Matt Hardy: TNA’s Hardiest Flag Bearer

[It's Damn Real!]

When asked in a main page interview conducted via WrestleZone Daily what the situation is like with TNA regarding all the rumors, speculation and negativity, Hardy had this to say:

I’ll be honest. If you follow one my best friends in life, Shane Helms, on Twitter at the end of the eight day taping run we just did he kept making jokes about #BadMorale. I really feel like TNA is doing a good job of trying to keep the positive, optimistic, hard working people around. These last eight days of television were absolutely great. I know we did television all the way up to Bound For Glory. We did some stuff for the IMPACT after that. We did a variety of things. Everyone knows, it’s no secret, there have been a couple of issues with Destination America and IMPACT Wrestling but that deals not done yet. It’s continually going on. IMPACT Wrestling is so successful right now internationally. Even if we did lose domestic TV, which is a big “if.” Even if we did lose that then we’re still going to continue to run. We’re still going to be fine, we’re still going to exist. TNA is not going anywhere, it’s not going out of business. My goal, right now, is to do everything that I can to help TNA succeed domestically. I’m trying to be really hands on. I’m being hands on from a creative aspect to a talent aspect. I’m trying really hard to help the younger guys by saying, “We can do this,” or, “We can do that.” Shane Helms has been incredible as an agent. I can’t tell you how good he’s been. He helps bring the best out of talent. He improves their in ring work but is also helping to improve their personas. He is tailor made for that job of being a producer. There are some of the troops there that are really dedicated to giving back and helping the business and that’s what we need. We need people to have positive attitudes. We need the creative people to listen to the guys. TNA is very open to working with everyone now. Obviously there’s the interaction going on with GFW. We would love to work with Ring of Honor, if that was possible, but I think Sinclair are wanting to do their own thing. I get that too. With TNA, it’s tarnished a little bit in the some people’s eyes but we are working everyday. The group, the handful of guys that are there, we are working everyday to make TNA a better place because professional wrestling needs IMPACT Wrestling. The up and coming wrestlers need a place to work where there are veterans. So they can learn and get better and the business really does need it.

He also spoke to a lot of other topics, including the Hogan era, the damage it did, and how much he felt Hogan seemed to be embarrassed by TNA whenever he went out to do his promotional work by only talking about himself and never the company he was there to represent. He also spoke about how Billy Corgan is effectively the opposite — mentioning that whenever he’s in front of a camera even to plug the Pumpkins or otherwise, he’s also there to drop the IMPACT name in the next breath. Well, Corgan isn’t the only one. Frankly, Matt himself deserves a lot of praise for being one of flag bearers of a company that’s got a bit of a revolving door outside the talent dressing room these last few months.

Say what you will, but even at forty, Matt can still go. And he seems proud to be able to do so in a TNA ring. He’s remained one of the most consistent, loyal flag bearers for a company who’ve seen talent walk out that revolving door nearly by the week. Despite the depleted roster, despite the rumors, despite the speculation and the never-ending negativity, Matt Hardy, the forty-year old, is the guy stepping up every week. He’s the guy going to bat the way Angle and others have gone to bat for the company, in full support of it, in praise of it. And it’s worth noting. It’s worth being thankful for.

If you’ve yet to see the main even from IMPACT this week (tonight), do yourself a favor and watch it. You won’t be disappointed.

 

[Lowdown]

I applaud Hardy for his comments, but I don't find them reassuring based on recent departures. TNA has its faults yet it looks like they are trying to keep things going with what they still have. What stuck out in his quotes was the part regarding Hogan promoting himself over the company. I'm not sure if that was entirely accurate seeing is how I've read in the past how Hogan tried to promote TNA wherever possible. I do believe Hogan used them as a platform for some of his personal projects like Micro-Wrestling. I want to keep the faith that TNA will pull through, so time will tell.

 

[Bischoff's Knob Slobberer]

Yea, and TNA will thank him by having him job to a nobody like Rockstar Dud. Although we all knew Aries was leaving, having him job to a spot monkey like Dud was criminal. On the worse day of his life, Dud couldn't carry Aries sweaty nut infested jockstrap. He deserved to go out on a loss to Rudd, Storm or Angle.

 

[It's Damn Real!]

Yea, and TNA will thank him by having him job to a nobody like Rockstar Dud. Although we all knew Aries was leaving, having him job to a spot monkey like Dud was criminal. On the worse day of his life, Dud couldn't carry Aries sweaty nut infested jockstrap. He deserved to go out on a loss to Rudd, Storm or Angle.

You not liking Rockstar Spud has about as much to do with this thread and Matt Hardy as Christmas has to do with the surface of Mars. At least try to keep things on track? And no, loosely assuming Matt will lose to Rockstar Spud in a match does not qualify.

 

[johnbragg]

Your point is pretty good, but when I think "What wrestlers do I trust to have a level head on their shoulders and make wise, perceptive choices about the business?", I don't think of the Hardys.

I believe that Matt believes in what he is saying, but I don't necessarily trust his judgement.

 

[It's Damn Real!]

Your point is pretty good, but when I think "What wrestlers do I trust to have a level head on their shoulders and make wise, perceptive choices about the business?", I don't think of the Hardys.

I believe that Matt believes in what he is saying, but I don't necessarily trust his judgement.

But those are kind of two separate things, no? I get what you're saying — even from a Company perspective. Why put so much faith in junkies, in essence. But at the same time, especially for a company like TNA who are so often picking at the scraps left from other companies to fill out their roster, you have to believe in second chances and have a certain percentage of faith in them to do the job they claim they will.

In that sense, both Hardy's, even Jeff, have actually done really well by TNA. One thing I'll note for both of them is that no matter the interview, no matter why, they always plug the company they work for. Always. Whether it's just to thank them for giving them the creative freedom to do what they want to do (like when PeroxWhy?Gen releases a new album) or to go to bat for a cool-to-batter company, it's admirable and worth noting.

It speak to the inherent inferiority complex TNA and a number of its fans (myself included) operate with, which is why this type of thread might come off as "sure, but who cares?". Except that to them, to us, it does matter. We care. Because most people don't.

 

[FitFinlay4Life]

I saw some of Hogan's interviews during his TNA tenure - for someone who pushed for the company to become the next WCW, it was noticeable how little he mentioned the company when said push failed so spectacularly.

As to Hardy - both Jeff and Matt appear to have done a great job turning their lives around; mayhap fatherhood helped them grow up and it is nice to see the likes of them and Kurt still promote the TNA brand irrespective of the rumours.

Something I am curious about though is Bound For Glory - I believe that some of the talent appearing in the last set of tapings might not be with the company by the time BFG comes around. Where would they fit in with the PPV? Product wise, with the exception of the Hernandez fiasco, Impact has been good for quite some time - it would be nice to see a logical PPV after the last two missteps.

 

[johnbragg]

But those are kind of two separate things, no? I get what you're saying — even from a Company perspective. Why put so much faith in junkies, in essence. But at the same time, especially for a company like TNA who are so often picking at the scraps left from other companies to fill out their roster, you have to believe in second chances and have a certain percentage of faith in them to do the job they claim they will.

In that sense, both Hardy's, even Jeff, have actually done really well by TNA. One thing I'll note for both of them is that no matter the interview, no matter why, they always plug the company they work for. Always. Whether it's just to thank them for giving them the creative freedom to do what they want to do (like when PeroxWhy?Gen releases a new album) or to go to bat for a cool-to-batter company, it's admirable and worth noting.

It speak to the inherent inferiority complex TNA and a number of its fans (myself included) operate with, which is why this type of thread might come off as "sure, but who cares?". Except that to them, to us, it does matter. We care. Because most people don't.

I applaud Matt Hardy for being a standup guy, and TNA doesn't have many. You've got a good point there.