Although he's not a gamer, Hardy has worked in the creation of videogames before--back when Acclaim had the WWE license. And like all of the Superstars and Divas that took part in the videogame competition, he volunteered to be there playing in front of the fans.
Did you ever play videogames growing up?
Way back with Atari and Nintendo I used to play games like Pitfall and Super Mario Bros. but I never got into it. My brother was into it more than I was. I was always outside doing stuff with motorcycles and in the woods hunting.
What are your chances in this tournament?
I'm not a big gamer at all. I don't know much about videogames at all. I'm just going to go out there and do business for somebody, I imagine. Who knows, I might luck out and win. This is my first tournament.
What do you think about what they can do with videogames today?
It blows my mind, man. It's so realistic. It's amazing. A long time ago Matt and I went in with Acclaim and wore the suits with the dots and did about 1,000 moves. If one ball came out we had to do it all again. Just to be a part of that was pretty cool and to see what went into making a game…they've certainly come a long way.
What's it like to be back at Wrestlemania 23?
I've been gone for five years so it's pretty exciting. Getting in front of 70,000 people. I think this is the biggest crowd I've ever been in. It's really cool that Wrestlemania 23 was here, too. I was a little baby at that time, but it's cool to be part of that.
What's it like to perform in front of 80,000 people?
It's pure adrenaline, man. It's awesome, man, to see all the flashes and feel the energy from such a massive crowd. A lot of times for me, it's about having no fear with whatever it is you're about to do. Especially jumping off a 14 foot ladder, which is like three stories when you're on top of that sucker. The fans help me out a lot of times, their energy and their vibe.
What do you think the allure of pro wrestling is?
Being a fan is not just about who's going to win or lose, it's about what's going to happen next. The story lines and the angles its very interesting to know what you're going to do with this person or that person. That's more interesting to me than winning or losing. Even some times when I lose I still consider myself shining, you know what I mean? That's what stand wrestling out and makes it a league of its own.
How have you seen fans evolve over the years?
People have become smarter and know what's going on all-around. And there's more of a respect for the entertainment aspect. There's more involved, I guess.
