The Hardy Boyz and Lita trio found incredible success together as one of the best acts from the Attitude Era. Lita joining WWE saw her moving into a few different roles before finding the best fit. Matt and Jeff Hardy were already getting over as a team, but Lita put them over the top as three kindred spirits with similar characters.
The name Team Xtreme was perfect for the risk-takers that had the audience on their side. Matt, Jeff, and Lita leaving it all in the ring with their high-flying moves and fearless style bonded them. WWE fans treated them with as much love as anyone else on the stacked roster. Team Xtreme showed just how good a trio can be when on the same page.
Lita’s Presence Bolstered The Hardy Boyz
Lita's addition to the Hardy Boyz added both a manager and someone who could get involved in their matches to the team. Essa Rios was the wrestler first associated with Lita when she was introduced as his manager. As talented as Essa was in the ring, he lacked the tools needed to move up the card. WWE realized that Lita was starting to become more popular than Rios.
Lita eventually ditched Essa and moved into the act that would help her career move forward. Matt and Jeff were arguably the most over babyface team in WWE’s tag division when Lita joined them as the third member of Team Xtreme. Fans wanted to see more out of Lita, and this was the first time she had that flexibility to have more noteworthy stories.
WWE realized that Lita’s high-risk style would easily have her on the same page as the Hardy Boyz. Chyna, Stephanie McMahon, and Trish Stratus were also top names on the women’s roster, but Lita was doing something never done before. The audience wanted to see Lita’s moonsault as much as the high-flying moves of Matt and Jeff when all three were together.
The Hardy Boyz Took Off In A Big Way
WWE was already benefiting from the three outstanding teams of Hardy Boyz, Dudley Boyz, and Edge & Christian, with all three teams having must-see matches. The first ladder match between the three teams took place before Lita was placed with the Hardy Boyz. But Matt and Jeff benefited immensely from the popular woman becoming their manager afterward.
The rivalry with Edge & Christian continued over the next year with Lita getting physically involved. Even a secondary program like Matt and Jeff feuding with the Radicalz led to Lita having a personal storyline with Dean Malenko to get the audience invested. The personalities of the Hardy Boyz also had more room to grow as a team.
Lita added that persona that was already linked to the extreme mentality of Matt and Jeff. WWE trusted the Hardy Boyz as the top face tag team when having the other top duos enter heel roles. Lita even added to the TLC matches getting involved for a few memorable spots. The presence of Lita, Spike Dudley, and Rhyno added another dynamic to their best TLC match at WrestleMania 17 with everyone having an outside party helping.
The Hardy Boyz And Lita Were The Perfect Trio
Matt Hardy, Jeff Hardy, and Lita all worked well together due to always looking out for the group’s success together as Team Xtreme. None of them had to sacrifice their talent for the others in the faction since they were all working as one. WWE continued to push them as a trio with feuds against the Radicalz, T & A, and even the Two-Man Power Trip.
Lita getting attacked by Steve Austin and Triple H with steel chairs showed how pivotal she was to the act. The Hardy Boyz were booked as viable threats to major main event talents like Austin and Triple H. Team Xtreme saw all three wrestlers as fixtures on the show. Matt and Jeff were always involved in a noteworthy tag team feud, but that rarely took away from Lita’s in-ring career.
WWE pushed Lita as the biggest face in the women’s division during her time in Team Xtreme added to the momentum. Lita winning the Women’s Championship from Stephanie McMahon was a huge moment as a rare wrestler to get the better of a McMahon. The trio of wrestlers all had the chance to show their full potential when working together. Few acts will ever benefit careers in the short and long term of Team Extreme. The timing was perfect for Matt, Jeff, and Lita to take the biggest steps in their legendary careers together.