Former WWE champion and current TNA star Jeff Hardy shares his thoughts on the wrestlers who inspired him throughout his career, including four WWE Hall of Fame inductees.
Since bursting onto the scene in the 1990s, Hardy has established himself as one of wrestling’s greatest daredevils, known for his breathtaking stunts that included jumping off ladders and through tables.
In an interview with Busted Open Radio, Hardy spoke about some of his earliest inspirations, both in terms of his in-ring style and iconic aesthetic.
First it was definitely Sting and Ultimate Warrior. Sting was from NWA, Ultimate Warrior was my WWE guy, the face paint, all of that was inspiration. I never understood why they did it. I heard them say, “That’s war paint,” or whatever, and I was like, “I don’t know why you do that, but I just love it and it’s super cool.”
Hardy has reflected on the huge impact Sting had on him, particularly the memorable moment when he saw Sting perform live when he was just 12 years old and touched him on the shoulder as Sting came on. This experience inspired Hardy to incorporate face paint into his own matches, a practice he believes he took to a new level and is proud of.
As Hardy branched out further into the wrestling business, he found a new source of inspiration.
When I saw the original ECW feud with Rey Mysterio and Psicosis, it really changed my perspective on everything, and then from Japan, Jushin Thunder Liger was a big inspiration.
What two WWE matches does Jeff Hardy consider to have defined his career?
Jeff Hardy spoke about two WWE matches that likely defined his career, including the ladder match he faced The Undertaker for the undefeated WWE Championship on Raw in 2002 and the first tag team ladder match he took part in with his brother Matt Hardy.
From TJRWrestling.net
