TNA tag team champions Matt and Jeff Hardy will not be re-signing with the company and are not expected to be present for this week’s Impact Wrestling tapings from Orlando, FL.
Ryan Satin of Pro Wrestling Sheet dropped some exclusive details regarding their TNA departure, noting that Matt and Jeff ended negotiations with TNA after feeling disrespected. Matt reached an agreement with TNA back in December to re-sign for another year. Weeks passed and Matt was given the runaround when seeking to finalize their agreement. Satin writes:
Eventually Matt and Jeff’s lawyer told Impact Wrestling officials that they wanted a creative control clause in their new deals … which was shot down immediately. One source says their lawyer told Ed Nordholm there was interest from other companies and he responded by saying, “Well, tell them to go to WWE then.”
Sounds like a great idea.
Matt Hardy’s wife Reby commented on the reports that the Hardy Family is done with TNA. She cited “negative changes & straight f*ckery” as the reason for their departure.
John Pollock of the Fight Network (owned by Anthem Sports & Entertainment, parent company of TNA Wrestling), confirms that Matt and Jeff Hardy are done with TNA:
I can confirm the reports from Mike Johnson & Ryan Satin – The Hardys are not going to re-sign w/ TNA and not expected at tapings this week
During an interview with Sportskeeda, Matt Hardy discussed his goal of “total domination” of tag team wrestling. When asked how it was going, Hardy responded,
“WONDERFULLY. I will DELETE the Bucks of Youth on April 1st at ROH, and all of MeekMahan’s tag teams will follow.”
One more bit of related news – Matt Hardy’s online store ShopMattHardy.com is closing after nearly 5 years of being in business.
We regret to post that after nearly 5yrs & 1000s of happy customers, https://t.co/8OFhB9oGRo is closing up shop. Stay tuned for BLOWOUT SALE
Reby speaks about TNA in the past tense (“was”) and implies that negative changes and “straight f*ckery” led the House of Hardy to pursue greener pastures.
There’s a lot of speculation this week that Matt and Jeff Hardy are done with TNA and headed to WWE. Reby Sky’s comment above corroborates Dave Meltzer saying that TNA’s new ownership and management threw a wrench in Matt’s TNA negotiations.
The Broken Brilliance of Matt and Jeff Hardy might be too volatile for the confines of Impact Wrestling.
For months it’s been known that the TNA contracts of the Brothers Hardy expire in February. TNA is holding their next round of Impact Wrestling tapings later this week. According to sources in TNA, their absence all but confirm they’re done with the company.
Early Monday morning, Matt Hardy tweeted the following:
Matt and Jeff have told independent event promoters that they can’t commit to dates after April, another indication that they are WWE bound. Matt and Jeff had a lot of creative control over their characters in TNA, but the recent change in ownership & management have curtailed that power. The other big plus about working for TNA was the flexibility of their schedules.
If they do start negotiating with WWE, you can be sure that their schedules will be a big issue to hammer out. Matt’s wife Reby is currently pregnant with their second child, and Jeff also has two young kids. That said, WWE has become more flexible with select talent working part time and the Hardy Boyz might have the legacy and drawing power to warrant such agreements.
Discussion: If Matt & Jeff Hardy did return to WWE, would they keep the “Broken” characters that revitalized their careers?
Matt Hardy has announced plans to hold a “Broke Tailgate Party” in Orlando the day of WrestleMania 33.
Tickets to the event will cost $30 and include food, non-alcoholic drinks, and seating for American Combat Wrestling and Full Impact Pro Wrestling events as well. The event will be held outside the “Saddle Up All-American Bar”, a few blocks east (30min via transit) from Camping World Stadium, host of WrestleMania 33 on April 2nd 2017.
Tickets will be on sale shortly (no on-sale date announced yet) at TicketFly.com.
Alcoholic drinks can be purchased but are not included in the cost of a ticket.
All five members of the Hardy Family will be available for autographs, though you do not need a ticket to attend the autograph session.
A photo-op with either Matt or Jeff is $40 each.
Rebecca Hardy, Señor Benjamin, and King Maxel are $20 each.
You can get a photo-op with the whole family for only $99.
Each autograph session comes with an 8×10.
The event is being run by the World Wrestling Network, whose streaming service, WWNLive, launched last year. The #BrokenTailgate is part of a series of events run by WWN over WrestleMania weekend.
Longtime Impact Wrestling talent Abyss was recently interviewed on The Two Man Power Trip of Wrestling podcast, where he discussed the rise of the “Broken Hardys.” Abyss called the characters “incredible and awesome,” and credits the Hardy brothers with successfully reinventing themselves.
“I think it is groundbreaking in a lot of different ways,” Abyss said of the Broken Matt Hardy saga. “Matt and Jeff both have reinvented themselves and Matt really is the character and he is that. So it is such a great transition for them, so unique the whole angle with the Delete or Decay stuff, The Great War at Bound For Glory and everything that we have done with them has been incredible and I think it has been groundbreaking in a lot of ways and very different and very talked about. It has been fantastic and a great effort by a lot of different people.”
Abyss feels his Decay group has come a long way in the last year, and says he had almost-instant chemistry with the other members. Abyss changed his look for the group and says while his previous masked look was successful, he feels his new look with the face paint fits The Decay better.
“I do it with a blank slate each time and it is never the same which is kind of cool,” said of his face paint. “It’s something different and another layer to the character I’ve been able to add over the years.”
Abyss also touched base on working with Hulk Hogan, saying it was a highlight of his career and he had a great relationship with The Hulkster. You can listen to the full podcast with Abyss at podomatic.com.
As previously noted, Drew Galloway and the Hardy brothers’ Impact Wrestling contracts are expiring soon. According to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, none of them have signed new deals with Anthem Sports as of this week. WWE does have interest in Matt and Jeff Hardy, and with the company expanding in the UK they may have interest in Galloway again.
Dave Meltzer reports that The Hardys will likely stay with Impact Wrestling, where they can have a guaranteed contract that gives them creative control, and full control of their outside bookings. Matt Hardy’s outside bookings have increased substantially since his Broken character took off. The travel schedule is also much lesser with Impact Wrestling.
Galloway has reportedly gotten offers from outside of Impact Wrestling, but indicated on a recent edition of Jim Ross’ Ross Report podcast that he was planning to sign a new Impact deal soon.
John Cena posted a photo of Kenny Omega on his Instagram account. This is nothing new for Cena, as he has posted pictures of AJ Styles and CM Punk in the past. Following his loss to Okada at Wrestle Kingdom 11, Omega has stated that he is leaving Japan. This could be Cena just getting the fans riled up or Omega may be making his way to the WWE. Cena posted a picture of AJ Styles on his Instagram just four days before he made his WWE debut at last year’s Royal Rumble. This has led many to speculate that Omega might make an appearance at this year’s Royal Rumble.
In a Impact Digital Exclusive, The Wolves (Eddie Edwards and Davey Richards) challenged Matt and Jeff Hardy. The teams will meet on this week’s episode of Impact with the Tag Team Championships on the line. You can check out the video below.
– Jim Ross posted a new blog on his website and discussed the development of Braun Strowman. Ross thought the WWE had done a good job of separating Strowman from the pack but thinks he may still have some areas he could improve in. Here is an excerpt from J.R.’s blog post.
Hopefully Strowman’s evolution with continue to conceal his inexperience especially his ‘selling’ skill set. WWE has done a good job in separating the big man from the pack and now we will see how he adds to the company’s faith in him by getting better each day in some area of his profession.
J.R. also discussed Dolph Ziggler’s heel turn and Jeff Jarrett’s return to TNA Wrestling. You can check out the full post by clicking here.
Don’t expect to see Matt and Jeff Hardy back in WWE any time soon. According to the latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter, WWE officials are not interested in re-signing the brothers when their TNA contracts expire next month.
TNA is hoping to sign the Hardys to exclusive deals, but it would take a significant offer since they are able to command high fees on the independent scene. Talks between TNA, Matt and Jeff is still in the early stages, with Matt most likely looking for greater creative control over his character.
Matt and Jeff Hardy are scheduled to appear on Eli Drake’s “Fact of Life” segment on tonight’s Impact Wrestling episode.
TNA just announced that tonight’s Impact on POP episode will feature an extra 10 minutes. They are advising fans to adjust their DVR times. Tonight’s show will air live on a tape-delay from Orlando.
TNA has also announced that The Broken Hardys will appear on Eli Drake’s “Fact of Life” segment to make an announcement tonight.
Previously announced for tonight’s show is Eddie Edwards defending the World Heavyweight Championship against EC3, Lashley or a mbystery man.
– It appears Jeff Hardy will be dropping his “Brother Nero” gimmick when TNA returns to Orlando for Impact Wrestling tapings next week. A segment aired on this week’s Hardy New Year special that featured Matt Hardy “restoring” everything he had taken from Jeff because Jeff repaid his debt by helping Matt win the TNA Tag Team Championship. Matt also tweeted on Jeff’s character:
#BrotherNero struggled with losing his mortal identity.
– Speaking of the Hardy New Year special, the closing segment featured Matt Hardy and Reby Sky revealing the gender of their second baby, which they are expecting in the summer. As seen in the crazy video below, Reby and Matt are expecting a baby boy:
– There will be no new matches on this week’s TNA Impact on POP TV as TNA has announced a “Best of 2016” special for the normal Impact timeslot. Next Thursday’s show will feature the fallout from Total Nonstop Deletion.
– TNA will be releasing a “House Hardy” DVD some time in 2017, according to Matt Hardy and Jeremy Borash on Twitter. The set will presumably include Total Nonstop Deletion and the other Hardy specials from this year. PWInsider reports that extras and deleted scenes from those episodes will be included. Matt wrote:
– TNA has officially announced their first set of TV and PPV tapings for 2017 from Universal Studios in Orlando. Below are full details:
IMPACT WRESTLING RETURNS TO UNIVERSAL STUDIOS JANUARY 5-8 & 10-12 for LIVE TV and PAY-PER-VIEW EVENTS
WHAT:
Be part of the adrenaline-pumping action January 5-8 & 10-12 as the Stars and Knockouts of IMPACT WRESTLING return to Soundstage 20 on the backlot at Universal Studios, Florida for seven days of televised events, including the LIVE broadcast of IMPACT WRESTLING on Thursday, January 5, airing at 8/7c on Pop AND the LIVE broadcast of January One Night Only Pay-Per-View!
WHEN:
January 5 – 8
January 10-12
Thursday, January 5
Event starts at 7 p.m. ET
Doors open at 6:30 p.m. ET
Friday, January 6
Event starts at 7 p.m. ET
Doors open at 6:30 p.m. ET
Saturday, January 7
Matinee
Event starts at 1 p.m. ET
Doors open at 12:30 p.m. ET
Evening show
Event starts at 7 p.m. ET
Doors open at 6:30 p.m. ET
Sunday, January 8
Matinee
Event starts at 1 p.m. ET
Doors open at 12:30 p.m. ET
Evening show
Event starts at 7 p.m. ET
Doors open at 6:30 p.m. ET
Tuesday, January 1o
Event starts at 6 p.m. ET
Doors open at 5:30 p.m. ET
Wednesday, January 11
Event starts at 6 p.m. ET
Doors open at 5:30 p.m. ET
Thursday, January 12
Event starts at 6 p.m. ET
Doors open at 5:30 p.m. ET
*Times are subject to change. Updates on any changes can be found at impactwrestling.com and on all of IMPACT’s social media channels @IMPACTWRESTLING
WHERE:
Soundstage 20, located on the backlot at Universal Studios Florida in Orlando.
TICKETS:
Admission to the event is complimentary.
VIP EXPERIENCE:
A limited number of VIP Experiences are available for $129 at ShopTNA.com
The ultimate VIP Experience includes:
-Priority seating to the LIVE IMPACT WRESTLING broadcast and all other TNA events inside Soundstage 20 at Universal Studios, Florida.
-A special VIP credential
-A commemorative event poster
-A nightly meet-and-greet photo and autograph session with a select IMPACT WRESTLING Star or Knockout
Questions about our VIP experience?
Contact: Amy Zack (azack@tnawrestling.com)
WHO:
IMPACT WRESTLING features a diverse roster of professional athletes and entertainers including Jeff and Matt Hardy, Ethan Carter III (EC3), Bobby Lashley, Drew Galloway, James Storm, The Miracle Mike Bennett, Moose, the best female wrestlers in the world – the TNA Knocknouts – featuring Gail Kim, Maria Kanellis Bennett, and Brandi Rhodes! You’ll also see the likes of TNA’s no limits high-flying X-Division Stars like DJZ.
Broken Matt Hardy took to Twitter on Monday night to send “invites” out to The New Day, The Wyatt Family, The Rock ‘n Sock Connection, The Rock ‘n Roll Express, DX, Evolution and Edge & Christian, for the teams to compete in the Apocalpyto match on Total Nonstop Deletion this Thursday night.
The RNR Express are set to appear and there’s a strong chance we’ll see a cameo from the Bucks of Youth, but there’s no chance of the other WWE teams appearing. That said, Hardy has been doing a solid job in promoting this week’s special episode, taped from his compound in Cameron, North Carolina.
With #Apocalypto on the horizon, I want the top tier tag teams to know they're welcomed..
Broken Matt Hardy invited “The Family of Wyatts” to participate in the Tag Team Apocalypto fight this Thursday at the Total Nonstop Deletion. Whether Matt expected it or not, he got a response from Bray Wyatt.
Thursday’s Impact will be a two hour extravaganza that will all be taking place at the Hardy compound. There most certainly will be people shooting fireworks at each other and hopefully a dilapidated boat.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HSjnOCtjJLc
It wasn’t too long ago that Final Deletion was the most popular thing in wrestling. The WWE tried to capitalize on the buzz of Final Deletion by producing a similar match. It wasn’t nearly as popular and a lot of fans accused the WWE of trying to copy TNA.
Five months later, Matt Hardy is still bringing up the Wyatt Family on social media. Broken Matt Hardy recently joined The Ross Report and revealed that his contract with TNA is expiring at the end of February. Hardy went on to state that he wanted to play a more prominent role in TNA once negotiations begin in a couple of months. Both Matt and Jeff Hardy have seen their careers revitalized in TNA. It would make sense for them to resign there and continue to try to build up the TNA brand.
If that turns out to not be the case and the Hardy Boyz wind up back in the WWE, this would be an amazing feud. Obviously, there is no chance in hell that Randy Orton, Luke Harper and Bray Wyatt would ever show up on an episode of Impact. The much more likely scenario is that Matt and Jeff Hardy return to the WWE to finish their careers. I’ve always rooted for TNA to be a success and for them to provide a viable alternative to the WWE. Unfortunately, they have never really been able to gain traction and have essentially been running in place while surrounded by constant financial problems. TNA will certainly try their best to resign Matt and Jeff Hardy in February but it remains to be seen if they will accomplish that goal.
Discussion: Would you be interested in seeing Matt and Jeff Hardy get one last run in the WWE? Share your thoughts in the comment section below.
Ahead of Thursday’s big Total Nonstop Deletion special, Broken Matt Hardy promises “real change” is coming to Impact Wrestling – and a major battle in the “Great War” has already been won. Hardy also took a few digs at WWE over the weekend, referencing 3-hour shows being a chore to watch and the company not allowing teams like The New Day compete in the big tag team Apocalypto match.
TNA’s highly-anticipated Total Nonstop Deletion show featuring “tag teams from all over space and time” airs on Thursday, and Josh Matthews took to Twitter this week to make a very bold statement about the show.
The former WWE and current TNA announcer says that after seeing only 30 seconds of the Total Nonstop Deletion show, he already ranks it above WWE’s biggest annual pay-per-view.
“I’ve seen :30 of #TotalNonstopDELETION and… OH. MY. GOD,” Matthews wrote. “For perspective… It’s better than any wrestlemania I’ve been to or witnessed.”
The episode, airing on December 15th on Pop TV, will feature a “Tag Team Apocalypse” match that Jeremy Borash claims teams under contract to other companies will show up for. The episode is being promoted by Pop TV as the “biggest Impact event of all time,” and will also feature the “in-ring debut” of Matt Hardy’s infant son Maxel.
We’re less than one week away from the special Total Nonstop Deletion episode of TNA Impact on POP TV, which was filmed from Broken Matt Hardy’s home in North Carolina several weeks back. The official trailer can be viewed above.
The main event of the show will feature Broken Matt and Brother Nero defending the TNA Tag Team Championships in the Apocalypto match against several tag teams to be named. Matt is promising that this match will be everyone’s new favorite once it’s over. TND will also see the in-ring debut of Matt Hardy’s 1 year old son Maxel. Dixie Carter tweeted the following on his debut:
Other names confirmed to appear so far include The Helms Dynasty, The Decay and The DCC. Both Dixie and WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross praised the match on Twitter with JR saying he’s seen some of the footage and it truly is special. They wrote:
Matt Hardy made a surprise appearance at Friday night’s ROH Final Battle PPV and issued a challenge to The Young Bucks. With help from his aerial assault robot Vanguard 1, Hardy delivered a message to the ROH tag team champions and invited them to participate in the upcoming tag team Apocalypto match at TNA’s upcoming Total Nonstop Deletion special.
The description of Matt’s Youtube states that WWE RAW tag team champions The New Day are also invited.
Myself and Brother Nero have been mandated by the 7 Deities to prove we are The Greatest Team in all of Space and Time. That means we eventually must face The Bucks of Youth and The Day of New, the other tag team champions. Both these teams, as well as all notable teams, are invited to Total Nonstop DELETION on 12/15/16 to compete in Apocalypto.. A match that will determine the greatest tag team of all time.
While a match against the New Day won’t be happening any time soon, there are plans for a Young Bucks vs. Hardy Boyz match. The nature of ROH and TNA’s working relationship is unclear at this point, but we’ve heard the Bucks and Hardy’s showdown is expected to take place during WrestleMania weekend in Orlando at ROH’s Supercard Of Honor show.
Update: Broken Matt says he plans to call out the Young Bucks this Thursday on Impact.
– The following matches have been announced for tonight’s TNA Impact on POP:
TNA World Champion Eddie Edwards vs. Cody
TNA Tag Team Champions The Hardys vs. The Tribunal
Bobby Lashley vs. Moose
– The Wrestling Observer Newsletter reports that TNA may air a two-hour Hardy Family Christmas special on 12/22, taped at Matt Hardy’s North Carolina compound. As reported earlier, they will tape a special “Total Nonstop Deletion” episode of Impact that will air on 12/15, also from Hardy’s property.
– Speaking of Total Nonstop Deletion, Broken Matt’s son Baby Maxel is training for his big pro debut. The 1-year-old grappler tweeted the following video of his leg drop, which he’s really making progress with:
Matt Hardy recently shared his broken brilliance with Wrestling With Wregret at an All Pro Wrestling in San Francisco, California. Topics discussed include TNA President Billy Corgan suing Dixie Carter, who he enjoys watching and who he plans to delete next. Here are the highlights of what Broken Matt said about:
If He Had A Premonition About Billy Corgan Suing Dixie Carter:
“I do not care about a Billy Corgan or a Dixie Carter or even a Vince MeekMahan. I will eat them all. All I’m concerned about is by Broken Universe because my Broken Universe does not need the standard wrestling universe to survive.”
Who He Enjoys Watching:
“There are two people that I’m trying to rehabilitate. But they are currently not on my deletion list because they do have magic inside them. And that is the Bucks of Youth, Matt and Nick Jackson.”
Who He Plans To Delete Next:
“Right now, since we have deleted the demonic Decay, I would say that the next person in line for deletion will be the World champion of Impact, which is Eddie Edwards.”
Matt Hardy had a grand vision about an “Open Invitational Tag Team Apocalypto Match” and is willing to appear on WWE programming in order to get RAW tag team champions The New Day to participate.
Matt and Jeff Hardy recaptured the TNA tag titles from Decay at Bound For Glory. Last week’s Impact Wrestling tapings from Orlando will air over the next several months, through December 8th. The following week will be a special edition of Impact dubbed “Total Nonstop Deletion” that will air entirely from the Hardy compound in Cameron, North Carolina. The ‘main event’ of Total Nonstop Deletion will presumably feature the Tag Team Apocalypto match, with all tag teams from “time and space” invited to challenge the Hardy Boyz.
With “every team in history” invited to this open challenge, a fan asked Matt if WWE tag team champions The New Day were welcomed. Hardy officially invited them – and offered to show up on WWE programming in order to make it happen.
Matt Hardy is interested in purchasing TNA Wrestling. Hardy agrees with the virtually unanimous opinion that “TNA” is a bad name for a wrestling company and says it’s the first thing he would change. He tweeted on Tuesday:
I am interested in purchasing @IMPACTWRESTLING if the owners will sell to me.
As noted, TNA will tape a “Total Nonstop Deletion” special edition of Impact from Hardy’s North Carolina compound later this year. The episode is expected to air on December 15th.
With TNA’s future ownership still in question, the company announced on Sunday that they won’t be holding any more tapings at Universal Studios this year. TNA isn’t entirely done filming for the year though and one location has been announced.
“Broken” Matt Hardy announced at last night’s Impact Wrestling tapings that the December 15th episode will take place entirely from his compound in North Carolina. The episode, tentatively titled Total Nonstop Deletion, will feature The Hardys defending their TNA Tag Team Championships against The Decay, the debut of King Maxxell, and Rosemary defending her TNA Knockouts Championship.
Hardy says he’s looking to outdo his previous efforts The Final Deletion, Delete or Decay, and The Great War with “TND.” “Broken” Matt’s previous segments were largely produced by himself, his brother Jeff, Billy Corgan, and Jeremy Borash.
There has yet to be any other matches or names announced for the special.
Ahead of Sunday’s TNA Bound for Glory PPV, “Broken” Matt Hardy has posted a serious of cryptic tweets that reference the uncertainty regarding the company’s future. Matt and “Brother Nero” Jeff Hardy look to reclaim the TNA tag team titles against The Decay. Keep it locked to SEScoops.com this weekend for the latest on TNA’s future and our Bound For Glory Live Coverage Sunday night.
Eric Bischoff says he’s looking forward to bringing legal action against Matt Hardy for comments made during a recent shoot interview.
RF Video released a video trailer for their new shoot DVD with “Broken” Matt. In the clip, which has since been DELETED, Hardy did not have kinds things to say about Eric Bischoff and Hulk Hogan’s tenure in TNA. Hardy said the duo “raped and pillaged” Impact Wrestling, setting off a downward spiral which may put the company out of business this weekend.
In response to Hardy’s remarks about Bischoff’s time in TNA, he tweeted: