Chains of Love
Are Matt & Lita Holding Each Other Back?

It's a commonly observed reality that romantic relationships in the workplace are a bad idea. Mixing love and business is often nothing more that a recipe for disaster. In the sports-entertainment business, it can be particularly dangerous.

Success in the World Wrestling Federation requires absolute focus and determination with a strong killer instinct. Anything less, and a Superstar will quickly find himself headed for obscurity. The demands of a personal relationship with someone else on the roster can easily sap the average competitor's will win.

Yet, Matt Hardy and Lita have chosen that path. Perhaps it's not entirely fair to put it that way, since, as is usually the case in matters of the heart, the path has probably chosen time. We at World Wrestling Federation magazine make no claims of insider knowledge regarding the private details of Matt and Lita's relationship, how they fell for each other or how strongly the feel towards one another. Nevertheless, we don't need that kind to suspect that it might not be in the best interests of either of them.

Certainly, the countless fans who fashion themselves hopeless romantics and consider the Superstar sweethearts a cute couple may object. But if the situation is analyzed logically, it becomes plausible to believe that the relationship may actually be hampering the respective careers of Matt & Lita. Maybe, just maybe, they could go further in the ranks of the Federation if they both went their separate ways.

The Evidence

By no means would one consider Matt Hardy and Lita to be failures. They are both beloved and decorated Superstars with championship resumes and truckloads of potential. However, have they taken a tiny step back since becoming amorously entangled?

Matt was the first of the Hardyz to achieve singles gold, capturing the Hardcore title in 2000. With his younger brother Jeff, he is a multi-time Federation Tag Team Champion, and the pair recently won the WCW Tag Team title as well. But in the past several months, it appears that Jeff has overtaken Matt as the Hardy to watch. Matt seems to have lost the desire to strike out on his own. Furthermore, Jeff had embarked on the beginnings of a singles career and showed great potential, only to back to teaming regularly with Matt. Is it a coincidence that this rededication to tag-team competition occurred shortly after Matt & Lita became involved? Or did the more even-minded Jeff sacrifice his own breakout success to assure that this starry-eyed brother doesn't get lost in the Federation shuffle? Since hooking up with Lita last spring, Matt has kept a much lower profile, which is a major blunder for any up-and-comer. Jockeying for a position on the roster is one of the most important ways for a Superstar to earn crucial matches and make a lasting impression on the fans. Matt needs to decide what's more important to him: quality time with Lita or TV-time on Federation broadcasts. As sad as it is, he cannot have both. That is why most Superstars choose their companion from outside the industry. Most find that a clear-cut separation between private and personal life is absolutely necessary. In one of the most telling signs to surface, an anonymous source close to the couple told WWF Magazine that in recent months, Matt has been spending significantly less time scouting opponents, planning strategy and studying tapes. If true, this would indicate a serious softening of competitive edge. It's entirely possible that the lovely Lita is providing the distraction. If Matt's not careful, these lapses may begin to affect his physical prowess in the ring. Perhaps Matt would be wise to heed the warning of Rocky Balboa's trainer, Mick: Women weaken legs.

Lita's career has also taken something of a downturn since becoming the apple of Matt's eye. The red haired beauty has dedicated herself almost completely to supporting the Hardyz at ringside, meanwhile almost abandoning her own in-ring pursuits in the process. While her support of her boyfriend is admirable, it's not going to put any gold around her waist. Granted, the Women's Divisions has been in shambles of late, and maybe she has been waiting for the championship to be reinstated, but that's no excuse for not staying sharp. After all, what kind of shape will she be in if a title shot comes her way, perhaps against an intense, focused opponent like Jacqueline or Ivory, and she hasn't been in the ring in months?

History is littered with anecdotes of women who held back from fulfilling their full potential so the spotlight would remain on their man. The list includes women with famous names that could easily have been renowned worldwide had they not been motivated, out of love, to hold back just a little bit. From Mary Shelley to Eleanor Roosevelt to Jane Fonda, those who chose this route are many. The extent to which they suffered for this decision varies greatly, but all their lives were undeniably affected by the ambitions of the men they were associated with.

Of course, if Matt Hardy's ambition has taken a backseat to his feelings for Lita, the popular Diva has less to worry about. After all, she's already held the Women's Championship; maybe she feels she no longer has anything to prove as a WWF competitor. However, many observers would find that kind of complacency completely unacceptable. A spot on the WWF roster is a dream for millions who would leap at the chance to replace the queen of extreme. Certainly just winning the title wasn't enough for the likes of Fabulous Moolah, who held the championship for nearly 30 years. She never let a man get in the way of her goals.

The Conclusion

If they want to remain successful Federation Superstars and continue on the road to long-term dominance that many experts predict for them, Matt hardy and Lita must break up.

The only other option would be for one of them to quit the sports-entertainment business altogether. They simply cannot afford the kind of distraction this relationship has created.

Enough damage has been done already, but it's not too late to reverse it. Matt and Lita need to learn from their previous instances in which Superstars allowed themselves to be derailed by Cupid's arrows. Test and Spike Dudley , for example, both put their heart before their careers and both of the were burned. When their relationships (with Stephanie McMahon and Molly Holly, respectively) ended badly, they discovered that they had neglected their in-ring efforts to such a degree that they suffered a major slump. For Test in particular, it is only in recent months that he has shown any real sign of recovery. It took him nearly two years to emerge from that funk. After months of total domination, Chyna decide to play second fiddle to her new boyfriend Eddie Guerrero, and soon found herself on the fast track to nowhere.

These may sound like cold words to some fans, but the World Wrestling Federation is a cold place. If you're looking for warm and fuzzy love stories, you're watching the wrong show.

Most Superstars are single-minded because they need to be. They must remain focused on the job at hand which in their case is kicking ass and winning personal glory. It's unfortunate that Matt and Lita had to fall for each other, that they find themselves in this dilemma at all. But all their fans should be hoping right now that they do what's necessary to eliminate the problem without destroying each other.

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