Matt Hardy has given fans an update on his AEW deal after being spotted at a WWE event.
A recent report stated that Hardy’s contract is set to expire in the near future, which Matt Hardy confirmed was true. Yet to re-sign a new deal, there is no certainty that Hardy will remain with All Elite Wrestling for the next part of his career. Speculation only further increased when the veteran was spotted at a recent Raw taping in North Carolina on March 18th.
Asked about the sighting on his Extreme Life podcast, Hardy stated that it was nothing more than a date night for himself and his wife Reby and that he was reluctant to go but agreed as they would be in a sky box so sightings would be limited:
Literally, myself and my wife, which we try and do once, maybe twice a week if we can, we had a date night where it was just me and her without kids. And we were eating in Raleigh, we were having a great dinner in Raleigh. And she was contacted by one of her friends that she does a spa with inside of Raleigh.
Raleigh is just a few miles from the Hardy Compound, everyone knows that. And they had a suite, which they always have, over at the PNC which is the arena in Raleigh. And they invited Reby over to the deal, said, ‘Hey, you want to come hang out? There’s free food, there’s this, whatever, we’d like to see you.’
… Reby was like, ‘Oh, we should go by there. I’d like to see my friend.’ I said, ‘Ugh, I really wouldn’t want to go by there.’ She said, ‘Well they’re in a skybox, so it’s like closed off and whatever. We wouldn’t be getting there until 8:45, 9:00 p.m.’ So we actually went. Reby hung out with her friends for a little bit. And while I was there, the skybox, the suite, was pretty open in the front. And yes, I did get recognized. And people started forming a line to like take photos with me and whatnot.
And we cut out of there at about 10:30 p.m. I was there probably 80 or 90 minutes altogether and I probably took 200 photos, which once word got out that I was there, it was like crazy. There was literally at one point a line and security came and like had to make them move against the wall so I could take photos with them.
H/t to F4WOnline.
Coincidentally, this was also the same Raw where Matt Hardy was referenced on commentary by Michael Cole. When discussing the upcoming Jimmy Uso vs. Jey Uso match at WrestleMania 40, Cole listed the previous brother vs. brother matches, which included Matt Hardy vs. Jeff Hardy at WrestleMania 25.
Discussing the buz that was generated by the appearance, Hardy responded that it got people talking as fans know there is not a lot of time left on his AEW contract before giving an update on how negotiations are going between himself and Tony Khan:
“The reason it got even more buzz is people know my contract is coming up. I’m in the midst of contract negotiations. If you are trying to secure me under contract, I’m a guy you want. Whenever I work for your company, nobody waves the flag harder than I do. Whether it’s promoting the company on social media or promoting the hell out of all the positive the company offers.
I do love AEW. There are some things I would like to change about my personal career there, and some of the things we’re doing, but overall I love AEW because it is very important for the pro wrestling industry.
AEW needs to do well just because the pro wrestling industry doesn’t need just one huge company that is in control of everything. They need competition. Competition is what makes it thrive and what makes it better. For all the young kids coming up, competition needs to exist. I want AEW to do well and I want AEW to thrive. I want to be in a satisfactory position in what I’m doing in AEW. That’s where we’re at.
“Still negotiating and figuring things out. Once again, Tony Khan has taken great care of me. He’s been a good boss. I think Tony Khan is a great human being. At the end of the day, when it comes to making a decision about what I do next, it also comes down to making sure I’m happy and I’m comfortable with what I’m doing in all capacities across the board.”
As his future remains uncertain, Matt Hardy has provided an update.
Matt Hardy Believes There Is Still Value In The Hardys
Following Jeff’s return to the company, Matt has been predominantly teaming with his brother on AEW programming, albeit sparingly. Addressing their value as a team in 2024, Hardy stated that their name value and recognition should not be overlooked:
“There is a ton of value in both Matt and Jeff Hardy right now. If you’re online and don’t see that, I’m sorry, but social media does not reflect reality. People know who we are. I don’t want to say we’re household names, but if you’re a pro wrestling fan, you know who the Hardy Boys are. There are people I meet who are like, ‘You look like Matt Hardy, the Hardy Boys who did the ladder stuff.’ ‘Yeah, nice to meet you.’ I get recognized every day I go out in public.
That’s promotion and press, you can’t buy that. I’ve been blessed with so much TV time over the years. There is huge value in Matt Hardy, Jeff Hardy, and the Hardys together, especially. That is when we’re at our most value. There is value in both of us. Once again, I want to be used to the best of my ability and get the most out of my value.”
In December 2023, Matt Hardy admitted that there have been frustrations during his time with AEW.
Recently Matt Hardy confirmed his free agency after his AEW contract expired. After recently promoting WWE on his social media, Matt Hardy explained the latest in regard to his status.
H/t to Fightful.