During an episode of his weekly ‘The Extreme Life of Matt Hardy’ podcast, the former Mattitude leader remembered being on the infamous 2002 ‘Plane Ride From Hell’, which took place on a flight home from Europe, after the WWF Insurrextion 2002 UK pay-per-view.
Here’s what Matt Hardy had to say:
“Of course, I was on it, and I have a ton of memories. I’ll never forget, they worked really hard to get me on that ‘Dark Side of the Ring’ episode of Plane Ride from Hell. I very politely declined because I knew no good was, well, too, if you speak the facts and how things really went down in society and you’re showing you’re a good-natured person and you have to say these terrible things about people you may genuinely like. Or maybe people who have done good things to you. It’s like a lose-lose situation in many ways, and I thought we saw many examples of that, like with Tommy Dreamer, who is one of the sweetest guys in the world and really wants what’s best for everyone, but he was just kind of put in an impossible situation.
When it comes to the Plane Ride from Hell, my most fond memory that I can say, which won’t get me in trouble one way or the other, is that I remember sitting, talking with Undertaker, being right by that emergency exit, Curt Hennig was being hilarious. He just kept, with Brock, ‘Look, I’m so sorry I did this, I’m so sorry I’ve been ribbing you.’ He said, ‘Hey, can we make it okay? Here, shake my hand, Brock. Let’s shake hands like men.’ And I remember Curt Hennig stomped on his toes and he had shoes on and Brock didn’t and he went running down the aisle.
Then eventually when he caught up to him and they came back, he picked him up like he was driving him into the turnbuckle and drove him into the emergency door there. We’re at the highest elevation flying over the Atlantic Ocean. Like, ‘Holy s**t.’ It was terrifying. I remember them hitting and me making eye contact with Taker like, ‘F**k,’ and it was just like, ‘What if this would’ve opened?’ We would’ve all died. Pretty much impossible to open the thing at that height and whatnot, but it was just so crazy. You would never, ever see that on a plane in this day and age.
Vince McMahon kept trying to take Kurt Angle down. There was one point where he grabbed me and said, ‘Hardy, distract the son of a b*tch. Tell him to come to you.’ And he was going to jump out from behind like where the stewardess stands. I said, ‘What am I gonna get out of this?’ ‘Oh, I’m gonna take good care of you’.
Then I went and I was walking through and as I was doing this, ‘Hey, Kurt, come down here. By the way, watch out, Vince is going to jump you’. And Vince grabbed him and immediately turned him around. Every single time Vince tried to grab Kurt, Kurt took him down instantly. Every time I saw it, and I saw it happen multiple times throughout the night, Kurt would grab Vince and take him down and pin his a$$ on the floor.”
In 2002, the wrestling world witnessed a turbulent journey that transcended the ring and entered the realm of infamy – the Plane Ride From Hell. This airborne ordeal, involving a group of professional wrestlers and staff, transformed a routine flight into a chaotic spectacle that would be forever etched in wrestling lore.
As the plane took off, the atmosphere inside grew increasingly volatile. Tales of alcohol-fueled mayhem, impromptu wrestling matches, and even haircuts at 30,000 feet became legendary. The plane’s aisles transformed into a makeshift wrestling arena, where grappling and chair shots were as commonplace as in the squared circle.
Amidst the chaos, Ric Flair, a wrestling icon, paraded through the cabin wearing nothing but his signature robe, showcasing the unapologetic extravagance that defined his career. Meanwhile, Michael Hayes, the Fabulous Freebird, found himself on the wrong end of a prank, as his ponytail became an unexpected casualty of the ride.
The Plane Ride From Hell serves as a testament to the larger-than-life personas that populate the world of professional wrestling. It’s a story of camaraderie, excess, and unscripted drama that reminds us that even at 30,000 feet, the show must go on, no matter how turbulent the ride may be.
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