Matt Hardy: It's Frustrating how AEW has used the Hardys

[fw91]

Jun 20, 2024 18:25:53 GMT -5 Xxcjb01xX [PIECE OF: SH-] said:

Jun 20, 2024 18:16:52 GMT -5 Kalmia said:

It really is fascinating to compare the AEW careers of Matt and Jeff with those of Copeland and Christian. Copeland has only been in AEW for five minutes and he's done more than Matt and Jeff combined and Christian is arguably one of AEW's best ever signings.

They reinvented themselves where Matt refused and Jeff just decided to do the nostalgia act along with him

It does help of course that Christian and Copeland aren't broken down and can still go in ring, but ultimately, if you're slowing down in ring and can reinvent yourself to find a gimmick that works, it can still get you TV Time and a push, as evidenced by Jericho.

I don't watch, but from what I have seen and read, that isn't unfair to Matt? Sure the Hardys are damaged goods at this point and perhaps his stuff isn't getting over. But hasn't his whole deal since the Broken character came to be has been reinventing himself as a character? Or am I just too focused on that peak?

[Xxcjb01xX [PIECE OF: SH-]]

Jun 20, 2024 18:37:11 GMT -5 fw91 said:

Jun 20, 2024 18:25:53 GMT -5 Xxcjb01xX [PIECE OF: SH-] said:

They reinvented themselves where Matt refused and Jeff just decided to do the nostalgia act along with him

It does help of course that Christian and Copeland aren't broken down and can still go in ring, but ultimately, if you're slowing down in ring and can reinvent yourself to find a gimmick that works, it can still get you TV Time and a push, as evidenced by Jericho.

I don't watch, but from what I have seen and read, that isn't unfair to Matt? Sure the Hardys are damaged goods at this point and perhaps his stuff isn't getting over. But hasn't his whole deal since the Broken character came to be has been reinventing himself as a character? Or am I just too focused on that peak?

He reinvented himself with the Broken Universe but that was in 2016 man... it's 2024, and after awhile he just went back to Big Money Matt or just The Hardy's, which could only go so far

And even then THAT was gonna get the tag titles and they f***ed it up so idk, I don't think it's fair, they could've tried other things but they kinda broke AEW's trust as a whole.

[bearned]

Jun 20, 2024 18:16:52 GMT -5 Kalmia said:

It really is fascinating to compare the AEW careers of Matt and Jeff with those of Copeland and Christian. Copeland has only been in AEW for five minutes and he's done more than Matt and Jeff combined and Christian is arguably one of AEW's best ever signings.

Christian and Copeland can still go, that’s the difference. Even though they are obviously not at their peak, they have been able to adapt and work around the limitations.

Matt Hardy is a broken down husk who can’t really work around that and whilst Jeff is better, he’s a trainwreck.

I honestly think that it genuinely broke Matt (like legit, not gimmick broken Matt) seeing how good Christian has been and then Copeland. Because there was literally no way that Matt and Jeff could ever compete with that.

[EoE: Workin On My Night Cheese]

The thing with Copeland and Cage is that they both moved on from being spotfest guys way early. Sure, they’d still dabble time to time, but it didn’t remain a core part of their acts like it did with Jeff especially. Them being great promo guys also helped in that immeasurably. Matt tried, but the mic work was never really there for him until he became Broken, by which point his body was already legit broken.

[Kalmia]

I don't think it's just that Copeland and Christian can still go (although they can) but they've just been smarter about their limitations. Well, apart from when Copeland thought jumping off a cage was a good idea.

Christian especially wrestles a style and a schedule that works for a 50 year old guy. He was never reckless outside of gimmick matches even when he was younger, but he's not trying to wrestle now like he's still 25. He's only had about six matches this year but feels like he's been a constant presence on TV. When he does wrestle, he's very smart about it.

That's not the Hardy way of doing things.

[markymark]

...In the beginning, we started off very well. Jeff messed up, and he made a mistake. Jeff tried to repent for that. He did everything; he went and got right. And one thing that I can say about Jeff that I am very happy at the place he is in in his life. He’s practically perfect as a human being. He hadn’t been like this in well over 20 years.

...so he was in a good place. I just don’t know why we never got that other opportunity to show people what we can do, and capitalize on the popularity that we have.”

“We would have loved to have that run in AEW, but lo and behold, that didn’t happen. And I think we are both happy now that we are somewhere else where we feel like we’ll get utilized and optimized in our status as legends, as we are. Legends who can still go.”

“AEW is a great organization. The pro wrestling world needs it, but it wasn’t the place for me and Jeff at this certain time, because they’re just in a different mindset. I think Tony Khan is in a different mindset. It is what is, it’s nothing to be hot about.

Tony Khan, great dude. I was paid great while I was there. It was just, I think both of us, myself and Jeff, we wanted something different. There was one point where I just said like, we haven’t won a match in 11 months on TV and we are legitimately in the top five conversation of greatest tag teams of all time. Like, what is going on here?

...When Jeff had a run of singles matches, Jeff would say to me every night, he’s like why am I doing singles matches? Why are we not doing tag team matches here at AEW? We’re a tag team, that’s what we should be doing. I don’t know. It just is what it is.

Because Matt could barely move?(Matt has done better in TNA, credits to him though)

[WIENERS=$$$]

Matt you said it in the first paragraph.

Jeff f'ed up. AGAIN!!!

You two expected a tag push with one of you being this generations' biggest wastes of potential?

Again?!

f*** OFF!

Reinvent yourselves elsewhere, and keep Jeff on an Xtremely short leash. Much luck to you both.

[mo]

Tony was about to give them the world when they could barely walk to the ring. Matt being his usual delusional self. I been sick of the Hardys for ages so good riddance.

[sassafrastaz]

It's not like the Hardys didn't get a chance to shine in some manner in AEW. I mean, they got to do a cinematic match that lead to the production of this gem of a gif:

It also lead to the introduction of "Brother Zay", but the less said about that the better.

[kingoftheindies]

Jun 20, 2024 18:37:11 GMT -5 fw91 said:

Jun 20, 2024 18:25:53 GMT -5 Xxcjb01xX [PIECE OF: SH-] said:

They reinvented themselves where Matt refused and Jeff just decided to do the nostalgia act along with him

It does help of course that Christian and Copeland aren't broken down and can still go in ring, but ultimately, if you're slowing down in ring and can reinvent yourself to find a gimmick that works, it can still get you TV Time and a push, as evidenced by Jericho.

I don't watch, but from what I have seen and read, that isn't unfair to Matt? Sure the Hardys are damaged goods at this point and perhaps his stuff isn't getting over. But hasn't his whole deal since the Broken character came to be has been reinventing himself as a character? Or am I just too focused on that peak?

Once the Broken character worked that's really all Matt wanted to do. He did try to reinvent that online... as another Broken character with a made up spirit called Damascus... and it was just the broken character saying he evolved.

But the thing is... AEW did try with Matt early. First with the Broken character and aside from cinematic matches it wasnt good. He was the guy they relied on to help get Sammy over as a singles guy and they kept hurting each other. They then placed him with Private Party to help them get over and even had him feud with Hangman at the start of his singles push. The matches just weren't good. Hardy Family Office wasn't good.

I've said this many times, but anytime Matt speaks about Jeff it's like he's pushing for Jeff to have one more run with the Hardys. Cause I think even TNA has grown past wanting to rely on stuff like the Broken Universe and the Demon Realms and whatever else they have.

[Kalmia]

Matt talks like Jeff only had this single screw up in his life instead of it being just one in a long line of them. I don't blame AEW for being reluctant to go all in on the Hardys again after that.

And besides, AEW was just beginning to give Jeff more opportunities again. It's a shame he got hurt when he did, but Jeff only has himself to blame for his career stalling out.

[Banjo Is Broken]

The fact that Jeff never got to be Willow is what really hurts.

[Final Countdown Jones]

ALl the credit to Matt for what he did with the Broken Universe, it was an amazing idea and it worked really well when he was able to commit to it with the intense amount of time it was given in a TNA that had nothing else going for it But that was almost a decade ago, AEW is not affording him that much television time--nor should they--and everything he's wanted to do since then has been a total failure. He had one amazing idea that landed in the right time adn the right place, and since then every idea he's had has just not been it.

[Feargus McReddit]

On the one hand, a lot of what Matt wanted to try or did try either shouldn’t take up as much TV time on a fledging company as it apparently needed or dragged so long the payoff came months later than it should have.

On the other, it did give us the visual of Gangrel holding Hurricane Helms hostage in front of the lake of reincarnation so overall, Matt’s wrong; AEW’s run with both Hardy boys was a massive success.

[xxshoyuweeniexx]

I’ll admit Jeff had some good matches in AEW before dumbass Sammy concussed him. But at that point it’s like, what are he doing in AEW that you couldn’t do in WWE? I feel like Jeff has enough in him for one last WWE run putting guys over, provided he stays clean.

..Matt Hardy however is a different story. He seems to think he can be a big money draw, but that’s only with Jeff. And Jeff looks like he’s in pain when he hits the Swanton, but at least he can hit those high flying moves..or just moves in general. Like Matt can barely walk, let alone wrestle. Him dragging his brother into another company for a “hardy boyz” run when people just wanna see Jeff on his own? I think we’re all good on that.

[WIENERS=$$$]

Jun 21, 2024 9:45:07 GMT -5 xxshoyuweeniexx said:

I’ll admit Jeff had some good matches in AEW before dumbass Sammy concussed him. But at that point it’s like, what are he doing in AEW that you couldn’t do in WWE? I feel like Jeff has enough in him for one last WWE run putting guys over, provided he stays clean.

..Matt Hardy however is a different story. He seems to think he can be a big money draw, but that’s only with Jeff. And Jeff looks like he’s in pain when he hits the Swanton, but at least he can hit those high flying moves..or just moves in general. Like Matt can barely walk, let alone wrestle. Him dragging his brother into another company for a “hardy boyz” run when people just wanna see Jeff on his own? I think we’re all good on that.

The Hardyz v. Sammy Guevara feud has been a tragic one.

[markymark]

[Ryushinku]

[Giul T.]

It's very telling, that even on Wrestling Twitter, the wretched hive of scum and villany that we all know, There isn't anyone coming to defend Matt's take.

It's tragic and blatantly obvious why the Hardy Boys are 'devalued'.

[sassafrastaz]

If anything, one could argue that the Hardys were pushed more than their current abilities and reputations deserved. Yes, both those guys are legends, and I'm sure they'll get your flowers by being put into various Hall of Fames someday...but both of them have issues, and that was before they joined AEW.

I can't speak for Matt's time in WWE past 2014, because that's when I stopped watching Raw and Smackdown (though kept up on things via reports to see if anything was worth going out of my way to check out), but his best days are clearly behind him. I'm not even sure he could have a good match these days, let alone great. I think if he was more of a mentor/manager type with Private Party (like it looked like he was going to be early on), things might have worked out better. Instead, we got the Hardy Family Office, which morphed into the (at one point 12-member) Andrade-Hardy Family Office. Factions are at their best when they have 3-5 people, but that's mostly an unrelated matter.

As for Jeff...he can still go at times (his match with Darby for example was great but crazy), but realistically, he should not have been signed by AEW. I'm all for second chances, but how many chances has the dude had between WWE, TNA, and now AEW? Quite frankly, Jeff should have been blackballed from the business for what happened at TNA Victory Road 2011. Sting was WAYYYYYYYYYY too kind to him that night.

Speaking of Sting...there's a guy who could have come in, big-leagued everyone, and just got by on his reputation alone. In fact, the initial idea was he was just going to do cinematic matches. Instead (with the encouragement of Darby Allin) he ended up doing a bunch of live matches and looked good every time out. He was never the most spectacular wrestler, but even as he was pushing into senior citizenry, he didn't do a ton but he did it well. He did the odd crazy spot (his leap onto Sammy Guevara accidentally into Sammy's knee being his only regret, I'm sure), but basically kept it simple.

On top of that, he apparently was loved backstage, and would give advice to anyone who wanted it. The ideal veteran! Getting to go out like he did on his terms warmed the cockles of my heart. I would love to see him back in AEW in an authority role if he wanted to do it, but I can understand if he's happy in retirement.