Matt Hardy Talks About Tonight's Impact, Reuniting With Jeff, TNA Tag Titles, Ultimate X, More

After 8 years without a World Tag Team title reign, the Hardy Boys are looking to get back on the horse, starting with tonight's episode of Impact Wrestling. The Hardys join 7 other teams in qualifying matches, with four winning teams moving on to an Ultimate X main event to crown new TNA Tag Team Champions.

I had the chance to speak with Matt Hardy about the dangers of the Ultimate X Match, as well as the tag team division in TNA.

You have a big tag team title opportunity on this week's Impact. How important is it to you and Jeff to win the TNA Tag Team Titles?

"It's extremely important. This Friday Night we have James Storm and Khoya. Our first goal is to finalize Hardy's revenge and go to Ultimate X, where we'll face the three other teams who win qualifying matches. I want to win that Ultimate X and stand tall with the TNA World Tag Team Championships over our head. Last year we re-formed the Hardys and wanted to get back on the national stage, the global stage, and prove that we still had it after twenty years of doing it. After the series of matches with the Wolves and Team 3D, winning the tag titles is the exclamation point on the sentence of the Hardys still being one of the best tag teams in wrestling. That helps cement our legacy as one of the greatest tag teams of all time, and that's something that is important to us."

You mentioned Ultimate X, do you look at matches like that differently than you did ladder matches 15 years ago?

"That's a great question, and I do look at that match very differently. The first thing I look at with a match like this is a realism perspective, and a storytelling perspective. I want things in this match that will be different, unique, so I pick and choose a lot more when I take a high risk. When you get older you don't recuperate the same way as when you're younger, and I've been wrestling for 23 years. Jeff and I have been full time guys since 1997 or 1998, so we're looking at 18 years of really running hard. Jeff is an anomaly because he can still do everything he did at 20 years old. I modify stuff, but I know in this Ultimate X match I'm going to have to take some risks and do some things, and I'm cool with that. But I have to pick and choose. I'm definitely more cognizant of how I'll perform the next day and the next month. There were a lot of things I had to alter as far as my arsenal or moveset. One thing I rarely do anymore is the legdrop from the second rope or top because of the damage it does to my lower back. That's kind of where that elbow to the back of the neck came was born. I had to modify it as I get older. There's still ways to have exciting matches and building up to false finishes without doing death defying stuff, and that's the definition of what a good worker truly is. I stress to myself to not be a guy who does dumb things for dumb reasons, and to be a smart guy who does smart things for the right reasons. "

Well, you also have a family to think about now. How does that play into things?

"Those things cross my mind all the time. If you go back to the Full Metal Mayhem match with Team 3D and The Wolves, I'm very proud of that match. I think that stands up with the old TLC matches. Obviously it's not going to have as many eyeballs on it since it didn't happen at a WrestleMania, but that match was great. I was very cerebral about how I thought through that match, and if there was a chance I was taking it would be a very calculated risk. I want to compete and perform as long as I can, but the phase of life I'm moving in to, I'm going to be a father. I have a child on the way, a person I've created. It motivates me to be a better person, to be disciplined, and to take better care of myself, and that includes inside the wrestling ring as well."

TNA is taking its team situation very seriously, who do you see as your biggest challenge moving forward?

"It's nice to see tag teams and units highlighted. BDC runs roughshod, so they're definitely tough. Drew Galloway, we had a hell of a feud in 2010, so The Rising is a talented team. I would love to have a great match with Bobby Roode and Austin Aries, I'm really big fans of those guys. A lot of good teams out there. EC3 and Bram, I think they could be a sleeper team. The future of TNA will be built around them. The Wolves, it sucks that Eddie gets hurt, but when he's healthy, they've definitely earned a shot. It's always great to work with those guys. Back in the day it was against Edge & Christian, E & C, now it's against E&D. There's a lot of great tag teams, but I want to credit to TNA for paying a lot of attention to the tag team division. There's other places that don't do this, but tag team wrestling can draw. Whenever myself, Jeff, The Dudley Boyz and Edge and Christian were at it, it was a draw and one of the things people tuned in to see. Tag team wrestling is a drawing point to the show as long as it's treated important, and how much more important can you get than having a whole show dedicated to tag teams? I commend TNA for doing that. They do that with the Knockouts division, too. There was that hashtag "give divas a chance," just to get them TV time, but always TNA has given the Knockouts time to tell a good story and didn't put restraints on them. "

It seems like TNA has been on a hot streak lately with their programming. Thank you for taking the time to talk to us, Matt.

"Thank you. Thank you for acknowledging that we've been on a good run and a hot streak as well. That means a lot. One thing I want to say in closing, I know there's people who were frustrated with TNA from a couple of years ago. They've had ups and downs like any wrestling company in the world, but I think right now we've really found our niche, especially the way the office, talent and writers work together. It even goes to how Destination America promotes the product , and is proud of the product and give us specials and whatnot. If you haven't watched in a while, I'd ask of all your readers to just give it a chance. Just tune in or DVR a couple of weeks, because they have been delivering a great product week in week out. I take great pride in being a part of that, and this week's episode is going to be one you don't want to miss."

We'll have more with Matt Hardy this weekend, including him talking about his relationship with ROH, working shows for OMEGA, new TNA employees and more.