THE LATEST VERSION
July 21, 2003

Hello to all my MFers out there. I hope this commentary finds you all happy and healthy. Its been way too long since the Last Version, but the Latest Version is finally here. As I write this, I am currently on a plane with the SmackDown! team returning from our tour of Thailand and Japan. Although the last week has been very tiring and taxing, it is always an honor to wrestle in front of the phenomenal Japanese fans.

Japanese fans are amazingly respectful and appreciative of almost all aspects of sports entertainment. They react to not only signature moves and crazy spots, but also to character taunts and dramatic confrontations, which makes it fun to perform there. Whenever I would shove someone and yell, Im V1, the crowd would explode and go ooh. The reactions that I got in Japan during my entrances sent chills up and down my spine. To me, that feeling is stronger and more addictive than sex or any drug you could ever ask for. I wish everyone could experience it. Like it or not, Japan is overflowing with Mattitude.

I also signed many copies of Exist 2 Inspire, which has just recently been released in Japan and yes, it is written in Japanese. Its very odd to see the story of your life written in a language that you cant read.

Be on the lookout for a Confidential piece on John Cena and myself (scheduled to air this Saturday), as we went to one of the finest sushi joints in Yokohoma. As many of you know, I love sushi and eat it regularly. John, on the other hand, doesnt eat or particularly like sushi. As expected, we had a good time and our interaction was a lot of fun. You never know what WWE will put in the piece, but V1 threw a couple of small raps in there for good measure. If you get a chance to catch the piece, Im certain you will be entertained.

Considering its July, the halfway mark of the year, I thought I would review my first six months of 2003. In January, I thought the relationship between Shannon Moore and I really made for entertaining television, and we became a really fun duo to watch. In the Royal Rumble, I was the longest-lasting SmackDown! Superstar, and I felt like my performance helped make the match extremely enjoyable to watch. In February, I participated in a fun storyline to compete for the Cruiserweight Title, and won the championship at No Way Out in Montreal. In March, Exist 2 Inspire, the autobiography of my brother and me, was released. It debuted at No. 7 on the New York Times bestsellers list, so I became a New York Times bestselling author. I appeared on major North American shows like The Best Damn Sports Show Period in Los Angeles and Open Mike with Mike Bullard in Canada, to promote the book. I had autograph sessions and book appearances in almost every major city in America to help spread the good word of Mattitude. I ended March by finally winning at WrestleMania, as I successfully defended my title against Rey Mysterio in Seattle. In April, I continued to defend my title, and I really found my niche for being a singles wrestler. Fortunately, I got to meet my favorite band, Pearl Jam, and hang with them on stage during their Charlotte show. Unfortunately, at the end of April, I also became the only Hardy to work for WWE. The month of May saw an addition to the Mattitude stable, as Crash became my minions minion. I had a great time during our European tour in May, as the crowds were full of MFers who were definitely oozing Mattitude. June was the month that I finally lost the blessing and the curse, the Cruiserweight Title, to the amazing Rey Mysterio. Rey and I headlined SmackDown! in Anaheim, and delivered what I thought was a great match with an emotional ending. The television ratings proved my beliefs, as our segment drew a 3.6, the highest on the show. Its very gratifying to know that my run as Cruiserweight Champ helped to add prestige to the title.

The month of June also saw Matt Hardy be the first Hardy Boy to grace the cover of WWE Magazine as a singles wrestler. Currently, Im ready to move on and up, and became THE top star on SmackDown! Ive had a very good half-year, so Im definitely gonna have to bust my ass to make the next six months better. But hey, thats what I do Im Matt Hardy.

People ask me this occasionally: Hey Matt, what is Mattitude? Sometimes I give people the real gimmicky, sports-entertainment answer, but Im going to let you in on what IT really is. In a nutshell, Mattitude is the passion and desire of Matt Hardy. Mattitude is what made me believe I would be successful in professional wrestling when others thought that it was an absurd dream. Mattitude helped me pursue and achieve my dream of being a WWE Superstar when others said it was impossible. Mattitude is what made me confident that I would become a singles star when I split from Jeff while others thought I would fade away. Mattitude is also what I believe will lead me to one day become the WWE Champion. If you believe in me and support me, thank you. And if youre one of the ones who dont necessarily buy into all this, please, bet against me. Ive made a career out of proving people wrong.

Although I havent yet seen my match against Chris Benoit from the July 17 episode of SmackDown!, I loved the way it felt (with the exception of a broken nose that has bled constantly for the last week). Chris Benoit is the crispest and most intense person Ive ever been in the ring with. Chris is a guy who truly has a passion for the wrestling business. After all the bumps hes taken off his bump card, after all the years of busting his ass without getting properly rewarded, after returning from a possible career-ending broken neck, he still loves it. You have to respect that. Chris is one of the people that I think legitimately deserves to be a World Champion. Hes busted his ass for a lot of years, and I would love to see him be recognized for it.

Joey Matthews, one of my close friends, as well as a fellow Omegapower, truly has a passion for the business as well. For all of you who dont know Joey, hes a wrestler in his early 20s who has already worked in WWE, WCW, and ECW. Although he was never given a legitimate chance to become a household name during these brief stints, he still continues to drive up and down the roads of the U.S. waiting for the next opportunity. Joey is one of the best independent wrestlers out there, and continues to bust his ass to make ends meet so he can live his dream. I think that he will eventually hes got the drive and ability, he just needs the chance. I actually see a lot of myself in both Joey and Benoit, two guys who are on opposite ends of the sports entertainment spectrum.

I obviously still have a lot that I want to accomplish in the business, but if I was forced to quit tomorrow, Id be happy with all Ive done. For the last five and a half years, Ive lived a life that Ive dreamed about forever. Sure, there have been bad times injuries, aggravation, disappointment, missing out on things but the bad cant even budge the good. I encourage everyone to set high goals and make things happen. Im glad I did. In the words of Eddie Vedder from Long Road, I have wished for so long, now I wish for you today.

Matt Hardy V1