It’s been just over a month now since Matt & Jeff Hardy made their shocking return to WWE at Wrestlemania 33 as part of the RAW Tag Team Title match. As one of the thousands in attendance, I was jubilant to hear the familiar Hardy Boyz theme blast out the arena only to be drowned out by a thunderous ovation, cheers and chants of ‘DELTE!’ as the brothers from North Carolina would climb the ladder and become RAW tag team champions on their first night back.
What a moment.
As soon as the spectacle and theatrics of Wrestlemania was over (7 long hours later), fans were left wondering which Hardy Boyz we would see, the Team Xtreme or Broken Hardy Boyz?
Unfortunately, both Matt and Jeff are locked in a legal battle with Impact Wrestling, with both sides assuming credit for the ‘Broken’ character, and with no conclusion nearing, the safest thing WWE did was to avoid any ‘Broken’ copyright infringement altogether. That’s not to say that WWE believe Impact are right, they just don’t want to take any chances early on and taint the big comeback with another legal battle (I’m sure the CM Punk one has drained them enough).
Matt obviously still has the blonde streak in his hair and to look at is very much still ‘broken’, but when he talks he is back to being Matt Hardy. This is the smart thing to do, because fans are still going to chant ‘Delete’ and Matt will still shout “wonderful” during his matches and pretty much stretch it to what he legally can without anyone finding reason to file a complaint.
I’ll admit it, I’m such a Hardy Boyz mark, I loved them when they first started in WWE and I love them such as much now. They’re guys who, although I don’t get to watch them when they’re not in WWE, I still follow what they’re doing and try to keep up to date with their matches elsewhere and storylines. It did surprise me when I was what Matt was doing, but I know Matt is daring, and for him to come back from all of his put downs and learn from his mistakes to come out is so great to see.
The same could be said for Jeff, who has a known history of substance abuse and well, a lot of people doubted if he would even be able to come back to wrestling after the Victory Road incident against Sting.
Both have proved that not only can they get back up from each knock down, but they can get back up even stronger and ready to not only prove to their doubters, but prove to themselves that they still have what it takes. That’s what I admire about them both.
Fans are desperate to see Broken Matt and Brother Nero in WWE, but I think those fans should be very cautious in what they’re expecting them to be, and the reality.
See, on Impact Wrestling, Matt created the ‘Broken’ character himself, he took a (huge) risk with such a character and yet it paid off for him in a big way. He generated lots of interest and attention from wrestling fans of numerous promotions, as well as casting new eyes on TNA/Impact Wrestling. In many ways it became one of the best created gimmicks over the last decade.
Here’s the big factor though..Matt himself had creative control over the character, Matt wrote the scripts, Matt proposed the angles and it was also Hardy himself who planted the seeds for it to grow.
What about in WWE? What would the future hold for Broken Matt and Brother Nero under the creative hands of WWE? I very much doubt they would give Matt anywhere near as much writing freedom as he’s previously been allowed to develop his character. Where before Matt could think up his own crazy ideas and see them come to life on Impact, you can’t help but think in WWE it would very much be a case of Matt pitching ideas which would either be shot down entirely or highly watered down and altered.
It’s no secret that WWE like to make their own stars, they don’t like to adopt another promotions character as it wouldn’t be seen as their creative idea. The Hardy Boyz as they were, are WWE’s characters, where as The Broken Hardyz, whether Impact Wrestling or Matt Hardy, certainly isn’t a brainchild of them.
The crazy antics, backstage skits and almost reality like scenes at the Hardy House would presumably be limited, which was the genius of Matt’s character, he was allowed to put forward these wacky ideas and expand with them.
One of the main reasons fans love the ‘Broken’ gimmick, is because it’s new, it’s daring it’s a bit more out there than most of the pro wrestling characters you see. Matt is an incredibly talented guy when it comes to wrestling, with numerous of his co-workers past and present saying he lives wrestling and is always thinking of ways to improve and better himself.
Sure, it’s great to see The Hardy Boyz back in WWE regardless, and eventually at some point the nostalgic reaction will wear off, but their popularity won’t fade because they are such a well loved and respect tag team.
People have already speculated a singles run in the near future, but I don’t see the need to rush into anything, they have plenty of time. Perhaps they could somewhere down the line split the duo, have them on separate brands and if the Impact lawsuit isn’t resolved see Matt revert back to his Version 1.0 gimmick (or should that be, Version 2.0?).
Broken Matt Hardy would fit right in on Smackdown Live I think and have the ability to elevate Matt to the main event level as a singles competitor, something he never reached the first time around in WWE.
Further down the line you could re-unite The Hardyz as Broken Matt and Brother Nero and the reuniting would be well worth the wait.
There’s certainly no rush, but the Broken characters will not be allowed the heights of freedom it was allowed in Impact, but then again this is Matt Hardy, who will have an idea or creation in his head for any set limitations imposed upon him by WWE.
So Matt & Jeff will remain The Hardy Boyz for a while longer, but does everything need to be a rush? As long as they refrain from doing anything to damage the chances of Matt being able to rightfully own the ‘Broken’ gimmick, there’s plenty of interest in the ‘Hardy Brand’, and the longer the buildup and anticipation will only increase the satisfaction for the big pay off.
There is plenty of material, potential matches and angles for WWE to use for the meantime and whatever route they choose to go down with Matt and Jeff, it’s ‘wonderful’ to have them back.
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