Matt Hardy On Why ‘Broken Matt’ Didn’t Translate Well To AEW

In an interview with Asbury Park Press, Matt Hardy spoke about why he feels that the Broken Matt character didn’t work in AEW and said it needed an audience. Here are highlights:

On why Broken Matt didn’t work in AEW: “Broken Matt Hardy is a very audience-friendly character. It needs a crowd, it needs an audience, and it just was not in the cards to be Broken Matt Hardy … because his debut was in the first-ever empty arena era, pandemic-era show, the first empty arena show that AEW had. Broken Matt Hardy is … very theatrical, and it doesn’t translate as well to the current AEW audience that sits at home and watches (on television) because I’ve realized that this is a much younger audience. It’s a much more sports-centric-type audience.”

On trying out different gimmicks: “I tip my hat to (AEW president and CEO) Tony Khan. He allowed me to try kind of switching characters and see how people reacted to it. I think if we had been in arenas full of people it would have been different, but considering we’re now playing to the television audience, it was better for me to zone in and focus on one thing. And I think being Big Money Matt and being a heel, considering how I’m an older guy here and it’s such a younger demo(graphic), I think that’s the way for me to go. So I’m very happy with the groove that I’m currently in.”

On adjusting as he gets older: “I feel like as a babyface, I wanted to try and work with (the young talent) on the same level but I think physically, because I’m older, it’s kind of tough for me to do that. I think I’m in a much better role where I can be the heel, the guy who isn’t afraid to get booed or the guy who doesn’t have to keep up with them and can work a different style that suits me better. Considering my age and the amount of physicality my body has been through over the years, I just feel like being in this role I’m at as the bad guy just works better.”