Matt Hardy Recalls Hazing He & His Brother Experienced From WWE Hall Of Famer

It's no secret that hazing was commonplace in late-90s WWE. On a recent episode "The Extreme Life of Matt Hardy" podcast, Matt Hardy peeled back the curtain on the hazing rituals he and his brother Jeff faced in their rookie year after showing up late to a show after flight delays. 

"I remember JBL said, 'Well hell, the Hardys have been on the road for three weeks, two weeks and a little change, and now they think they're main event, big-time television stars ... 'cause they just show up whenever the hell they want to.'"

This initial confrontation set in motion a series of events that would test the Hardys' mettle and introduce them to the unwritten rules of the locker room. 

"He said, 'Alright, well, since you're such a big timer, I know you don't want to shake my hand because I'm just a piece of trash. Here, the locker room is right over there. That's the locker you need to go to.'" Hardy recalled. "We take our bags inside [and] The Undertaker is in the room by himself, back in the corner naked, wrapping his knees. And we go, 'Oh my god, we're so sorry.' And JBL said, 'Oh, no, you deserve to be in the dressing room with the main event, since you're a big star.' We come to the back [after the match], and we go in that room and Taker's bag is still there where he dressed. But our bags, where they were, they weren't there. They were nowhere to be found."

Hardy stated that hazing occurred often during the Attitude Era, which JBL himself has acknowledged in the past, although some of his peers have argued against it as well.

If you use any quotes from this article, please credit "The Extreme Life of Matt Hardy" podcast and provide a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for transcription.