The Hardyz talks Bound For Glory, being in TNA, more

[Chris]

TNA Wrestling’s Matt & Jeff Hardy Look to Make Tag Team History at ‘Bound for Glory'

The legendary brothers promise Full Metal Mayhem reimagined as they go for the gold on Pay-Per-View.

www.tvinsider.com

The Hardy Boys reunion tour is in full swing at TNA Wrestling. Matt and Jeff Hardy returned to the company after seven years with a mission to shake up the tag team division. These tag team legends have been a welcome shot in the arm for the company, which has enjoyed a resurgence, especially in 2024. Having top-tier talents like these Carolina brothers, fresh off runs in AEW, has only helped put TNA back in the conversation within the business.

They’ll look to add to their impressive resume by challenging for the Tag Championship against The System’s Eddie Edwards and Brian Myers against ABC made up of Ace Austin and Chris Bey at Bound For Glory. Taking the gold at the company’s biggest event of the year won’t be easy with two other teams involved. Not to mention they’ll be battling it out in “Full Metal Mayhem,” which evolved out of the Tables, Ladders, and Chairs match the Hardys helped put on the map.

Ahead of their big match, Matt and Jeff Hardy talk to us about this latest run with the company and their hopes for the future.

When I saw you two back in TNA, it felt like a rock band reuniting and hitting the road again. How would you compare now to the last time you were in the company seven years ago?

Matt Hardy: We’re feeling really good. We’re happy with how things turned out. The whole TNA environment, the locker room, everything has been pitch-perfect thus far. I feel like they are putting myself and Jeff in situations to succeed. They are optimizing our usage. Once again using our status as legends, which is weird to say. But they are using us the right way where they are maximizing us.

You both have been able to explore creatively within the TNA environment, but is there anything that stands out this time around under the current management?

Jeff Hardy: For, there is so much opportunity. There is so much potential within me. I really trust in TNA as this is my third run there. I still have so many things I haven’t done that I want to do before it’s all said and done. With TNA, I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be in 2024. I think we’re exactly where we’re supposed to be in 2024 as a tag team. It’s just super exciting to see the things we’re going to bring into reality.

You each have been through so much over the years. A lot of ups and downs. How would you say you’re approaching the business today and getting through maybe a bad day?

Matt: I’m at the point where I’m very grateful for the life I’ve been able to build for myself. I don’t feel like I have bad days now. Even if something does go wrong, I think about how blessed I am in other departments. I find the goodness in every day. I’m probably the ultimate optimist. I always see the glass half full. If times get tough, I just suck it up and do what I got to do. I feel like that is something our dad implemented in us early on. He was not as emotional as some fathers would be.

He was very much a tough love guy, but he would make sure we had money and make sure we had food in our mouths and clothes on our backs. I think we got tough and resilient because of those lessons and learning from him that way. Then at the end of the day, I don’t have any complaints. I have a nice marriage. I love where I live. My brother is doing so great and healthy. I have amazing healthy and wonderful kids. I live a blessed life so it’s hard for me to have a bad day.

Jeff: Yeah, if I would have been doing ice baths in my 20s and 30s right now I would be as big as the wrestler known as John Cena. I wish I started doing that early on in my career because it has been so beneficial for me now. Matt’s on board with it too. I never look forward to doing one. I look forward to getting it over with, but it has been so beneficial.

Bound For Glory in Detroit is shaping up to be the company’s largest-grossing live event of 2024 in the United States and highest-paid ticket total. How is it to be part of this TNA upswing?

Matt: It has been a huge positive. I think a lot of the stars really truly aligned when we came to TNA. I think TNA has the right people in management right now. I think they are making the right moves with talent utilization. You have a guy like Joe Hendry that organically gets very hot and goes viral with many things. Don’t ever tell him I said that. I don’t want to let him know I complimented him like that, but he has been a huge part of it. I think the WWE NXT and TNA relationship has been very good.

It has been beneficial for both brands. Then having stars like Nic Nemeth, who is a well-known face and has been on TV for 20 years. Having Matt and Jeff Hardy back helps. We’re both guys with great attitudes and we want to help the younger talent. I think everyone has a story. I think there is a lot of good tales being told as far as storylines go. That is pro wrestling at its essence. It’s very important to have stories. You want to understand and have a reason why you want to see a fight. I think TNA is doing a great job in that department.

You mentioned Joe Hendry. Jeff, tell me what you think about this potential musical collaboration between you and him.

Jeff: I love it. I’ve bene saying today that I think I have our name figured out. We’ll be called the Great Initials. To combine our vibes and tunes, I’m super excited. I’m not sure what is going to happen, but I know it’s going to be amazingly entertaining.

One of the great parts of Bound For Glory time has been the TNA Hall of Fame inductions. What do you think about this year’s inductees TNA co-founder Bob Ryder and Rhino?

Matt: It’s great. Rhino is a very good choice, especially being here in Detroit. He is “Detroit Rock City” through and through. I’ve known Rhino for 24 years now, and he is a very deserving guy. He is someone who busted his ass for professional wrestling and contributed so much to the business. Bob Ryder is such an amazing guy. A pillar of TNA in the beginning. If Bob Ryder doesn’t step into the conversation of Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, I don’t know if TNA even becomes a thing. He was hugely instrumental in putting TNA on the map. I’m so excited he is being honored in the Hall of Fame.

This Saturday you have Full Metal Mayhem, which comes more than 25 years now after you helped redefine the ladder match. What can we expect from you and your opponents coming up?

Jeff: Bound For Glory, Full Metal Mayhem will be like no other. We’re kind of referring to it as Full Metal Mayhem reimagined. Everybody will understand what that means after the show is over. It will be a different twist to the match. Speaking of ABC, the first time Ace Austin stepped foot in a TNA ring was against me in 2011. Just to know him as a kid then and now we’re going to war this weekend. It’s pretty amazing itself. When it comes to The System, it’s time for The System to be broken.

One of the awesome things I thought TNA did was during the aftermath of Hurricane Helene. The roster and crew really banded together to not only put on TV tapings but also turn a negative into a positive by using them as fundraisers. Being from North Carolina, what was it like to be part of that effort?

Matt: Both South Carolina and North Carolina hold a very special place in our hearts because we’re Carolina boys through and through. Asheville was devastated. The stuff has been so bad. I’ve talked to people there. I’ve talked to FTR, Adam Copeland. They are telling me how bad it was, and I’m seeing the images. Considering we had to postpone the shows in the Spartenberg-Greenville area, we went to Nashville. Everyone there was on board with raising money for the show. All the people who even did the meet-and-greets and signings after the show donated all the money to the cause. It was a positive thing. I think it’s a very good way to demonstrate as a company how you’re willing to give back to the community, especially one that has been through something tragic like a hurricane. I’m very happy and proud of TNA for taking charge and making things happen on short notice while providing TV content.

Being family men, how is it seeing the kids get older and truly understand what you’ve been doing for a living? It must be rewarding.

Matt Hardy: Oh yeah. My kids definitely understand. They are very excited to be wrestlers one day, especially my oldest and youngest. The middle child Wolfgang wants to be about 10 things. They love wrestling. They understand it. They use the terminology. They wish they could have come to Bound For Glory. It would not surprise me at all if they pursue wrestling because they take pride in the fact their name could be the Hardy Boys as well. They can be Hardy Boys second-gen Gen. We’ll see. Right now, they are just really excited to watch Dad and Tio in Full Metal Mayhem.

Jeff Hardy: I’d say back in 2017, 2018, I was talking about, “Wow, I’m going to have the first-ever female tag team wrestlers called the Hardy Girls. Both my girls don’t show much interest in pro wrestling at all. When I’m jumping off stuff they are like, “Dad, why are you still doing this?”

What do you think the state of tag team wrestling is right now?

Matt: I think TNA has a pretty strong core group of tag teams. I’m digging it. I really like how we got to this three-way match at Bound For Glory. Initially, when I returned to TNA I targeted Moose. My initial goal was to challenge him and defeat him for the TNA Heavyweight Title. At the end of that, The System screwed me out of the deal. My wife was attacked. Then there is my brother who shows up. The timing worked out. Now we have our focus on tag team gold. We have a strong tag division now. We’ve decided it is paramount we win the TNA World Tag Team Titles and cement our legacies as one of the greatest tag teams of all time. We will be the first tag team currently to have different tag team titles in four different decades. Now in the 2020s, we want to win those TNA Tag Team Championships. We think that will go a long way in cementing us as one of the greatest tag teams of all time.

Bound For Glory is usually a time of reflection but also looking forward. As TNA continues to grow and evolve, what do you want to see them do to get to that next level?

Matt: I want to see the company continue to grow. It has been amazing that in the last seven or eight events we’ve had, there have been sellouts. The crowds continue to get bigger. I remember we did Slammiversary in Montreal, it was the biggest crowd we had in over a decade. We’re going to be close to approaching that this Saturday at Bound For Glory. I just want to see TNA continue to be creative. I want to see them take that smart approach. The formula in pro wrestling works when you find the right characters to fit the right way. I think it’s going to be time, sooner rather than later, to put Joe Hendry in a spot where he can represent as the champion. He really is special. While he is hot and you can capitalize on him, we have to get him to that point.

Jeff: Just bigger crowds and remain with that feeling of we’re in a league of our own. We have that certain vibe. That certain energy we’re putting out there in the pro wrestling universe. I just want to get that stronger, cooler, bigger, weirder, broader, and all that good stuff.

 

[Leon TrotSky]

Speaking of ABC, the first time Ace Austin stepped foot in a TNA ring was against me in 2011.

I had to check if this was true and nope, it's complete nonsense. Jeff Hardy didn't even work pre-show dark matches in 2011