Matt Hardy was part of countless matches on SmackDown, but it is a bout with Rey Mysterio in 2003 that stands out for the AEW wrestler.
Hardy was a fixture of the blue brand for years prior to his WWE departure in 2020 and won various championships as a member of the SmackDown roster.
In 2003, Hardy captured the Cruiserweight Championship as a SmackDown Superstar and would hold the title until June, when he lost the gold to Mysterio.
Speaking about the match, which aired from Rey’s home state of California, Hardy called the bout his favorite SmackDown match during his “Extreme Life” podcast. He said,
“The one wherever I drop the Cruiserweight title to Rey Mysterio, and we were the main event in Anaheim, [California.] That was very cool. That was a big deal.”
Hardy also spoke about capturing the SmackDown Tag Team Championships years later with Jeff in 2019, which also meant a lot to him. He said,
“That was a big deal for us too. That was very cool, especially on our final last run there.”
Matt added that his 2007 run with MVP was another highlight of his career on the blue brand, which culminated with Matt winning the U.S. Title from MVP in April 2008.