Matt Hardy Weighs In On Criticism Of Jon Moxley vs. Cope At AEW Revolution

On the latest episode of Extreme Life Of Matt Hardy, the TNA star talked about Jon Moxley vs. Cope at Revolution for the AEW World Title, the criticism of the finish and more. You can check out some highlights below:

On the ending of Jon Moxley vs. Cope at Revolution: “I started reading some of the feedback to the whole Cope vs. Mox match, and it was pretty brutal. You know, the sickos were not happy with that match being on last. And at this point, obviously I know Adam super well. I know Mox a bit, but not close. I don’t have that long-enduring relationship of decades like I do with Adam. And I was really interested in watching this and seeing what it looked like.

“And I got to go back and watch the match. And I thought it was a good match. It was a solid match. It was two guys out there working. They were trying to throw stiff blows, especially for Adam, something he doesn’t do necessarily as much. He was really fighting. And they were going blow for blow, lots of strikes. And they tried to make it like real personal, real physical. And I thought overall, it was a good match.”

On the other matches on the card: “ I think they were put in a very weird position because of the stuff that came right before them. And I did watch the girls match, the Hollywood Ending. I did watch it and it was strong, really good. I thought it was an amazing blowoff for the two of those ladies. And they both busted their asses. Really, really great piece of business.

“And I also know Kenny Omega was in there with a match with Takeshita, and I know that was superb. And then Will Ospreay worked against Kyle Fletcher, and that was in a cage. And I saw the clip that was viral, obviously online at the Spanish Fly off the cage. So I have no doubt those guys went nuts. And I haven’t seen those things, but I was just going to say being placed after all those things, and having more of a traditional style match with more of a fight feel and trying to get false finishes. Is this guy going to win the title? Is he not going to win the title, whatever else? And you have to do whatever else? And you have the Christian introduction. And there was also a run in by some of his crew as well, by the Death Riders. And Jay white, there were some run-ins.”

On the reaction to it: “So stuff like that didn’t bother me too much, but the reaction to that match is probably what bothered me more than anything, especially online. And I know — AEW, I feel like through Tony, they kind of put a lot of stock in that feedback. Because I do think it was a good match. I thought they were put in a weird position, kind of a position to fail, following all those, you know, spectacular matches in some ways. Because they weren’t going to do that exact style. They weren’t going to, they weren’t going to do that craziness, that insanity, that extremeness that sometimes those AEW matches have. So they probably should have been positioned differently on the card, that would be my thing.”

On expectations: ” But I think it’s one of the things that bothers me with the feedback to their match. I think sometimes Tony is fostering some of his fans, some of the AEW sickos, to almost have unrealistic expectations. And that might sound like a stiff shot or whatever. But I’m just saying they have these matches that are just so crazy and so intense and so good and so extreme, and there’s nothing wrong with that. Once again, the girls, that was an amazing blow. It was bloody, I know that blood isn’t for everyone but if they were going to do that, that was the time to do it. So I thought there were these extreme matches, the Will Ospreay — I haven’t seen it, but I’m sure it was just bats**t crazy. I feel like putting those guys behind that was a real tough spot for Adam and Jon. And when it’s all sad and done. It’s just sad that they didn’t look at this scenario of the match. ‘Well, these are these guys. This is what they’re doing.’ And they did, they busted their ass. They both, both worked really hard. I think there’s just such a high level of expectation to the AEW sickos. And if it doesn’t meet that, then they just aren’t happy with the match.

“With all that being said, the Christian running came into the end. Christian got a hell of a reaction. And I feel like if he would have pulled that thing out and he would have cashed the contract, then he would have won the title. I feel like they would have let the match pass. Because they got a moment, and then you remember it and it’s something that really stands out. And I think if they would have done that, it would have been okay when it was all said and done. But when Jay came in and just kind of threw that away, that’s something we’ve been teasing for a while, and that happened. And I do not know where any of this story is going. This is just me as a spectator giving my opinion as a professional wrestler for 33 years. I wish they had done that match differently, or either, at least, at a minimum, put it at a different spot on the card.”

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit Extreme Life Of Matt Hardy with an h/t to 411mania.com for the transcription.