WWE is believed to want to run with Matt Hardy’s Broken character/universe. Unfortunately Impact Wrestling is claiming ownership of the characters. Speculation is that both sides are looking to make a deal which would allow the characters to appear on WWE programming.
Matt sent out the following on social media earlier today, indicating a deal may have been struck:
Previously Hardy had tweeted that his successful expedition of gold had contained his condition. This allowed Matt to perform as the old Matt Hardy from a storyline perspective. Although Matt has continued to lead live crowds in chants of “Delete! Delete!” and occasionally slipped into the character’s accent or manner of speaking.
Matt and Jeff Hardy are scheduled to defend their Raw tag team titles against Cesaro & Sheamus at Payback on Sunday.
Jeff and Matt Hardy will be keeping commitments they made to Tommy Dreamer’s House of Hardcore promotion this weekend. Matt also seems to be indicating they will be in their “broken universe” characters for the shows.
*WEEKEND SCHEDULE*
Appearing at HOH on Fri & Sat as @WWE graciously allows us to fulfill commitments.
HOH 24 will be Friday night in New Jersey. The main event for that show will be Tommy Dreamer vs. Matt Hardy in a “New Jersey Delete Street Fight”. Also on the show: Bully Ray vs. Sami Callihan Brian Cage vs. MVP
HOH 25 is Saturday night at the 2300 Arena in Philly. That show is headlined by Matt and Jeff Hardy vs. Tommy Dreamer and Bully Ray. Pentagon Jr. will also wrestling Sami Callihan on that show.
Both shows air live on the FloSlam app for subscribers.
We’ve got an update on Matt and Jeff Hardy’s “Broken” characters. Since returning to WWE at WrestleMania, the Hardys have been wrestling under their real names with some subtle references to the broken universe. Their legal battle with Impact Wrestling parent company Anthem is still ongoing, but WWE is working on bringing the Broken Universe to RAW.
According to Dave Meltzer on Wrestling Observer Radio, WWE is in talks with Impact Wrestling parent company Anthem to secure the rights for the Broken characters. Meltzer said,
“The plan is to do the Broken character. The delay is that they’ve gotta work out the deal [with Anthem] and the deal is not worked out … The goal is to work out a deal.”
Whether WWE licenses the rights to the Broken characters or outright acquires the trademarks, a deal is being worked on.
There is still a lot of excitement surrounding Matt and Jeff Hardy back in WWE, but WWE is aware their current gimmick will grow tired soon and the main storytelling potential lies with the Broken Universe.
Matt Hardy has been incorporating aspects of his various gimmicks in his current character, referencing “Matt Facts” on Twitter but also using the Broken Matt accent and talking about deleting people.
Last night on Raw, WWE pulled the “collapsing ring” gimmick. The angle has occurred less than a handful of times in WWE history, and even requires 3 stored finishers in WWE 2K17 to execute (!!).
Raw’s ending seemed to resonate with returning tag team champion Matt Hardy. He issued the following statement on Twitter:
Shortly after WrestleMania 33, Matt Hardy appeared on Raw Talk and ditched the #Broken mannerisms he had developed on the indies and in Impact. He would state on Twitter that the team’s successful expedition of gold has contained his condition. From time to time, he appears to be making subtle references to the character both on-camera and via social media.
WWE Hall of Famer Lita (Amy Dumas) was the latest guest on Lilian Garcia’s Making Their Way To The Ring show on AfterBuzz TV. In an intimate discussion about her legendary career, Amy discusses how her injury in 2005 impacted the relationship she had with Matt Hardy, her thoughts towards the public split being turned into a storyline and what she did to move forward afterward.
Here are some highlights of what Lita said about:
Realizing her relationship with Matt Hardy was coming to an end in 2005: “We were slightly disconnected while I was at home recuperating because he was still 100% into his career and I was 100% out of it at the moment, because I had to be. And I remember thinking ‘Yeah we’re not gonna be together after our careers are over because that, that is our bond. The way we view life, our interests, they don’t really align you know?”
When she and Edge began bonding: “I know both of us were kind of like, ‘Oh sh*t’ you know once we started to-to realize we were more than just two bros just hanging out. And so the hard thing that has always been with this time period is, you know, we realized we were going down a path that we shouldn’t and what I mean by that is mentally, mentally.”
“We’d kissed finally and freaked out.”
She adds, “Adam was on the road and I said ‘Hey, you know what? Let’s take this as an opportunity. We need to be in our own worlds and evaluate and don’t do anything because you know, like don’t do anything for me, I’m not gonna do anything for you. I need to figure out what is right for my world. You need to figure out what’s right for your world. If we meet up on the other side, cool. If not, I support and respect whatever your decisions are. He’s like ‘Okay that seems like the mature adult thing to do’.”
The love triangle being turned into a storyline: “It became such a hot story and they said ‘They want to turn this into a story, but you guys have been professional, he hasn’t, there is money involved in this storyline, but it’s your call’.
“You know we felt terrible he lost his job over it so we’re like ’Yeah, we made our bed we’ll lie in it.’
What she learned from the whole ordeal: “I think just acceptance of me with all my flaws and acceptance of everyone else and all their flaws as well.”
For more from AfterBuzz, visit AfterBuzzTV.com or follow @AfterBuzzTV
In the video below, Matt Hardy referred to Jeff Hardy as “Brother Nero”. The Hardys were at an IWC event yesterday in Pittsburgh, PA. The Hardys brought along their Raw Tag Team Championships and thanked WWE for allowing them to attend the IWC event. Matt Hardy cut a promo at the event but once again used a very subdued version of the “broken” gimmick. However, he did refer to Jeff Hardy as “Brother Nero” during the promo.
WWE Releases Top 10 Ladder Attacks From The Hardy Boyz
WWE has uploaded a new video highlighting the top 10 ladder attacks during The Hardys WWE career. The list includes Jeff Hardy flying off a ladder onto The Undertaker, Matt Hardy hitting a Side Effect to Fit Finlay off the top of the ladder and Jeff hitting a Leg Drop onto Edge through a ladder.
WWE Superstar Enzo Amore uploaded a photo with top-selling rapper Drake on Instagram. Amore included the caption “More Life” which is the name of the Drake’s latest album.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BSo3tveg-g0/
Matt Hardy Comments On WWE Return
Matt and Jeff Hardy made their triumphant return to WWE at Wrestlemania 33. The Hardy Boyz captured the Raw Tag Team Championships at Wrestlemania 33 and successfully defended them the following night on Raw. Matt Hardy took to Twitter and posted the following about The Hardys return to WWE:
There has been speculation that Matt Hardy is not bringing his #Broken gimmick to WWE. After capturing the Raw Tag Team Championships at Wrestlemania 33, Hardy posted on Twitter that his broken condition may have been cured:
The sheer NIRVANA of coming home to that DEAFENING ovation at #Wrestlemania seems to have contained my CONDISHTION.
Anthem Sports & Entertainment purchased Impact Wrestling and subsequently claimed that they held the rights to the #Broken Universe. Matt Hardy filed a trademark on his #Broken Matt Hardy character and Anthem sought legal action against Hardy. Things came to a head when Reby Hardy sent out several tweets to those in charge of Impact Wrestling back in March:
Matt Hardy briefly removed #Broken from his Twitter username after saying that his condition has been cured due to winning gold in WWE. Now, he has changed his Twitter username once again and it has returned to #Broken Matt Hardy. Time will tell if the #Broken universe eventually makes it’s way to WWE. The following tweet by Matt Hardy hints that it will:
– Several fans wrote in to tell us WWE heavily edited the opening segment of Monday’s RAW, which saw Roman Reigns receive
a thunderous negative reaction from the rowdy Orlando crowd. Several minutes of booing and negative chants were removed.
– As noted earlier, Aron Rex (formerly Damien Sandow) is gone from Impact Wrestling. He provided this update, asserting that he is not retiring and will explore his options.
I am not retired. @lmpactWrestIing was some of the most fun I have had in my career, great company. Just exploring other opportunities. ??
Fans of Matt and Jeff Hardy who are hoping the brothers will be performing their #BROKEN gimmicks in WWE had their hopes dealt a blow last night. After defeating Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows to retain their Raw tag team championships, the iconic tag team were Renee Young’s guests on Raw Talk.
The Hardy Boyz in WWE?
Despite the undeniable chants of “Delete! Delete!” throughout Amway Arena in Orlando, it appears as though WWE is only bringing back the old “Team Xtreme” version of the Hardys. This could change of course, but Matt had definitely reverted back to his old self in the interview.
On where the Hardys Have Been: “We’ve been everywhere. Truly everywhere. One thing we were doing is we were on an expedition of gold. Where we were going to every federation or promotion that was worthwhile and win the tag team championship. And we did, we won every tag team championship that we went to a promotion and worked for. And to home back and win these, obviously the most prestigious championships there are just concluded our expedition of gold.” – Matt Hardy
“The perfect story. The perfect ending. I’ve got the Hardy girls now and Matt’s about to have the Hardy boys. . I’ve been a father for the last six years and it is the best thing thing ever to happen to me.”- Jeff Hardy
Both brothers would continue to talk about the other tag teams on Raw before concluding their brief appearance on the show.
In the last few weeks Matt and Jeff Hardy have played a major role in TNA, ROH and now WWE. The legendary tag team made their return to the company last night after 7 years. The WrestleMania win comes 23 years after Matt first appeared on WWE programming.
WWE posted the following to their YouTube channel after the match:
Will Matt Hardy Be Using the #BROKEN Gimmick?
Judging by the above video Matt Hardy still plans on using elements of his BROKEN character. This could mean they have reached a deal with Anthem, or more likely the case is that WWE isn’t worried about any legal action from TNA’s new owners. A third option is that these were just videos which went out on YouTube, and Matt and Jeff probably just did whatever they wanted.
WWE also posted video of the Hardy brothers before the show.
This is the second time this week WWE has tweeted out video of old Matt and Jeff Hardy matches and included a subtle reference to Matt’s new character.
Raw Triple Threat Tag Team Ladder Championship Match at WrestleMania
The interactions between the Hardys and WWE’s social media accounts has led many to believe the Hardys are returning soon. It is also interesting to note that a ladder stipulation was recently added to the raw tag team championship match at WrestleMania. The Hardys were apart of the original WrestleMania triple threat ladder tag championship match, along with the Dudleyz and Edge & Christian. Ladder matches have been the signature Hardy match for some time now.
Additionally, King Maxel, tweeted out some photos which could be seen as a clue that his father plans on appearing in that ladder match.
ROH TV
March 27th (on the Fite App)
Las Vegas, Nevada
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_9fUKteazus
Christopher Daniels World Title Celebration
45-year-old Christopher Daniels won his first world championship for a major promotion at the company’s 15 year anniversary show recently. This show was the first for the set of tapings which occurred after the IPPV.
Kazarian and Daniels came out and celebrated with “apple-tinis” to start the show. Daniels declared himself the “world champion…of the world”.
Dalton Castle, who will challenge Daniels this weekend at Supercard of Honor, came out to join in the celebration. He was very impressed with the Apple-tini he was given. The boys even gave him his own glass.
Adam Cole and the Young Bucks came out. Cole said he was screwed out of the championship and promises payback to the Addiction. A 6-man tag pitting Adam Cole & the Young Bucks vs. the Addiction & Dalton Castle is scheduled for later in the show.
* In the back Kenny King challenges Marty Scurll for the ROH TV title. Scurll accepted, so we should get that match sometime soon.
1. ROH Tag Team Championship Match the Hardys (c) vs. the Briscoes The Hardys retained after several near falls. Jay Briscoe kicked out a twist of fate and Matt Hardy kicked out of a froggy-bow. The finish of the match came when Jeff Hardy came in on a blind tag and used his leg-scissor pinning combination on Mark Briscoe for the win.
After the match the Young Bucks came out and challenged the Hardys to make their match at Supercard of Honor a ladder match. Interesting. Winners: the Hardys (2nd title defence)(Jeff Hardy pinned Mark Briscoe)
2. Adam Cole & the Young Bucks (Bullet Club) vs. Christopher Daniels, Frankie Kazarian and Dalton Castle Finish of the match started when the Bucks accidentally superkick’ed Adam Cole. After that Castle clotheslined them both out of the ring, and Daniels hit them with a moonsault. In the ring Dalton Castle gave Adam Cole the Bang-a-rang and pinned him for the win. The idea was the two guys in Saturday’s main event came out looking the strongest here. Winners: the Addiction and Dalton Castle (Castle pinned Cole)
ROH’s Supercard of Honor will be available on IPPV on Saturday at 6pm.
The situation between WWE, ROH, Impact Wrestling and the Hardys continues to get weirder. The current belief is the Hardys’ contracts with ROH do not extend passed Supercard of Honor. It is believed they will be headed to WWE after that.
WWE and Matt Hardy exchanged a few ominous tweets recently. Tweets which made reference to the #BROKEN universe which Impact is attempting to claim as their creation.
When the Hardy brothers signed with Ring of Honor wrestling, Anthem Sports and Entertainment (Impact owners) sent out cease and desist letters to the promotion and the cable companies carrying ROH PPVs. Anthem is claiming that the #BROKEN storyline was an Impact Wrestling creation, and thus belongs to them.
The Hardy family, most notably Reby, dispute that Impact played a role in developing the characters. In response Impact has placed “TM” trademark signs next to all of the YouTube videos featuring Matt Hardy and his family.
There is also vagueness in the law here, as Matt Hardy has been using the character on the indie scene in addition to on Impact. As such his claims to ownership of his character might fit under the “Gangrel” precedent. David Heath, former leader of the Brood, was involved in a legal battle over the name “Gangrel” with WWE and the makers of a vampire-based roleplaying game which claimed the character was based on one which appeared in their game. A judge in that case eventually ruled that since Gangrel had been using the name while performing for years, he was the true owner of the name.
Regardless, we should find out in a few weeks if WWE (assuming the Hardys go there) decides to run with the #BROKEN angle, or go back to the old Hardy team previously used in the WWE.
– WWE has published a video of Katya Kavaleva, a 6’5″ recruit that tried out for the WWE last month. Kavaleva is a former kickboxing champion and discusses her extensive training in the video.
– Goldust took to Twitter to call out people that are selling merchandise of his late father, Dusty Rhodes. Goldust threatened to take legal action if people continue to sell merchandise that is not licensed by the WWE.
WWE has extended new contract offers to Matt and Jeff Hardy, according to an exclusive report by Pro Wrestling Sheet. Matt and Jeff are currently working for Ring of Honor under short-term deals and are the reigning ROH tag team champions. The Hardy family is in the midst of a legal dispute with Impact Wrestling parent company Anthem over the rights to the “Broken Universe,” but that situation clearly hasn’t affected WWE’s interest in bring them back.
During our exclusive interview with Jeff Hardy last week, he spoke about his desire to bring the Broken Universe to WWE, become World Champion again and eventually be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame.
“I would love to introduce the Broken Universe to WWE eventually. I think it would be huge. As far as character driven or just a fresh vibe in in the pro wrestling world, yeah I think eventually I’m sure I’m going to jump back into the solo dimension and I’d love to be the world champion again. In my career in WWE, if it works out, the whole Hall of Fame and all that stuff. It started there and I’d like to end there.
For now, I’m just having a blast doing the indies and I love the Broken Universe stuff with Matt, I think it’s the best thing he’s ever done. It’s just hard to keep a straight face around him at times, but he can be serious and make sense in a weird way, it’s just so fun. I hope it lasts as long as it can.”
Matt and Jeff will be in Orlando during WrestleMania weekend for their ROH tag title defense against The Young Bucks. The gold will be up for grabs in a Ladder Match at ROH’s Supercard of Honor.
Matt Hardy has commented on the ongoing battle with Impact Wrestling parent company Anthem regarding ownership of his “Broken” character and the associated likenesses. Matt did not take as strong of a stance as his wife Reby, but he did call out Impact Wrestling president Ed Nordholm for being “condescending & disingenuous.”
As we’ve covered, Anthem has been fighting the Hardy family over the rights to the Broken Universe, sending cease & desist letters to Ring of Honor and the cable companies that carried their 15th Anniversary PPV featuring the Hardys.
Ed Nordholm’s tweets, while appearing genuine, seem to be an effort to set the precedent that Impact believes the Broken family is their creation. This is why Jeremy Borash, Dave Lagana and Billy Corgan are all thanked as being part of the creative process, even if some of them are no longer with the company.
Last week, Reby Hardy stated her case as to why Anthem has no case for ownership of the Broken Universe and blasted them for an “absolutely laughable” settlement offer. With Anthem looking to revitalize a badly damaged Impact Wrestling grand, their recent actions towards the Hardy family, Ring of Honor and cable companies are not a “good look” and will not endear them in the eyes of wrestling fans.
For those who missed it, Reby went off on Impact Wrestling executives for allegedly threatening the Hardy family with legal action if Matt and company used the ‘broken’ gimmick in other promotions. PWInsider confirms what we suspected – Impact Wrestling sent out cease and desist letters threatening legal action if Matt and Jeff Hardy used their “broken” characters in Ring of Honor and elsewhere.
Impact parent company Anthem Sports and Entertainment is claiming ownership of the ‘Broken Universe’ since it was developed while they Hardys were working for them.
We thank @matthardybrand for a superb performance in Broken Universe. May the seven deities guide with their Broken Brilliance left behind
Anthem threatening legal action against not only the Hardy family but also the promotions that hire Matt and Jeff and the PPV providers that carry shows they’re featured on. Dave Meltzer revealed on Wrestling Observer Radio that Dish Network actually refused to air last night’s Ring of Honor 15th Anniversary PPV after receiving a legal threat from Anthem. DirecTV and other outlets still carried the show, but this is a very aggressive pre-emptive strike by Anthem that could lead to more bad will against the company just as they’re hoping to rebrand Impact Wrestling.
Matt Hardy, fresh off signing a ROH contract, gave an interview with ROHwrestling.com, and revealed what it is about Ring of Honor that keeps bringing him back. This will be Hardy’s third stint in with the promotion. His first was in 2005, after having been released from WWE. Hardy then returned again to the company from 2012-2014.
Now, in 2017, Hardy is at the peak of his popularity and back for another ROH run. When asked what it is that he enjoys about the company, Matt had this to say:
“Ah, yes, my mortal vessel has had a couple of runs in the Honorable Ring (ROH) before I made my return in New York City. Something I’ve always enjoyed about ROH is that they’ve really stripped wrestling down to its true essence. In its essence it’s great athleticism and storytelling and that is what they do better than anyone else. They’re mantra of being the best wrestling on the planet is very true to form. ROH truly does pro wrestling in a modern form better than anyone else right now. I am a wrestling fan still at my core because I inhibit this vessel, so that makes me love ROH.”
It is not currently known how long of a contract Matt and Jeff Hardy have with ROH. Some speculation is the deal is only a short-term one to keep the Hardys on TV leading up to an eventual return to WWE programming. Others feel the Hardys know they won’t get the same creative freedom they are enjoying now from WWE, and will simply continue their act on ROH programming and indie events for as long as they are able to make good money doing so.
TMZ has published a new video of Matt Hardy, who rarely (if ever) appears out of character these days. Broken Matt addressed his signing with the “Honourable Ring” (ROH) and how he feels about his former employer, Vince McMahon.
Broken Matt Hardy and Brother Nero to WWE
Hardy claims that he asked ROH for double what the Young Bucks were making (probably not true) and has been in contact with every promoter from every major promotion in the world. The length of Matt and Jeff’s ROH contracts is unknown at this time and it’sstill possible to see them in WWE in the not too distant future.
Hardy says that he has Vanguard-1 monitoring WWE at all times, but also mentions he’s willing to DELETE Vince McMahon should he ever need to.
– Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson defeated Enzo and Cass at Fastlane on Sunday to retain the RAW Tag Team Titles, and “Broken” Matt Hardy took notice. Matt and Jeff Hardy won the ROH Tag Titles from The Young Bucks on Friday night, and Matt tweeted on Sunday night that he saw Gallows and Anderson retain their tag titles.
– Tom Phillips usually hosts the “social media lounge” segments on the WWE Network’s pay-per-view kickoff shows, but he wasn’t there on Sunday night for Fastlane. Charly Caruso filled in for him, and during the WWE Fastlane Kickoff show Booker T asked Charly where “dirty bird” Phillips was, in reference to Phillips’ explicit texting scandal. Charly said that Phillips had “passed the reigns” to her, and they quickly moved on. You can watch the exchange at the 5:34 mark in the below video.
Rumors have been floating around for weeks that Matt & Jeff Hardy will be joining WWE after their contracts ran out with TNA wrestling. While a return to the WWE is still possible in the future, Matt and Jeff showed up at ROH’s Manhattan Mayhem event tonight and captured the ROH Tag Team Championships. The Hardys had an impromptu match with The Young Bucks and defeated them to win the titles. The Hardys will face The Young Bucks once again for the ROH Tag Team Championships on April 1st.
The Hardys just beat The Young Bucks in an impromptu match to win the ROH tag team titles
Matt and Jeff Hardy are now free agents. Broken Matt is ready for the next chapter of his career and tweeted the following two minutes after his TNA contract officially expired:
It is March 1st, 2017, 12:01 AM..
The #7Deities have BLESSED my ENCEPHALON and implanted it with even more ABILITIES.
It’s expected that Broken Matt and Brother Nero will be headed to WWE. If NXT star Tommaso Ciampa has any say in the matter, the Hardy brothers will first test themselves against him and Johnny Gargano.
Meanwhile, Matt Hardy has a message to WWE Champion Bray Wyatt and makes it clear that he’s following WWE storylines closely. Back in December, Matt laid out an open challenge to “all tag teams from time and space” to participate in Tag Team Apocalypto at Total Nonstop Deletion. He specifically referenced The New Day, Wyatt Family and the Young Bucks. WWE Hall of Fame inductees the Rock ‘N Roll Express showed up, but there was no sign of the Family of Wyatts. At the time, Bray told Matt, “You know where to find us….”
“It’s too late to salvage this, it’s the 11th hour. The deals expire at midnight tonight”
Reby Hardy appeared on the SiriusXM Busted Open radio show on Tuesday to discuss her family’s departure from TNA Wrestling. You can listen to the entire interview below, but here are the main points:
– The decision for the Hardy family to leave was made over the past several days. They didn’t receive their new contracts until five days prior to the current deal expiring. As things were really coming down to the wire, “it was almost like we were being bullied into signing the contracts.”
– Up until recently, TNA was the perfect situation that allowed them all to travel together and work a limited schedule.
– “I don’t feel there is ever a situation for guys like Matt and Jeff where they should be chasing after their employer for their new contract, led us to believe that they didn’t think we were important”
– They loved the TNA locker room. Everybody busted their asses and weathered the storm of TNA’s ownership uncertainty in 2016.
– “Say what you will about Dixie Carter, but at least she knew how to talk to people”
– Matt is in love with his BROKEN universe. “He’s not giving that up any time soon, I can confirm that. It’s his baby.”
– They wanted to do the right thing for the fans and the business by dropping the TNA tag titles on television, but Anthem denied that request.
Busted Open can be heard weekdays from 2p-4p Eastern Time only on SiriusXM Rush Channel 93 and any time on the SiriusXM App.
Former TNA Champion Matt Hardy has ‘wished TNA well in its future endeavors.’
Matt and Jeff’s TNA contracts were set to expire this month when news broke over the past several days that the brothers from Cameron, North Carolina were probably departing the company.
On Monday, Matt Hardy’s wife Reby said TNA was once a great environment for them, but the relationship dissolved due to “negative changes & straight f*ckery.”
Matt and brother Jeff are most likely on their way to WWE and have been clearing their schedule after they finish up their independent dates through April. It remains to be seen if the Broken Universe will meet the WWE Universe, since there is now a dispute over who owns the likeness to the Broken Matt character.
Matt Hardy made his TNA back in 2011, took a hiatus from the company and has been with them since 2014. He’s a 2-time TNA World Champion and is currently in the midst of his second TNA tag title reign with Jeff.
My stint with @IMPACTWRESTLING was DELIGHTFUL. EXCEPTIONAL talent & locker room. A great, respectful team that worked hard in tough times.