Matt Hardy On Benoit/WWE, Shoots On Media & More

Matt Hardy recently posted the following blog on his MySpace page:

My Opinions and Beliefs

After taking in everything that has been going on and said about the WWE the last couple of weeks, I am ready to air my feelings and comments. I'm going to speak as candid and as honestly as I can. I've been told it's ok to say what I want, and that's exactly what I'm gonna do.

The first thing I want to mention is how disappointed I am with a majority of the media's coverage of the recent events. There was a terrible tragedy that happened and now the media wants to points the finger of responsibility at our industry. So many people are looking for someone else to take the blame–in a constant attempt to garner ratings on the "hot" story. If it turns out what is currently speculated is what actually happened to Chris Benoit and his family, only one person was ultimately responsible–that being Chris himself. I would suggest it was because Chris Benoit had a mental dysfunction, some sort of mental illness or disease. Any form of life, in any occupation, can eventually reach a point where they became mentally ill because they let their personal and professional issues overtake their sanity. Whatever walk of life you come from, you have to be able to know within yourself when you need help. If you continue to go without help or change when you desperately need it, you'll eventually snap. It's happened to postal workers, factory workers, school kids, people from all walks of life–this time it just happened to be a professional wrestler.

Some of the media have made ridiculous statements and created so many absurd scenarios. Such things as Chris Benoit was demoted by going from "The Four Horsemen to Raw"–and that Nancy Benoit and Sherri Martel passed away on the same day, and were their deaths somehow tied together? Within the WWE we exaggerate stories and have over the top characters–but we admit we're entertainment. It's so irresponsible for some of the media to state such sensationalized stories and give incorrect information–they claim to be reporting factual events to the public.

It's also very odd that so many older wrestlers that haven't been in our locker room in years, some decades–seem to think they're informed of the current habits of today's talent. If they're legitimately trying to make a difference, I can respect and applaud that. But if their motive is to get that fifteen minutes of fame and get their name circulating again, that's not very cool. Regardless of their motivation, they don't know the activities of our generation, the newer generation. The talent has changed. Our generation is so much more responsible and cognizant of their lifestyles and health compared to the generations before. Does that mean everyone's perfect? Absolutely not. But the talent is so much more disciplined and responsible than the talent from years past. The demographic that the media always speaks about "dying young" is yesterday's generation, not today's. Those numbers will dwindle down in the years to come–I guarantee it.

The current WWE roster is the best behaved and most responsible locker room that I've ever been in over the nine years I've been with the WWE. And the drug-testing system that we have is totally legitimate. If it wasn't, I wouldn't state that publicly. Considering the physicality of what we all do, there will always be times where injured wrestlers will be prescribed medications to legitimately deal with pain and injuries. And I don't mean the exaggerated overdoses that Dr. Astin was apparently prescribing.

I just recently read an article debating if "personal choice" existed in wrestling–of course it does. I think it all comes down to being disciplined and responsible. Vince McMahon gives everyone he hires an opportunity–it's up to you with what you do with it and how you handle yourself. I'm not a huge guy. I'm not the most talented guy to ever walk through the WWE doors. But I was and I still am given an opportunity to bust my ass and work hard and succeed. And I have. And I didn't have to look like a bodybuilder to do so. I'm not a steroid user. Never will be. But that hasn't stopped me from making a great living within the WWE for almost nine years. Over the course of the last six months, I've been on the most successful run of my entire career. And I'm not a drug user–with the exception of a occasional beer or cocktail. If I have an early flight or an early wake up, I go to bed early. I'm responsible. If I have a minor injury, I make it my priority to take care of it and treat it. I'm responsible. Back in the day, during the generations before us, wrestlers were so consumed with living the "rock star" lifestyle that they sacrificed sleeping and recuperation time to party. The "rock star" lifestyle often consisted of doing recreational drugs to party and then using drugs to go to sleep and then wake up. But our generation is not doing that like yesterday's generation. In fact, the majority of the guys within the WWE today frown on that behavior. Being a professional wrestler is a challenging and tough career–but it ultimately our "personal choices" that depend on how each wrestler lives their life.

The WWE is so often scrutinized for so many negative things–what about all the great things that the WWE does? What about all the great things performers like myself do? How come that's not weighed in when people are making blanket comments about the WWE? I pride myself on being a role model. I can't tell you how much it means to me to have the power to brighten people's lives. Whether it's a Make-A-Wish child, an injured soldier, or just a random Matt Hardy fan–I have been blessed with the ability to make people smile, to be able to give them a memorable moment. I fortunately have the power to make people feel good. I also have the power to influence people. And I take that power very seriously and responsibly. I conscientiously live my life in a way where others could model themselves after me. I don't do drugs, I always attempt to do the right thing, to be a good person, and to lead by example. I often visit military hospitals, children's hospitals, and schools to speak to kids about the importance of education. So do many of the other WWE superstars. And don't forget the WWE's donations to charities, Smackdown your Vote, the Get Real program, or the annual Tribute to the Troops trip that happens every year. Myself and the WWE do alot of wonderful things that are often forgotten or overlooked because we're "wrestling." I try to make a difference, give back, and change the world every day of my life–and being a "wrestler" is what allows me to often succeed.

I want to thanks all of the "wrestling" fans that have stuck with me through thick and thin. I also want to thank all of the fans that have stuck with the wrestling industry for the right reasons. There's at least one thing that Matt Hardy and the wrestling business have in common–regardless of what we're put through, we "Will Not Die!"

Quote of the day – "I don't shine if you don't shine" – The Killers, Read My Mind

Matt