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CALDWELL'S TAKE
CALDWELL: No Pressure - Significance of the Moment with Jeff Hardy as WWE champion Dec 15, 2008 - 5:05:49 PM
Jeff Hardy is WWE champion. It seemed that sentence would never be written going back a few months ago, a year ago, and definitely not even a few years ago.
In April 2003, Hardy was unceremoniously booted from WWE after the list of conduct issues became too much for both Hardy and WWE. He bounced around like a leaf tossed in the wind, settling on a TNA promotion that couldn't capture his mystique on FOX Sports at 4:00 in the afternoon on Fridays.
WWE brought him back in August 2006, and at last year's Armageddon PPV, he defeated Triple H to become #1 Contender to the WWE Title before losing to Randy Orton at the Royal Rumble when everyone and their momma was vastly disappointed in WWE not pulling the trigger on a Hardy title run.
However, Hardy took strike two on the outside corner of the plate via the Wellness Policy and found himself suspended just before WrestleMania 24, missing the biggest payday of the year and a slot in the Money in the Bank match won by C.M. Punk.
WWE seemed justified in their hesitation to run with Hardy as champion, especially when he did interviews leading up to the Rumble describing the pain he was feeling from the list of injuries adding up.
While suspended, Jeff's home tragically burned to the ground and things were amiss in Hardy's life. Yet, a fresh start on the Smackdown brand in July helped turn things around for Hardy. He was booked in main events, setting up a series of missed-it-by-that-much moments chasing the WWE Title.
Last night's WWE Title victory for Hardy was the classic, cliched, and standard story of redemption in pro wrestling. Eddie Guerrero wore a size eight version when he won the WWE Title from Brock Lesnar in February 2004. The story has been told countless times before.
Now, Hardy has the pressure square on his shoulders. It's not like being on Raw, the flagship show, but when an entire TV network is depending on a certain show, there is pressure being the face of the brand and network.
Fortunately, no one star is bigger than the WWE machine, so Hardy doesn't have to drive himself mad trying to make every media appearance or steal the show at every house show. Hardy just has to be Hardy - the free spirit now with a purpose and direction.
Of course, WWE has taken a big risk with Hardy facing three-strikes-and-he's-out the next time he violates WWE's Wellness Policy. But, Matt Hardy said on his blog this morning that his brother is focused and determined. WWE must see the same thing.
Now is the time for the Smackdown brand to settle down with Hardy as champion. After the belt bounced from Triple to Edge at Survivor Series, and with the World Title on the Raw brand jumping like a hot potato in between Summerslam and Survivor Series, WWE could use a lengthy, successful run from Hardy leading to WrestleMania 25.
Redemption was Hardy's song last night. Barring a crazy dumb quick title change back to Edge or to Triple H this week, WWE is depending on Hardy to continue dancing to the beat of his own drum within the WWE machine.
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