Forget wrestling, Matt Hardy’s new love is desi food

Dressed in a red shirt and a black waistcoat, Matt Hardy prepares to talk to us at a city hotel and is seen sipping an energy drink. The wrestler’s matches against the likes of WWE stars like Edge, Christian and the Dudley Boyz along with his brother Jeff, his tag team partner, are fond memories for kids in the 90s. Upon meeting him on Friday morning, we recall his entry announcement into the wrestling ring.

‘Weighing 236 pounds from North Carolina, Matt Hardy!’ He smiles and says, “I weigh a little less than that now,” and quickly adds, “I landed in Chennai this morning from Mumbai. I must say that I’m taken aback by India for the generosity of its people. Also, they stay tuned to the WWE Universe, I mean, people here know us.”

The wrestler says that he got to try some South Indian breakfast delicacies too as soon as he landed here. “I ate a lot of desi food for my breakfast. Though I don’t know their names yet, I will be trying a lot more over the next few days. My brother Jeff would have loved to be here. He would have enjoyed the food here as well.”

Matt Hardy, prior to this interview, tells us that he met young athletes from across India and spent quality time with them. “This was possible because WWE has partnered with Special Olympic World Games 2019, which is the best thing that could happen to me. I met athletes with intellectual disabilities and they inspired me a great deal. In fact, it’s people like them who inspire me every day — they are the ones who help me push my boundaries and motivate me,” he reveals.

Back to wrestling, Matt and Jeff are popular for their finishing move, called the Twist of Fate and Poetry in Motion. However, he prefers to talk about friendships and mutual respect for his colleague off the ring than his cool moves. He says, “Some guys who I have fought with in the ring are my besties and we have and will stay in touch with each other for life. There is a special bond I share with a few of them. Also, among us, it is about the respect that we have for each other in and outside the ring. The trust we place in each other is also immense because our opponent’s life is in our hands.”

WWE and those like Matt might have been the reason many young Indians began hitting the gym. For fitness enthusiasts, he shares a piece of advice. “I have always been a huge advocate of natural supplements. I would preach that to other people as well. Every time I suffered an injury, I recovered fast because I did it in a natural way. So hit the gym hard and be proud even if your elbow gets grazed,” he concludes.