wrestling / Columns

Where Will The Broken Hardys Land?

February 18, 2017 | Posted by Larry Csonka
Hardys Broken Universe Broken, Matt Hardy

Welcome one and all, it’s column time with Larry. Glad to see you all back, well not you, but certainly you. One of the biggest non-WWE stories so far this year has been the transfer of ownership of TNA. When a company, in any area of business undergoes an ownership change, you can expect many changes in the structuring, management and overall employees of that company. For example, Dixie is out, Big John is basically out and Jarrett, Dirty Dutch and Coach D’Amore have all returned from exile, and by all reports have been given the keys to the kingdom. And with all of the change happening, three of TNA’s top stars have contracts expiring this month, Drew Galloway and The Hardys. Today I want to discuss the Hardys and where they could sign…

WWE/NXT: Now choice #1 that seems to always come up is the return to the WWE. WWE has been making up with tons of past performers and bringing them back in various roles. For WWE it makes sense to bring back another big act from the attitude era, which always seems to get over well with their audience and could lead to some “dream matches” we thought never possible; if they used them in NXT to help groom some young teams, it’s a win in terms of helping the future. The Hardys would also likely boost some NXT touring numbers as well. But for the Hardys, what would they gain. They wouldn’t enjoy the creative freedom that TNA and the indies give them, they would likely be working way more dates, which is not a good thing, especially for a banged up Jeff who’s working on one good knee. Matt is also banged up, loves making his own schedule and spending time with his family, as does Jeff. But what they would gain is the WWE machine promoting their brand to a much larger degree, a possible WrestleMania farewell, DVDs, merchandising money and a likely hall of fame induction in the next few years. Add into the fact that if they only return for a short run that their stock and demand would be up for a return to the indies. But if I am being honest, I personally don’t think it’s the best fit unless this is something they really want. I can’t see WWE doing the gimmick justice and allowing them to b as bat shit crazy as they have been, and for their gimmick to work, you have to be willing to go 100% bat shit crazy. Also, as mentioned, the brothers are banged up and while the gimmick can carry them, you aren’t getting “Team Xtreme” here in 2017.

Ring of Honor: The buzz for Ring of Honor seems to be at an all-time low, and talent is leaving the promotion at an alarming rate and not just for a chance at WWE. Talent is bailing due to frustrations with creative how the company is run and lack of opportunities. At one time they had a major advantage with the association with NJPW, but that isn’t going to be there for too long as NJPW will be expanding to the US. Many talents are leaving for WWE, leaving for WWNLive opportunities or just betting on themselves to get ahead (guys like Elgin, Ciampa and Alexander are the best examples). ROH needs something, something to attract attention, to draw in the more casual fan and to, like everyone else, bump live attendance numbers. But while ROH certainly need some bodies, ones that can draw and that can bring in a new audience, I simply do not see Broken Matt and Brother Nero working as full time acts in ROH, I also do not see Sinclair opening up their wallet to bring in top acts, considering how stingy they have been with others. I feel that both sides would be happier with the Hardys making cameo or special appearances, and feel that ROH would get the most out of that. Outside of working with some teams that they may like, I do not see a strong hook as to what the Hardys would get out of the deal, unless Sinclair actually put up big money, but considering the Hardys are far from a long term investment, I highly doubt that.

Stay in TNA: Of course, there is always the option to stay exactly where they are. TNA has invested a lot of time in the Hardys, and if they do start running live events again (as rumored), they will need guys like the Hardys, guys with names and guys that can hopefully continue to get them some positive attention (which compared to any other act in the company, they have). But the other thing, if you’re TNA, that you have to consider is “are the brothers worth the downside?” during a restructuring period like this? The company is looking to cut costs, and the TV numbers for the hardy themed TV shows have done well, but have also been on the downslide. If you’re TNA, do you go with more traditional acts like a Drew Galloway, especially with Double J & Dutch working creative; two guys that have reportedly not been fans of the gimmick. If TNA is not going to tour and not going to do more PPV, then I wouldn’t struggle with re-signing them and would let them go. For the Hardys They would stay in a familiar environment, one that they seem genuinely happy with, and one where they would very likely maintain almost all of their creative control, would work less dates than in WWE and there would be chances to work NOAH and CRASH as TNA makes more partnerships. Also their TNA deals would likely be similar to what they have, allowing them to work tons of different places. They have a lot of freedom in many ways with TNA: creatively, where they can work and ease of schedule. In many ways, TNA seems like the best fit.

FloSlam: FloSlam hit the ground running, filled with promises of signing tons of promotions and offering a lot of live wrestling. But all has not gone as planned, they signed WWNLive and are running all of their live events, but unfortunately, many of the other companies that they wanted to work with already had streaming services of some kind and weren’t interested in signing their libraries over to them, but instead offered a show here and there. There are lots of rumors going around that FloSlam, who has cash to throw around, is looking to sign wrestlers to FloSlam deals to only appear on their network of shows. The Hardys would be a good get for them to attract more than hardcore fans to their network. It would be a potential boost to subscribers, as well as the live attendance of the companies they would appear for. For the Hardys, they would be negotiating from a position of power and would likely keep a lot of their creative control, which I imagine Is very important to them. The other thing is that if they were under a “FloSlam deal” and appearing across the various promotions, it would essentially be like doing the indies, or working the territory loop; this would allow them to keep their act fresh, constantly working in front of different audiences and with a wide variety of opponents. The Hardys are creative people, and a blank canvas like this may really appeal to them.

Sign With No One: While a downside guarantee is certainly a good thing to have, I think that another thing to consider is that the Hardys don’t necessarily need to sign with anyone. The gimmick is over huge, the fact is that they still have a legion of fans that dress like they did in the 90s and still show up to shows and still shell out a ton of cash at the gimmick table makes indie dates more than worth their time. They keep all creative control on these dates, work as often as they want and work with who thy want to work with. They are also drawing sellouts and big crowds for just about everyone they appear for. Not appearing on TV would hurt a ton of acts, but the Hardys are seemingly bullet proof in that aspect. Depending on what they want out of a deal and if no one steps up to their terms, I could see them walk and become true independent contractors, simply betting on themselves and keeping full control over their careers. It wouldn’t surprise me at all if this ended up happening.

At the end of the day… it really doesn’t matter what I think, I’m just sharing some possibilities. I want them to do what makes them happy and will provide for them the best. Wherever they end up I will likely be seeing them, and that’s cool with me. If I am pushed to pick one, I have a feeling that they end up staying with TNA. Both sides have invested a lot in each other and it makes a lot of sense. Where do you see the Broken Hardys ending up?

– End scene.

– Thanks for reading.

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“Byyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyye Felicia!”