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It started with a match between AJ Styles and Sami Zayn on WWE SmackDown, which ended in a manner that Sami Zayn didn't really care for, which brought out the current Intercontinental Champion Jeff Hardy into the mix. And soon enough, Jeff Hardy's arrival would also bring out a ladder, and the man would go on to propose a ladder match, much to the delight of the WWE SmackDown fans in the ThunderDome for Clash of Champions 2020. While the Clash of Champions 2020 match hasn't been made official yet, in all probability, it will be Jeff Hardy defending the Intercontinental Championship in a ladder match against AJ Styles and Sami Zayn.
Why was a ladder match added, out of the blue, to the proceedings at hand, one has to wonder! Here are 5 possibilities why Jeff Hardy proposed this massive Clash of Champions 2020 match on WWE SmackDown. Feel free to weigh in with your own comments in the section below.
#5 For that crazy Jeff Hardy spot at WWE Clash of Champions 2020
Jeff Hardy will go down in history as one of the greatest of all time, but let's be honest, he will never be hailed as a mat wrestler. Jeff Hardy is a man who defies gravity with every move, and when one recalls his accomplishments, you remember the adrenaline rush that poured from the arena through your television screen, into your living room.
It is almost a guarantee that at Clash of Champions 2020, we will see Jeff Hardy perform one such stunt. No, Jeff Hardy is not the same young man, who inspired so many back in the day with his death-defying stunts but he is still in his prime, as we have seen from his performances in recent times.
#4 To shake things up at Clash of Champions 2020
Clash of Champions 2020 will undoubtedly be a good show, because of the amount of talent that will be a part of the pay-per-view, but one thing that is pretty much undisputed at the moment is that the amount of hype around the show will not nearly be as much as say, SummerSlam. The hallmark of Clash of Champions 2020, as is the case with the event every year is that every title will be on the line, which is not a bad thing at all, but there is little to offer the fans beyond this basic premise.
So, to have a ladder match between the hastily thrown together match for the WWE SmackDown tag team Championship and the contest between Bayley and Nikki Cross (which, let's face it, is a way to build up to Bayley vs. Sasha Banks and Alexa Bliss vs. Nikki Cross) is a great way to retain audience interest. Sami Zayn never lost the WWE Intercontinental Championship, so there's a readymade story.
#3 With three amazing workers in a ladder match, Jeff Hardy, AJ Styles, and Sami Zayn can make the Intercontinental Championship feel important again
Even though there have been some great Intercontinental Champions in the SmackDown roster, the title hasn't really felt important in a really long time. Not even putting the title around the waist of Braun Strowman could add any kind of emotional investment for fans, and now the task of rehabilitating this title rests on the able shoulders of Jeff Hardy. Thankfully, Jeff Hardy will be aided in his quest by two of the best workers in the entire business- AJ Styles and Sami Zayn.
The Intercontinental Championship match at Clash of Champions 2020 could steal the show because, very honestly, when you put three men of such ability, such intensity, and such skill in the same ring at the same time, magic is bound to happen. It was always known as the workhorse championship, and if Jeff Hardy retains the title after a fantastic match, he will be hailed as a fine Champion.
#2 From WWE SmackDown this week, let's travel all the way back to WrestleMania X
Even though we are talking about WWE SmackDown and the events that occurred during the show, the promo that Jeff Hardy cut could have been a nod to a contest that is considered to be the greatest wrestling match in history. Shawn Michaels had been stripped of the Intercontinental Championship because of inactivity a long time ago, when he was actually suspended, and when he came back, much like Sami Zayn did on WWE SmackDown, he claimed that he was the rightful WWE Intercontinental Champion. And so, at WrestleMania X, long before WWE SmackDown was even a thing, Razor Ramon and Shawn Michaels had a match that is considered, to this day, as the greatest contest in history.
People consider WWE SmackDown Superstar AJ Styles to be the Shawn Michaels of today.
In a lot of ways, it is clear that the promo on WWE SmackDown alluded to this classic contest, and is almost a dare to these three men to outdo the legendary match.
#1 Is this Jeff Hardy's big reward for signing a brand new contract with WWE?
It was recently announced that Jeff Hardy had signed a new contract with WWE, and he had a particular clause in his contract regarding the same:
No More Words, when we do get in front of a crowd again, that was a part of me re-signing. I’m like, ‘If we get in front of people again, I’d like to use No More Words again because I know y’all own it.’ That was the deal for me re-signing.
For a long time, Jeff Hardy has been involved in angles that are far beneath a man of his caliber and his ability. Whether it was the whole incident with the 'urine test' or even the whole hit n' run angle, Jeff Hardy has been deserving of far better.
Is it finally time for him to move above and beyond and score a comprehensive victory as he very much deserves!
Be sure to catch more about the Jeff Hardy situation on the Sportskeeda YouTube channel!
