Matt Hardy

The motto on his T-shirt said it all — Matt Hardy’s goal was always to “turn the key of his destiny” and reach the top of WWE.

When Matt first left his backyard training grounds of Cameron, N.C., and ventured into the squared circle alongside his brother Jeff, few could’ve foreseen the six World Tag Team Titles The Hardys would secure. As tag specialists with innate fraternal chemistry, Matt & Jeff’s unmatched fortitude and innovative, risk-taking arsenal carried them to Superstardom. By the time they competed in their groundbreaking Triangle Ladder Match at WrestleMania 2000, the brothers were the hottest duo in sports-entertainment.

Apart from his sibling, Matt achieved success in solo ranks as well, including United States, Hardcore, European and Cruiserweight Championship reigns. The greatest achievement, however, came in 2008 when Matt triumphed in a Championship Scramble Match to capture the ECW Title.

Hardy constantly fought through adversity and controversy, including the sordid (and much revisited) affair involving his ex-girlfriend Lita and former friend Edge. But after years of sustaining his “Will not die” mantra, it seemed Matt Hardy finally allowed a piece of himself to perish when he betrayed his brotherly bond with Jeff in 2009.

Devoured by jealousy and resentment, Matt made it his mission to destroy his sibling — a task that included a high-speed car crash, a pyrotechnics disaster and a house fire that resulted in the demise of Jeff’s dog. Perhaps the greatest loss served to Jeff, though, was his brutal defeat at the hands of Matt at the 25th Anniversary of WrestleMania.

With a newly tailored look and attitude to match, Matt moved to Monday Night Raw in the 2009 Draft. Then, as part of the blockbuster trade following Donald Trump’s purchase of Raw in June 2009, Matt Hardy moved to SmackDown, where he finished out his stellar career with WWE.