During the latest episode of The Extreme Life of Matt Hardy podcast (watch below), AEW star and wrestling veteran Matt Hardy opened up about one of the most polarizing matches of his WWE career, his SummerSlam 2005 showdown with Edge. Hardy revealed that the brutal finish, which saw the match stopped by the referee due to excessive blood loss, may have been more than just a storyline decision, he now sees it as a form of “penance” for the way he returned to the company earlier that year.
Hardy’s release from WWE in April 2005, amid the infamous real-life love triangle involving Edge and Lita, sparked an outpouring of fan support that ultimately led to his re-signing with the company. That real-life tension translated into a heated on-screen feud, culminating in their highly anticipated SummerSlam clash.
However, Hardy’s return match was short-lived. The bout was stopped just minutes in, with Hardy bleeding heavily and ruled unable to continue.
While Hardy agreed that Edge needed to go over in their first match to build the rivalry, he expressed regret over the execution of the finish. “If I was booking it, I probably would have done it differently,” Hardy said. “I think in the beginning I needed to get fed so we have stuff to continue to do. So I do think me losing in this scene was the right call… but I would’ve probably made the finish different where he fed me, and I look strong in getting defeated.”
Hardy noted that Vince McMahon had pitched a similar concept to help Hardy appear protected, but the final decision leaned harder into portraying him as vulnerable, something Hardy believes was intentional.
Hardy then reflected on the backstage dynamics that likely influenced the match’s direction, especially considering how his re-hiring came about. “I think part of this was me paying penance for making them hire me back too,” Hardy admitted. “That’s not lost on me. I’ve been around long enough, and I was wise enough at this time — I knew they were going to make me earn it, because I forced them to hire me back. And Vince and company ultimately don’t like to admit they were wrong.”
Despite the difficult start, Hardy praised the continuation of the feud, which escalated into a Steel Cage match at Unforgiven (which Hardy won) and culminated in a high-stakes “Loser Leaves Raw” Ladder Match.
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