGA Promotion Folded
In October 1999, The Organization of Modern Extreme Grappling Arts (OMEGA) folded after Matt and Jeff Hardy signed with the World Wrestling Federation.
1999: Feud with Edge and Christian
In 1999, Matt and Jeff Hardy feuded with Edge and Christian, briefly picking up Michael Hayes as a manager.
January 23, 2000: Tag Team Tables Match Win
On January 23, 2000, at the Royal Rumble, The Hardyz defeated The Dudley Boyz in the first ever tag team tables match.
April 2001: Feud with The Power Trip
In April 2001, The Hardy Boyz began feuding with Stone Cold Steve Austin and Triple H (known as The Power Trip), leading to a singles push for both Matt and Jeff Hardy. Matt won the European Championship.
February 25, 2002: Appearance on Fear Factor
On February 25, 2002, Matt Hardy appeared on the television show Fear Factor, competing against five other wrestlers. He won $50,000 for the American Cancer Society.
2002: Heel Turn and "Version 1" Character
In 2002, Matt Hardy turned heel by attacking Jeff Hardy, joined the SmackDown! brand, and began dubbing himself "Matt Hardy: Version 1".
2003: Cruiserweight Championship Win
In 2003, Matt Hardy won the Cruiserweight Championship by defeating Billy Kidman at No Way Out on February 23. He also defended the title at WrestleMania XIX on March 30. He then lost the title to Rey Mysterio on June 5.
April 19, 2004: Turn face, saves Lita from Kane
On April 19, 2004, Matt Hardy saved Lita from an attack by Kane on Raw, turning face in the process.
April 11, 2005: WWE Release
On April 11, 2005, Matt Hardy was released by WWE due to unprofessional conduct on social media after discovering Lita's affair with Edge.
July 11, 2005: Attack on Edge at Raw
On July 11, 2005, Matt Hardy attacked Edge backstage and during his match with Kane on Raw, leading to security escorting Hardy out of the building. Hardy also criticized "Johnny Ace".
July 16, 2005: Ring of Honor Appearance
On July 16, 2005, Matt Hardy appeared at a Ring of Honor (ROH) event in Woodbridge, Connecticut, defeating Christopher Daniels. He also cut a promo criticizing WWE.
January 28, 2007: Hardy Boyz Defeat MNM
On January 28, 2007, at the Royal Rumble, The Hardy Boyz (Matt and Jeff) defeated MNM (Johnny Nitro and Joey Mercury).
March 1, 2008: Return at Live Event
On March 1, 2008, Matt Hardy made his return at a live event in Muncie, Indiana, after recovering from an emergency appendectomy.
April 29, 2008: WWE releases "Twist of Fate: The Matt and Jeff Hardy Story"
On April 29, 2008, WWE released the DVD "Twist of Fate: The Matt and Jeff Hardy Story". The DVD featured footage of the brothers in OMEGA and WWE.
June 23, 2008: Drafted to ECW and United States Championship Becomes Exclusive
On June 23, 2008, Matt Hardy was drafted to the ECW brand on Raw during the 2008 WWE Draft, making the United States Championship exclusive to ECW.
January 13, 2009: Loses ECW Championship to Jack Swagger
On January 13, 2009, Matt Hardy lost the ECW Championship to Jack Swagger on the episode of ECW that was taped on January 12.
October 13, 2009: Appearance on Scare Tactics
On October 13, 2009, Matt Hardy appeared on an episode of Scare Tactics, playing a mental patient who threatens to attack the prank's victim.
2010: Relationship with Maria and WrestleMania XXVI
In early 2010, Matt Hardy began an on-screen relationship with Maria that was brief, ending when she was released from her WWE contract. He then qualified for the Money in the Bank ladder match at WrestleMania XXVI on March 28, 2010, but was unsuccessful, as Jack Swagger won.
January 9, 2011: TNA Debut at Genesis
On January 9, 2011, Matt Hardy debuted for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) at the Genesis pay-per-view as part of the stable Immortal. He defeated Rob Van Dam, preventing Van Dam from receiving a match for the TNA World Heavyweight Championship.
September 1, 2011: Retirement Announcement
On September 1, 2011, Matt Hardy announced his retirement from full-time professional wrestling due to injuries.
May 19, 2012: Crossfire Live! Match
On May 19, 2012, Matt Hardy defeated his long-time rival MVP in one final match at "Crossfire Live!" in Nashville, benefiting the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
2012: Return to Ring of Honor
In 2012, Matt Hardy returned to Ring of Honor, confronting Adam Cole and challenging him to a match for the ROH World Television Championship.
2012: Sporadic Wrestling on the Independent Circuit
Throughout 2012, Matt Hardy wrestled sporadically on the independent circuit, working with promotions such as Mid Atlantic Championship Wrestling, Pro Wrestling Syndicate and Northeast Wrestling.
February 9, 2013: Loss of Pro Wrestling Syndicate Championship
On February 9, 2013, Matt Hardy lost the Pro Wrestling Syndicate Championship back to Kevin Matthews.
February 16, 2013: FWE Heavyweight Championship TLC Match
On February 16, 2013, at Family Wrestling Entertainment's No Limit, Matt Hardy wrestled a TLC match for the FWE Heavyweight Championship against the champion Carlito and Tommy Dreamer, but was defeated.
March 2, 2013: Joins S.C.U.M. Stable
On March 2, 2013, at Ring of Honor's 11th Anniversary Show, Matt Hardy joined the villainous S.C.U.M. stable.
October 5, 2013: Marriage to Reby Sky
On October 5, 2013, Matt Hardy married Rebecca Reyes, also known as Reby Sky. They have three sons and one daughter.
November 30, 2013: Becomes WrestleCade Champion
On November 30, 2013, at WrestleCade, Matt Hardy defeated Carlito to become the first ever WrestleCade Champion.
December 14, 2013: Forms Tag Team with Adam Cole
On December 14, 2013, at Final Battle 2013, Matt Hardy defeated Adam Page in a singles match. Later, in the main event, he aided Adam Cole in retaining his title, forming a tag team with him.
2013: Appearance in 'Pro Wrestlers vs Zombies'
In 2013, Matt Hardy played himself in the film Pro Wrestlers vs Zombies, battling the undead alongside his wife, Reby Sky.
January 2014: Arrest with Reby Sky at a hotel
In January 2014, Matt Hardy and his wife, Reby Sky, were both arrested after a fight at a hotel.
May 3, 2014: Wins MCW Heavyweight Championship
On May 3, 2014, Matt Hardy defeated Drolix to become the new MCW Heavyweight Champion at Maryland Championship Wrestling.
July 24, 2014: Returns to TNA and Reforms The Hardys
On July 24, 2014, Matt Hardy returned to TNA and reunited with Jeff to reform The Hardys for the third time.
November 1, 2014: Matt Hardy competes for Wrestle-1 in Japan
On November 1, 2014, Matt Hardy competed for Wrestle-1 in Japan at the Keiji Muto 30th Anniversary Hold Out show, losing a triple threat match.
January 16, 2015: The Hardys Defeat The Wolves
On January 16, 2015, episode of Impact Wrestling, The Hardys defeated the Wolves.
February 9, 2015: ICW World Heavyweight Championship Challenge
On February 9, 2015, Matt Hardy appeared on FWE's "No Limits 2015" iPPV, challenging Drew Galloway for the ICW World Heavyweight Championship, but was defeated. This match led to the Scottish championship being renamed as the ICW's "World Heavyweight Championship".
March 16, 2015: Wins TNA World Tag Team Championship
On March 16, 2015, Matt and Jeff Hardy won an Ultimate X match for the vacant TNA World Tag Team Championship.
May 8, 2015: Vacates TNA World Tag Team Championship
On May 8, 2015, Matt Hardy vacated the TNA World Tag Team Championship due to his brother Jeff being injured.
May 24, 2015: Matt Hardy competes in Lucha Libre World Cup
On May 24, 2015, Matt Hardy participated in Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide's Lucha Libre World Cup as a team captain for Team TNA/Lucha Underground. His team advanced to the final round but lost in overtime to Dream Team.
June 28, 2015: Competes for TNA King of the Mountain Championship
On June 28, 2015, Matt Hardy was among the five wrestlers who competed for the TNA King of the Mountain Championship at Slammiversary, with Jeff Jarrett ultimately winning.
November 28, 2015: Loss of WrestleCade Championship
On November 28, 2015, Matt Hardy lost the WrestleCade Championship to Jeff Jarrett at WrestleCade IV in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
January 5, 2016: TNA World Title Series Finals
On January 5, 2016, Matt Hardy defeated Eric Young to advance to the final round of the TNA World Title Series, but lost to EC3 in the finals.
January 19, 2016: Matt Hardy wins TNA World Title
On January 19, 2016, Matt Hardy defeated EC3 to win the TNA World Title on Impact Wrestling, marking the first time EC3 had been defeated in a one-on-one match in TNA. During the match, a double turn occurred with Hardy turning heel after Tyrus betrayed EC3.
March 12, 2016: WCPW World Heavyweight Championship Challenge
On March 12, 2016, Matt Hardy challenged Drew Galloway for the WCPW World Heavyweight Championship at a British Championship Wrestling event in a match taped for an episode of WCPW ReLoaded.
May 20, 2016: Regains WrestleCade Championship
On May 20, 2016, Matt Hardy regained the WrestleCade title in a triple-threat cage match against Jeff Jarrett and Ethan Carter III in Hickory, North Carolina.
December 2, 2016: Matt Hardy appears at ROH Final Battle
On December 2, 2016, Matt Hardy returned to ROH for the second time at Final Battle, appearing as Broken Matt in a video message.
January 12, 2017: The Hardys defend TNA World Tag Team Titles
On January 12, 2017, The Hardys successfully defended their TNA World Tag Team Titles against The Wolves on Impact Wrestling.
March 4, 2017: The Hardys win ROH World Tag Team Championship
On March 4, 2017, The Hardys defeated The Young Bucks to become the new ROH World Tag Team Champions at ROH's Manhattan Mayhem show. It was also announced that they had signed short-term contracts with ROH.
April 2, 2017: The Hardys return to WWE and win Raw Tag Team Championship at WrestleMania 33
On April 2, 2017, at WrestleMania 33, Matt Hardy and Jeff Hardy made a surprise return to WWE and won the Raw Tag Team Championship in a ladder match.
November 2017: Impact Wrestling changes policy on talent ownership
In November 2017, Impact Wrestling changed their policy, allowing talent to retain complete ownership over their intellectual property, essentially forfeiting ownership of the "Broken" character to Matt Hardy.
January 22, 2018: Bray Wyatt defeats Matt Hardy at Raw 25
On January 22, 2018, Bray Wyatt defeated Matt Hardy at Raw 25 during their feud. Later, Matt Hardy introduced his "Woken" gimmick.
January 31, 2018: Matt Hardy legally acquires ownership of "Broken" gimmicks
On January 31, 2018, Matt Hardy legally acquired ownership of all trademarks related to the Broken universe and gimmick, including 'Broken Matt', 'Brother Nero', 'Broken Brilliance', and 'Vanguard1'.
February 26, 2019: The Hardy Boyz return to SmackDown Live
On February 26, 2019, Matt Hardy and Jeff Hardy returned to SmackDown Live, defeating The Bar (Cesaro and Sheamus).
February 10, 2020: Matt Hardy confronts Randy Orton on Raw
On February 10, 2020, on Raw, Matt Hardy confronted Randy Orton about Orton's attack on Edge, leading to a brawl and an assault by Orton.
March 18, 2020: Matt Hardy debuts in AEW
On March 18, 2020, Matt Hardy made his AEW debut on Dynamite, reverting to his "Broken" gimmick as a replacement for Nick Jackson on The Elite's team.
January 20, 2021: Matt Hardy turns heel on Dynamite
On January 20, 2021, Matt Hardy turned heel on Dynamite, teaming with Private Party to defeat Matt Sydal and Top Flight, then attacking them with a steel chair.
April 12, 2023: Attack by The Firm and rescue by Hook and Jeff Hardy
On the April 12, 2023, episode of Dynamite, Matt Hardy and Isiah Kassidy were attacked by The Firm (Ethan Page, Lee Moriarty, and Big Bill). Hook and a returning Jeff Hardy later saved them.
April 8, 2024: Matt Hardy's contract expires
On April 8, 2024, it was reported that Matt Hardy's contract had expired, and he had chosen not to re-sign.
April 20, 2024: Surprise return to TNA at Rebellion
On April 20, 2024, Matt Hardy made his surprise return to TNA at Rebellion, reverting to his "Broken" persona and attacking TNA World Champion Moose.
June 28, 2024: Tag Team Victory with Reby Hardy
On June 28, 2024, Matt Hardy teamed with his wife Reby, defeating Alisha and Eddie Edwards of The System.
August 31, 2024: Victory against The System on Impact
On the August 31, 2024, episode of Impact, The Hardys defeated The System in a non-title match.
February 25, 2025: WWE Return on NXT
On February 25, 2025, while still contracted to TNA, The Hardy Boyz made a return appearance with WWE during the NXT episode.
Mentioned in this timeline
Basketball is a team sport played on a rectangular court...
World Wrestling Entertainment WWE is a prominent American professional wrestling...
Jeff Hardy is an American professional wrestler renowned for his...
WWE Raw a professional wrestling television program by WWE airs...
Windham Lawrence Rotunda known as Bray Wyatt was a prominent...
Stone Cold Steve Austin is an American media personality actor...
Trending
2 hours ago Warriors face play-in, Curry's injury raises concerns, Kerr lowers expectations, Moody's role?
2 hours ago Stephen A. Smith criticizes Draymond Green's comments on Nico Harrison as unfair.
2 hours ago Kris Dunn Recovered From Injury, Briefly Exited Game After Elbow Contact
2 hours ago Al Horford's Role Shifts: Back to Starting Lineup, Then Bench, Mindset Revealed.
3 hours ago Jafar Panahi faces restrictions, continues filmmaking despite adversity and imprisonment in Iran.
48 minutes ago Filipowski Fouls Jokic; Harkless Joins Lineup: Basketball Updates in Nuggets, Jazz, and More
Popular
Jesse Jackson is an American civil rights activist politician and...
Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton is a prominent American politician lawyer...
Jim Carrey is a Canadian-American actor and comedian celebrated for...
XXXTentacion born Jahseh Dwayne Ricardo Onfroy was a controversial yet...
Michael Joseph Jackson the King of Pop was a highly...
Kashyap Pramod Patel is an American lawyer who became the...