Matt Hardy Addresses Initial Reaction To Broken Matt Character

Nearly a decade ago, former WWE star Matt Hardy reignited his wrestling career by introducing a "Broken" version of his onscreen character while performing in TNA Wrestling (still known at the time as Impact). Hardy soon began gaining traction online with his outlandish persona and bizarre filmed vignettes, and versions of the character would later be recreated to lesser effect.

Speaking on "Insight with Chris Van Vliet," Hardy reflected on that period of his career and the origins of the Broken Universe. While the Broken Matt Hardy character is generally well-regarded today, the initial reaction was a little more mixed.

"Some people thought it's the most amazing thing — this is a throwback to old school 80's wrestling and the larger-than-life characters," Hardy said. "Other people said, 'This is the worst s**t I've ever seen.' I knew the polarizing reaction meant we were onto something because we struck a nerve."

In Hardy's estimation, the moment that completely turned the tide was The Final Deletion, which saw Hardy taking on his brother, Jeff, with Matt's home as the venue. In addition to taking Matt's character to the next level, the bout also kicked off a trend of cinematic matches that would take place over the next few years. Despite TNA officials being nervous about committing to the off-kilter storyline, Hardy said it paid off with ratings success and online hype.

Filming that cinematic match taught Hardy a great deal about both the character and the style that they were developing. He and his brother continued developing the Broken Universe in Impact for several more years before returning to WWE and eventually AEW. Though Hardy would attempt versions of the character in both promotions, many fans felt that neither worked as well as the original.

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit "Insight with Chris Van Vliet" with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.