I have mixed reviews for this one. I agree with most of you, and agree with Madden some too. I guess I just understand both points of view. I am going to quote the things I agreed with Madden on below, then critique that. Also I am going to try and be fair to both opinions while giving my own,so here it goes.
For Jeff Hardy to walk away from that is unfair to the company, himself, and the whole concept of SummerFest.
In a way he is right here. It is no small act for the WWE to put so much stock in one guy. They have pushed and pushed and pushed him through all the excuses in his personal life and his folly in his professional life. They backed him 100% and he's just ending it. He is right now at the top of his game, and the height of his career, why would you seriously want out right now? I know what it's like, it is tough, but I could sure as hell deal with it if I were him.
Even though WWE knows Hardy is probably leaving, and under circumstances they can’t be thrilled by, they put the world title on him anyway. Most guys get buried if WWE feels they’re chumping out. Hardy got a big gold belt.
He is right here too. Most guys would get buried on their way out. Look at what they did with Brian Kendrick recently. It's not like he was up there in Hardy's league but still, this guy got smoked, and that's proof. The WWE probably are not happy with the circumstances either as Madden mentioned. I agree with all of you that he may deserve it to some degree, but he could have chosen better timing and I think that is the point of what Madden is getting at here. Your explanations of their placing the gold on him are sensible enough as well. If I were trying to make him stay, and build Punk as a heel it would make sense to give him the title, let him warm it up around his waist and hope he likes it enough to stick around
This is a job, not a hobby. You’re an adult, not a kid. All the great stars have experienced burnout but work through it because that’s what the profession requires.
I can't argue against that, and he is right here as well. All the greats have experienced the burnt out feeling, and worked through it as it is apart of the business. Once again I am not disagreeing that he is ineligible for a break or necessarily that he shouldn't take one, but I can understand being upset about it, and how it would look bad to a lot of people in and out of the business.
The demands of wrestling are part of what makes it great. Hardy is walking away from the opportunity of a lifetime, a chance mid-card guys would kill for.
What was so wrong with what Madden says here either? The struggle one has to work through is apart of what makes it great, it takes true grit to gut it out on the road, and keep going despite anything else. As I mentioned earlier, he is at the pinnacle of his career, and if he decided to strike a deal could probably get the best contract agreement he ever dreamed of. In a lot of ways he is walking away from great opportunity, and I think what Madden was getting at is that he is taking for granted what so many other guys desire so greatly. It's like he doesn't appreciate it, or at least that's the message it sends to some people. Now, is that the truth, who knows, maybe he appreciates it a great deal, I can't speak for Jeff Hardy. But, you should understand how it looks to some before you go too far with your criticism.
Hardy will almost certainly return to wrestling at some point. But when he does, there’s no guarantee fans will see him in the same light. There’s also no guarantee WWE will restore him to the same level.
This is the most accurate statement made by Madden. There are no guarantees in wrestling. If he takes a long break, say 2 years or more. Those kids who were all cheering for him are going to be into someone else, or out of wrestling period. And, looking back at the last time they invested greatly in him, the WWE might decide not to do much with him as a result of this hiatus as well. That is very possible. I can see how one would think he could come back on top of the same wave, but by then the surf will have changed enough for it to be much more difficult.
In my personal opinion I don't think this is the right time. I think that because right now he is truly at the top of his game, and the pinnacle of his career, to waste any time of it would be a shame. It is his life and career and he can do what he pleases, but I think he will be loosing out on the best years of his career if he quits now. There is also no guarantee he will be back. He might decide permanent vacation is good for him, or his pursuit of other interests is more interesting. I think that no matter what if and when he comes back it will be harder to get back to the top as a result of the actions he is about to take, and that he just might regret it down the road if he is unsuccessful in reclaiming the status and so on he has now. Career wise, bad move. Personally, probably the right thing for him. Also, I hate Mark Madden. Sometimes his points are valid, and sometimes he is misunderstood as well. Because he is a class A assface, the shit he says comes out the wrong way I think, and his points are misrepresented by his brash and sometimes ridiculous demeanor. In this sense I think the man is a detriment to himself, and in turn pity him for his bitterness, and lack of class. I however will point out the truth and error in anyone's work including my own if necessary. I happened to think some of what Madden said had some truth to it, and I liked most of your takes on it as well. I just think he is making a poor career decision, and hope that whatever he is leaving the WWE for is worth it.
