Ryback on WWE Jobbing Out Matt Hardy, Bully Ray’s Belief That Matt Is Being Punished For Jeff Hardy’s Behavior

On the latest edition of Conversations With the Big Guy, Ryback discussed Matt Hardy’s status with WWE (his contract expires in February 2020), and Bully Ray’s recent comments that Matt is being punished by WWE for Jeff Hardy’s behavior. Highlights are below.

On how WWE treats talent when their contract is about to expire: “I think the contract thing is a huge thing, and when Matt left, and this is how Vince operates, and it happened to me when I was there and I wouldn’t re-sign the contract, and they put the IC Title on me to get me to be a mark and sign their little cheap contract, and then when that didn’t happen, they started downgrading me very slowly, to try to get me to be a mark, and say, ‘No, no, no, I want you guys to let me win, I’ll sign whatever you want, I’ll sign everything over.’ They already know Matt can get himself over and that Matt can go somewhere else and get himself over. So this is how they operate.”

“It makes sense that his contract is coming up because that’s what they do, is they will lower your value on the way out so that he, it will make it harder for him to get himself over again, quickly, I have to say, he’s already done it before and what not, leaving, but there’s no coincidence in all that.”

On if Matt is being punished for Jeff Hardy’s behavior: “And the Jeff stuff very well could be part of that. I would never argue, Bully is extremely intelligent, and he knows a lot that goes on, he’s been around the business a lot longer than me and he knows how things operate. I just can speak for my experience and see how they do things when you’re contract does come up. I would say that plays a big part in it as well.”

If using any of the above quotes, please credit Conversations with the Big Guy with an h/t to 411mania.com for the transcription.