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#5 Ultimate Deletion stuns everyone, even Vince McMahon
The Time: March 19, 2018
Trending
The Place: WWE Raw, American Airlines Center, Dallas Texas.
The Match: Bray Wyatt vs. Woken Matt Hardy in an Ultimate Deletion match.
There was a time in the past when Matt Hardy was thought of in less than flattering terms. To some people, he was 'over the hill' and washed up, an aging veteran rapidly losing relevance in sports entertainment's ever-changing landscape.
To others, he was the still bitter WWE alumni who was eking out a meager existence on the independent circuit with sporadic appearances for ROH and TNA. And to some people, he was the 'lesser' Hardy brother, forever in the shadow of his daredevil brother the Charismatic Enigma Jeff Hardy.
But Matt Hardy reinvented not only himself, but the way that wrestling is produced, consumed, and reacted to when he created the Ultimate Deletion match. Held at the Hardy compound, bereft of a cheering audience or arena, battles were wild, unpredictable, and ultimately entertaining affairs. Matt Hardy's ideas saved his career, and made him for the first time ever the 'better' Hardy.
When he faced Bray Wyatt in an Ultimate Deletion match on Raw, many were skeptical. After all, WWE had already tried the same formula in the much maligned House of Horrors match. Even Vince McMahon was quite wary, but he went ahead and had faith in Matt Hardy. It would up being the highest rated segment of Raw for the entire year, and fans are still talking about it today, even with Matt Hardy nursing an injury and Bray Wyatt seemingly about to unveil a new character.
