The news coming out today is that Matt Hardy was finally released from his contract by the WWE. Hardy had been trying to get released for the past few months and was written off any TV storylines a few months ago on SmackDown, the brand he was on before his departure. WWE was hesitant to release Hardy instantly because they knew that he could help other wrestling promotions, and WWE didn’t want that to happen right away. For that reason, Hardy was paid to stay at home and practically do nothing.
The statement on the WWE website reads as follows: “WWE has come to terms on the release of Matt Hardy, effective as of October 15, 2010. WWE wishes Matt Hardy the best in his future endeavors.”
After the release was made public, Hardy made several comments on his Twitter account including saying how it was harder to get released then it was to get hired, thanking the WWE for giving him an opportunity, thanking all the people and friends who have supported and helped him, promising his fans that while most think that this is the end of Hardy, they are wrong and this is only the beginning for him. He also said how he felt like he was a prisoner set free, and finally saying how excited he is now.
Hardy got his big break when signed a contract with the WWE in late 1999, and was in the WWE for over 11 years before his release. He formed one of the best tag teams of all-time with his brother, Jeff. Their team “The Hardy Boyz” went on to win six tag team championships in the WWE and were pioneers of the Tables, Ladders, and Chairs Match alongside Edge and Christian, and the Dudley Boyz. After they split up, both became singles stars, with Jeff gaining more success with his brother. It seemed that Matt was always stuck in the mid-card level, winning the United States title, European title, Cruiserweight title, and ECW title, but no world titles. Matt never got the same main event push that his brother did, even though he got similar crowd reactions and this was one of the reasons why Hardy wanted his release.
There is really no doubt where Hardy will go from here. Hardy has been saying how he wants to go to Total Nonstop Action (TNA) and join his brother Jeff there, who is the TNA World Heavyweight Champion and leader of the newly formed stable, Immortal. It is not a matter of if, but when Matt becomes the newest member of TNA, after his 90 day no-compete clause is complete. There are a lot of possibilities as to what kind of contribution Matt will make to the product. One of the possibilities is that he could join his brother, as they try to control TNA, or he could fight against his brother, which he did a few times in WWE.
No matter what they decide to do with Hardy, it will be the beginning of the new Matt Hardy and could lead to some great feuds.
