TNA Wrestling star Matt Hardy recently shared his thoughts on AEW President Tony Khan‘s booking decisions. Hardy, who currently holds the TNA World Tag Team Championship alongside his brother Jeff Hardy, had some strong opinions on the matter.
The Hardy Boyz are set to make their WWE NXT return this week, where they will face No Quarter Catch Crew in a tag team match. As they prepare for their WWE comeback, Matt Hardy took the time to comment on AEW’s booking strategy.
A veteran in the wrestling industry, Hardy expressed his frustration with AEW’s struggles to connect with its fanbase. He argued that the promotion’s motto, “Where the Best Wrestle,” has made it harder to engage with the audience. Hardy specifically criticized Tony Khan’s approach, claiming it harms AEW’s popular stars instead of elevating them.
Matt Hardy criticized AEW president Tony Khan’s focus on in-ring work
Speaking on The Extreme Life of Matt Hardy podcast, Matt Hardy discussed Harley Cameron’s recent push. Cameron faced Mercedes Mone for the TBS Championship at AEW Collision: Grand Slam Australia. Despite gaining popularity in recent weeks, she suffered a loss in her home country despite her strong fan support.
Hardy criticized the decision, saying Cameron’s in-ring ability compared to Mone’s shouldn’t have affected the match’s booking. He stated, “Who cares? Harley doesn’t match her in the ring. That’s irrelevant.”
Hardy emphasized that if a wrestler connects with fans, they can help sell tickets and merchandise, and AEW should capitalize on their popularity. He stated, “It doesn’t matter if she doesn’t match up. It drives me nuts man. If you are over (as a) character, if people are interested, it’s gonna help sell tickets, it’s gonna move merch, and someone that’s popular, utilize them.” [H/T: sescoops]
While Hardy believes AEW and Tony Khan missed an opportunity to capitalize on Harley Cameron’s rising popularity, it remains to be seen what plans AEW has for her following her loss to Mercedes Moné.
