The Hardy Boyz may not have become the beloved tag-team they are today had they not stolen the show with Edge and Christian at WWF No Mercy 1999.
The show saw the two teams compete in the first-ever tag-team ladder match, with the Hardyz earning $100,000 and the managerial services of Terri Runnels.
On his “The Extreme Life of Matt Hardy” podcast, the AEW wrestler spoke of the significance of the match on the careers of himself and Jeff. He said,
“We were cognizant of the fact that we had the ability to create something that was going to truly be magical and that could change the game. But none of us knew at that moment that it was going to have the impact that it ended up having. We had no idea it was going to trigger the whole TLC era and just really elevate tables, ladders, and chairs matches into a permanent staple of pro wrestling. We had no idea that this was going to be the beginning of that.
“After they did the deal where Christian pinned Jeff in the corner with a ladder, and then he ran, jumped off the ladder, and dropkicked Jeff in the corner, and there was a huge applause. And then from that point on, the applause just kept growing, little by little, and it got bigger and bigger and bigger and bigger at every spot we did and everything we pulled off.
“And we could see and feel more importantly than see. We could feel inside, within ourselves, that the crowd knew they were witnessing something special. And not only were they appreciative of it, but they were grateful. And it was almost like we were creating this work of art, and they were acknowledging it every step of the way.”
The two teams would meet again at WrestleMania 2000 in the first Triangle-Ladder match (including the Dudleyz) and three teams would compete in TLC 1 later that year.
