Fantasy Booking a Hardy Boyz Return

On Monday night, Matt Hardy posted a farewell to Impact Wrestling on his official Twitter account. While it was well known that Matt and Jeff’s TNA contracts were set to end this week, there had been speculation that the brothers from Cameron, North Carolina might re-up with TNA due to having more creative control of their characters. It’s no secret that the #BROKEN Hardyz gimmick has given the duo a new lease on their wrestling lives with the new gimmick generating serious buzz within the wrestling industry throughout 2016 so one would figure it would be the obvious move for TNA to retain their hottest commodity.

Unfortunately the company disrespected the Hardy’s during negotiations and now will have to fill the void left in their shallow tag team division. With the Hardy’s being the current TNA tag team champions, TNA will have to act quickly in replacing their titleholders. They will not be able to replace the interest the Broken Hardy’s bring to TNA however.

What’s TNA’s loss is someone else’s gain. The legendary tag team has been touring the country wrestling for various different independent promotions but recent rumors suggest that the team could be returning home. Dave Meltzer recently stated that a return to WWE “is certainly in the ballgame, if not likely. The likelihood of that increases given the rumors that TNA is looking to block the Hardy’s from using the #BROKEN gimmick wherever they sign. If the Hardyz can’t be “broken” they may just have to return to their roots. In the WWE, the Hardyz would immediately be recognized for the legends they are and would instantly be the most over team on the roster.

When you look at the tag team landscape in the WWE, there are about five full-time viable tag teams across the two brands. On Raw, the Club are the current title holders but their poor record since debuting last year has severely and adversely impacted the former NJPW tag champions. Elsewhere, there is the New Day, who have seemingly become a sideshow comedy act since losing the tag team titles and Enzo and Cass, who the crowd seems to be turning on after the team became one of the most popular acts on the roster following the brand split. Sheamus and Cesaro seem destined to split up sooner than later and the bottom tier of the division (Shining Stars, Golden Truth) rarely make the 3-hour broadcast. On Smackdown, there are the champions American Alpha and their main foil, the Usos. The Usos have recently been reinvigorated following a gimmick change (not too unlike the Hardyz themselves) but still don’t appear to be ready to knock off the champions. American Alpha is the dominant team in the division and has had little trouble beating the rest of the roster, even defeating the Wyatts, who are slated to main event WrestleMania for the WWE Championship, to claim the gold. Other than American Alpha and the Usos, the Smackdown tag team division is depressingly thin, with Slater and Rhyno running its course as a duo and the bottom of their division (Breezango, the Ascension, the Vaudevillians) has been made to look like nothing more than glorified jobbers.

The Hardy’s would immediately add intrigue and improve whatever tag team division they end up in. There are few bigger names on the roster and certainly not a more popular active tag team in the world. But what brand would best suit the #Broken (or not?) brothers?

The argument for Raw is a simple one: the red brand always get the big names. Triple H, Goldberg, Brock Lesnar and Undertaker all make their appearances on Raw (save for an Undertaker appearance before Survivor Series on Smackdown) and the wider audience would add even more buzz to what could be a groundbreaking Hardy’s return. In addition, the Hardys’ quest to beat the best tag teams in the world would coincide well with the Club’s claim to be the world’s best tag team. A Hardy’s-Bullet Club collision would be a dream match for many fans but the Club do not currently have the momentum, despite being champs, to headline a major program with the Hardy’s. While a Hardy’s/New Day or Hardy’s/Enzo and Cass program would provide humorous moments, it is likely the Hardy’s will be looking for a more serious program to reintroduce the team to the WWE Universe.

That is why Smackdown would be the better option for a return. Assuming a deal gets done quickly, the Hardy’s will be rejoining the fray on the Road to WrestleMania and thus would have to immediately begin a program. With the Usos and American Alpha set to do battle for the titles soon, there are no viable options left to challenge American Alpha at WrestleMania. Given the fact that the team cleanly pinned Royal Rumble winner Randy Orton to win the titles, the team should have a spot at WrestleMania. The Hardys have beaten some of the best teams in the world but they have never faced off against the current elite in the WWE’s tag ranks. A program with American Alpha at WrestleMania writes itself.

After AA defeats the Usos in their imminent collision, the duo can proclaim that there is not a tag team in the world that can beat them right now. Enter the Hardy’s. Given Smackdown being the “land of opportunity” it isn’t impossible to imagine American Alpha and the Usos main evening the show. What better ending to a Smackdown Live broadcast could there be than the return of the Hardy’s? In the weeks leading up to WrestleMania the Hardy’s can defeat all of the low-level teams Alpha has been feasting on and even defeat the Usos in what some might consider a dream match as well. Then at WrestleMania, the WWE can either establish American Alpha as the undisputed kings of the tag team division or begin a long-term program with a Hardy’s win.

Either way it’s a win-win for the WWE. If the Hardy’s come back, there is no more logical showdown than for the Smackdown tag team titles against American Alpha at the grandest stage of them all.

Follow me on Twitter @ARJHughes.