WWE Pitched For Matt Hardy To Form A Tag Team With Mark Henry And Talk With "Black Slang"

A year after WWE used racial elements for Booker T's WrestleMania 19 feud with Triple H, the company planned to use race for another programme in 2004.

Speaking on his 'Extreme Life of Matt Hardy' podcast, Hardy revealed WWE pitched for him to form a tag team with Mark Henry and talk with "black slang."

"There was one thing I was very nervous about doing that didn't end up happening. I was going to have a deal where I teamed with Mark Henry. There was talk of us working against Booker T and Rob Van Dam when they were the tag champs and actually winning the tag titles. It was right towards the end of Matt Hardy V1. What was pitched to me from Vince and creative was I was going to Mark Henry, and him being black, he had a lot in common with me having Mattitude because we were both oppressed. I would talk like a black person," Matt began.

"They knew at this time that even when John Cena was doing raps, we would be on international trips, myself and John would be freestyling back there and messing around. They knew I was a big rap fan and I was aware of all that stuff.

"So there would be a point where I would start talking with more black slang and tell Mark Henry, 'Mattitude is suppressed too man. We have that in common.' I was very uncomfortable with that then at that juncture. Mark got hurt, and maybe it was a sign from the seven deities, and it didn't happen at all. That was something I was a little worried about doing because it was something they wanted me to start doing and pushing me into."

Matt Hardy would spend 2004 feuding with Kane while Mark Henry would return from his injury on a December 2005 episode of SmackDown.

H/T to WrestlingNews.co