Hardys Not Re-Signing with Impact Wrestling; Feel "Disrespected" by Officials

[It's Damn Real!]

According to Pro Wrestling Sheet, Matt and Jeff Hardy will NOT be signing new deals with Impact Wrestling, and it’s reportedly because they felt disrespected during contract talks.

Sources are reporting The Hardys agreed to terms on a new TNA deal back in December, but needed a few minor changes, and were simply waiting for the finalized offer.

The deal was supposed to be for 1-year, but weeks and weeks passed, with Matt constantly checking in, but they were consistently given the run around.

Eventually Matt and Jeff’s lawyer told Impact Wrestling officials that they wanted a creative control clause in their new deals, and that was shot down immediately. One source says their lawyer told Ed Nordholm there was interest from other companies and he responded by saying, “Well, tell them to go to WWE then.”

This set Jeff Hardy off, who at that point said he was no longer interested in re-signing. Matt continued talks, but when they sent a new contract last week it was now a 2-year deal and terms had been snuck in which stated they’d receive 10% of all his profits outside of Impact.

Matt’s lawyer said he’d be a fool to sign, so he informed the company he wasn’t interested in doing so — but would still come to the tapings to write off his characters. However, he was told he was crazy to think they’d want him on TV without a contact.

We’re told Impact officials are currently trying to get their tag titles back.

http://www.wrestlezone.com/news/809...ted-by-tna-officials-their-tv-future-and-more

—

Oh, boy. This one's a mess. Unlike Galloway, this appears to have plenty of bad blood. While some will welcome the lack of "brilliance" on Impact television every week (hi, KB!), it's going to be hard to envision what IW looks like without them given how interwoven both men have been into the fabric that's defined the company the last five years.

I suppose this means they're headed back to WWE, which is great for them, but it's an ugly divorce with Impact.

 

[klunderbunker]

If TNA has a brain in them, they'll pay whatever it takes to send ANY two wrestlers and a camera crew to Cameron and film a quick title change. Don't let us have an off screen title change or anything like that because it never goes well. If you have anything resembling a title change on camera, this is instantly better. Don't just say "eh they're gone and we're moving on" because it looks bad, but even worse it looks like what TNA has done for years, which is what needs to end.

 

[Psykohurricane55]

Will know more after the tv tapings next week but if you believe what as been written so far, TNA management don'T even want to see them at the next tv tapings to drop the titles, so unless you could do one last deletion type match from the hardy compound and have them drop the tag team titles in that segment and at the same time kill those characters off from TNA.

But the fact that the new owner seem to think that it'S their way or the highway and that nobody is irreplaceable on the roster makes me thing that they probably just go with the old dark match title switch and be gone with it which is too bad.

Let's just hope that if they go to WWE, that they get creative control over their character and get a part time deal with less dates so that they don'T burn out to quickly.

 

[TDFG]

Short-term it's bad for TNA/Impact.

Personally, I felt the 'broken' gimmick has passed it peak but still had legs.

The Hardy name still carries that star power despite both being out of WWE for quite some time.

If this happened at Oct/Nov time I'd have said they'll be back in WWE for a short run ending at WrestleMania but that's not going to happen (not this year anyway).

Both Matt & Jeff appear happy with the schedules they have, Matt has a young child, plus another on the way and don't forget Jeff has travel issues, so I think they'll end up in ROH with Matt making the odd Indie appearance abroad.

 

[Kamala316]

Drew Galloway leaving is no big loss. His "stand up" face push felt forced. But the Hardys became a major focal point of the show with the reinvention of their characters, and it actually was somewhat entertaining. After reading the articles on here about how things went down, I respect the Hardys for being willing to go out without a contract and do "the favors" to drop the belts. Minus Jeff's substance abuse issues, they seem to be respected in the wrestling "world". What I find ironic is that after saying they would go out and drop the belts, Jeff Jarrett responds with "why would I put you on tv without a contract?", essentially implying that he doesn't trust them to do "the right thing". Excuse me, Jeff Jarrett. Didn't you once lay down in the middle of the ring so Hulk Hogan could pin you as soon as the bell rang? Yeah, you're the poster child for "doing the right thing" when it comes to the wrestling business. How many titles did he give himself? Countless spots in the main event that he didn't deserve, pushing himself over younger talent to get his company "over". It was more important to him to pad his stats.

 

[WWEIsLife2]

TNA sure knows how to run their business don't they? I mean how do you let the big names just walk and muck up contract talks? Especially since Matt & Jeff have re-invented themselves in the past year. It just astounds me how this company continues to skate by even with Dixie Carter gone.

Me personally I hope the Hardys return to WWE possibly at Wrestlemania 33 or even the next night.

 

[WorstWrestlingExcrement]

This is real upsetting cause Hardys should try to get some creative control like 50% this is a huge blow to TNA cause if they leave their ratings will slump! Ed Nordholm seems like a male version of Ditzy Carter who is oblivious to the fact they will lose majority of the viewers geeez! I see them heading to ROH cause in wwe they won't get part time deals with creative control as wwe never ever allows that so that is not happening. If they head to wwe they will be buried along the other team that went there Dudley Boys so if if I were them I wouldn't head back to wwe and get buried quickly as we know wwe is anti TNA!

 

[Psykohurricane55]

It's not really a huge blow for tna as far as ratings goes to lose the hard's because the broken gimmick was starting to lose steam as far as ratings we're concern, but it's going to be a huge blow on the bottom line in the short term because they we're selling alot of merchandise and that's alot of money left on the table. In the long run, it probably will be o.k for them, they have alot of guys that can take their place and with the money they save, they can get somebody else to replace them.

 

[stingray11214]

Anthem is cleaning house. Plain and simple. For Anthem brass to say "Let them go to WWE." means one of two things: A) They have no idea what they are doing. or, 2) They know something we do not. Matt will be 43, Jeff will be 40. They will command a shitload of cash. So, if you are Anthem, what do you do? Pay them? Or, spend it on developing your own talent AND acquiring cheaper talent? Add to the fact that they do not want to be the dumping ground for WWE's failures, and you can see why Anthem let the Hardy's go.

 

[WWEIsLife2]

This is real upsetting cause Hardys should try to get some creative control like 50% this is a huge blow to TNA cause if they leave their ratings will slump! Ed Nordholm seems like a male version of Ditzy Carter who is oblivious to the fact they will lose majority of the viewers geeez! I see them heading to ROH cause in wwe they won't get part time deals with creative control as wwe never ever allows that so that is not happening. If they head to wwe they will be buried along the other team that went there Dudley Boys so if if I were them I wouldn't head back to wwe and get buried quickly as we know wwe is anti TNA!

WWE is anti-TNA?

AJ Styles-won mutliple times against John Cena and came off a WWE Title reign

Samoa Joe-2x NXT Champion and just debuted on RAW. Holds a victory in his first Match against Roman Reigns

Bobby Roode-Current NXT Champion

Austin Aries-about to return to the Ring and probably get a push in the Cruiserweight Division.

Yeah they have been so mistreated since leaving TNA for greener pastures.

Also explain to me how The Dudley Boyz were buried considering in their previous time in WWE they were 9x WWE Tag Team Champions after coming over from ECW? Just because they helped get New Day over doesn't mean they were buried.

 

[Zeven_Zion]

Anthem is cleaning house. Plain and simple. For Anthem brass to say "Let them go to WWE." means one of two things: A) They have no idea what they are doing. or, 2) They know something we do not. Matt will be 43, Jeff will be 40. They will command a shitload of cash. So, if you are Anthem, what do you do? Pay them? Or, spend it on developing your own talent AND acquiring cheaper talent? Add to the fact that they do not want to be the dumping ground for WWE's failures, and you can see why Anthem let the Hardy's go.

I agree, but there is a more professional way to do it than to fuck them out of a contract.

I'm sorry, this is unprofessional. To offer someone a deal that not only ties them in for a longer period of time, but also leaches off any profit they made out of the company, is disrespectful.

Now, had this been someone like Magnus, I wouldn't be opposed to them taking in 10%, because TNA made Magnus or that's at least where most of his popularity came from, so it makes sense that TNA gets a cut.

But this Hardy's deal - of course they're insulted. The way it was handled was horrible. You don't do business like this, you burn bridges like this.

If Anthem knows something we don't, and is confident that they can brand new, fresh prospects and turn them into the draws and creative successes Matt and Jeff were, then by all means, discontinue working with Matt and Jeff.

But even if you do so, be respectful and be honest upon doing so. This shit is childish.

 

[sikkbones]

Does anyone really think wwe is going to give the Hardy's half of what they think they are worth?

And its highly unlikely meth.... I mean Jeff hardy would ever be involved with the main event ever avian.

That being said, I'd love to see some broken brilliance with bray Wyatt and/or against the Wyatt family.

 

[Jack-Hammer]

Going by Reby Sky's rant on social media, my guess, and that's all it is, is that the company isn't willing to bend over and allow the Hardy clan to effectively gang rape it. If "disrespect" means that you make all the money you want while having creative control over whatever it is you're involved in, then I can't blame officials for standing up and saying that it's not gonna fly. Letting the inmates run the asylum didn't do WCW any good in the long run and if TNA is genuinely trying to rebuild itself by hitting the reset button, in some respects, then maybe this is something that'll work out fine in the long run.

Reby Sky blasted TNA on social media and IF "disrespect" in her mind constitutes a company not allowing itself to be held hostage, then she has a lot left to learn about the business if she hopes/intends to accompany Matt and Jeff to WWE if WWE interested, which various reports have indicated they are.

 

[Spencesc11]

I would be shocked if WWE pursued them. It would benefit them though as they need more top level stars to keep each individual branded PPV interesting. Smackdown in particular is very light at the top of the card.

 

[Weems2k]

Broken Hardy's were one of the few things Impact had that was different. Wrestling needs some over the top, larger than life characters. Otherwise you turn into The E, and flood your roster with a bunch of blah, vanilla name, fat, bearded Indy garbage.

If Anthem/Jarret are really gonna do a whole "blow it up, and rebuild" strategy with Impact, they need to have some recognizable names.

 

[d_henderson1810]

Going by Reby Sky's rant on social media, my guess, and that's all it is, is that the company isn't willing to bend over and allow the Hardy clan to effectively gang rape it. If "disrespect" means that you make all the money you want while having creative control over whatever it is you're involved in, then I can't blame officials for standing up and saying that it's not gonna fly. Letting the inmates run the asylum didn't do WCW any good in the long run and if TNA is genuinely trying to rebuild itself by hitting the reset button, in some respects, then maybe this is something that'll work out fine in the long run.

Reby Sky blasted TNA on social media and IF "disrespect" in her mind constitutes a company not allowing itself to be held hostage, then she has a lot left to learn about the business if she hopes/intends to accompany Matt and Jeff to WWE if WWE interested, which various reports have indicated they are.

Normally, I'd agree. However, the Hardys and their "Deletion" storylines have been the only relevant thing anyone who isn't a TNA fanboy knows about.

All I have heard about TNA in the last year, is "The Final Deletion", the Hardys and the court battle between Dixie and Billy Corgan.

Why shouldn't the Hardys expect more when they are the ONLY reason the wider wrestling community even cares about TNA anymore? I firmly believe that if it hadn't been for "Broken" Matt Hardy and Brother Nero, TNA would have folded last year.

I personally think that TNA needs the Hardys more than the Hardys need TNA.

 

[WorstWrestlingExcrement]

Ed Nordholm is a brickhead instead of allowing some creative control for the Hardy Brothers and giving them none is a low blow to TNA! TNA needs them more than the Hardy brothers need TNA and burning bridges is something TNA shouldn t do since Hardys did all they can with their inventive ideas to attract viewers! They might as well head to ROH and resume their feud with Young Bucks I don t see them getting any great deals in the wwe and no creative control whatsoever. If they head to wwe they will be jobbed left,right & center and buried like the Dudley boys were when they went there . If Ditzy Carter was there she wouldn't let the Hardy Brothers go period she would bend over for them to have some creative control since she is reasoning but this Brickhead Nordholm is all about the money. Guess he doesn t want to shed too much into the Bros when TNA can bring in Rey Mysterio Jr , CM Punk and Batista who the hell knows?

 

[stingray11214]

I agree, but there is a more professional way to do it than to fuck them out of a contract.

I'm sorry, this is unprofessional. To offer someone a deal that not only ties them in for a longer period of time, but also leaches off any profit they made out of the company, is disrespectful.

Now, had this been someone like Magnus, I wouldn't be opposed to them taking in 10%, because TNA made Magnus or that's at least where most of his popularity came from, so it makes sense that TNA gets a cut.

But this Hardy's deal - of course they're insulted. The way it was handled was horrible. You don't do business like this, you burn bridges like this.

If Anthem knows something we don't, and is confident that they can brand new, fresh prospects and turn them into the draws and creative successes Matt and Jeff were, then by all means, discontinue working with Matt and Jeff.

But even if you do so, be respectful and be honest upon doing so. This shit is childish.

It got "unprofessional" when the Hardy's lawyer told Anthem in not so many words "You need us more than we need you." You know how Anthem replied? "See ya!" And, Anthem offered a contract to finish calling the Hardy's bluff. The Hardy's are gone, and Anthem has a lot more money, and far more flexibility to spend that money on younger talent. Will it hurt in the short run? Sure. However, Anthem and Impact will be better off for it.

 

[d_henderson1810]

It got "unprofessional" when the Hardy's lawyer told Anthem in not so many words "You need us more than we need you." You know how Anthem replied? "See ya!" And, Anthem offered a contract to finish calling the Hardy's bluff. The Hardy's are gone, and Anthem has a lot more money, and far more flexibility to spend that money on younger talent. Will it hurt in the short run? Sure. However, Anthem and Impact will be better off for it.

Spending money on what young talent? People don't tune in for young no-name talent, they tune in to see people like Kurt Angle and the Hardys (all of whom are no longer in TNA).

I don't know why they don't just die already, and sell their tape library and trademarks to WWE. The bone-headed decisions made by numerous owners, has been worse than WCW.

 

[Jack-Hammer]

Spending money on what young talent? People don't tune in for young no-name talent, they tune in to see people like Kurt Angle and the Hardys (all of whom are no longer in TNA).

I don't know why they don't just die already, and sell their tape library and trademarks to WWE. The bone-headed decisions made by numerous owners, has been worse than WCW.

Well, c'mon, let's be honest, it's not like people are tuning in so that they can watch veterans or young talent. I agree with your earlier post regarding the Hardy clan being the biggest and most relevant things happening in TNA for a while but if viewership is any indication, the bloom is off the rose. For much of this year, so far, TNA has struggled to get at or even a little above the 300,000 mark whereas they were routinely getting in the mid 300,000s to even the occasional 400,000 level in viewership. Even if the "Broken" bit still had the legs it had, it's not really good business for a wrestling company to allow wrestlers to really call their own shots in the way that it's been suggested the Hardy clan wants. It'd work out just fine for them, but TNA would be left flapping in the breeze by being contractually obligated to pretty much run with whatever Matt and Jeff decided to do with themselves. Besides, it's not as though everything that they've been doing has received universal acclaim as all the "Broken" and "Final Deletion" stuff has definitely gotten its share of criticism and hate.

As for why they didn't just let it up and die, TNA "dying" would be a blow to pro wrestling in the United States because it'd ultimately mean another high profile wrestling company has gone under. TNA doesn't routinely have the resources to offer the sort of money that the vast majority could make in WWE, but it still offers a living and not everyone would be fortunate enough to find themselves in the shoes of AJ Styles or Samoa Joe.

 

[#tamale]

The Hardy's are gone, and Anthem has a lot more money, and far more flexibility to spend that money on younger talent. Will it hurt in the short run? Sure. However, Anthem and Impact will be better off for it.

It makes sense in theory, but not in practice because of the current stain on TNA coupled with the rumored condition of talents giving 10% of their pay from their independent booking dates to the company along with only getting paid for 1 night's work for a 4 episode taping instead of per episode. That turns young talent off to your brand right away. With options like WWE, NXT, NJPW, and ROH, TNA is not the most attractive landing spot for young talent.

I can appreciate the cost cutting philosophy Anthem has taken to enhance resources for the future, but they went too far. You have to negotiate and find a common middle ground. The one thing you don't do is upset your current staff to the point of leaving, especially since they have kept the company afloat for nearly a year.

 

[It's Damn Real!]

Spending money on what young talent? People don't tune in for young no-name talent, they tune in to see people like Kurt Angle and the Hardys (all of whom are no longer in TNA).

Yeah, you're wrong. I'd bet good money on TNA seeing resurgent numbers in the event they were able to sign some of the young independent talents to contracts. If they were able to bring in Devitt, Ospreay, Omega, Nakamura, etc. in the way WWE has been able to lure them to NXT, TNA would be NXT, instead of NXT being, in effect, 2006-2009 TNA.

I don't know why they don't just die already, and sell their tape library and trademarks to WWE. The bone-headed decisions made by numerous owners, has been worse than WCW.

Just venturing a guess here, but maybe because they give a shit and want to see it work. You may want a pro wrestling monopoly, but the industry sure doesn't, and I'm thankful as fuck for that.

 

[stingray11214]

It makes sense in theory, but not in practice because of the current stain on TNA coupled with the rumored condition of talents giving 10% of their pay from their independent booking dates to the company along with only getting paid for 1 night's work for a 4 episode taping instead of per episode. That turns young talent off to your brand right away. With options like WWE, NXT, NJPW, and ROH, TNA is not the most attractive landing spot for young talent.

I can appreciate the cost cutting philosophy Anthem has taken to enhance resources for the future, but they went too far. You have to negotiate and find a common middle ground. The one thing you don't do is upset your current staff to the point of leaving, especially since they have kept the company afloat for nearly a year.

There are only so many people one company can sign. There are only so many wrestlers that can perform for a company. Those looking for a break will have no problem signing a contract with Impact. For example, WrestlePro's Kevin Matthews is traveling to Orlando as we speak. He has been a mainstay on the Northeast Indy scene, and has a decent following, and was part of the WWE pipeline when they had OVW. He is 34 and has been in the business for 17 years. His fans are so damn proud of him, that he is FINALLY getting a shot. He will probably bring his pet ferret, Dexter, with him. Joining him is another WrestlePro mainstay, Fallah Bahh. A Yokozuna-type wrestler who is finally getting HIS big break.

You see, as much as you ask that who will sign, there are a plethora of talented wrestlers out there that would be happy to sign with Impact, despite the terms. EVentually, Impact will be on solid footing, where they will not need the Hardys or anyone else. And Impact Wrestling will be better for it.

 

[ABMorales787]

Incredible pig-headedness by Nordholm aside, it is a huge blow to TNA because of the name value the Hardy's brought and how they basically carried the company since Matt came back in mid-2014, but at the same time, what money were they bringing in?

It was pretty gross how Nordholm was trying to go all AAA on them by trying to take 10% earnings but at the same time, ratings hardly boosted, even for their special videos. There's no merchandise to sell at the moment. Nor is there PPV's to sell (aside from the shitty ONO's.) What exactly were the Hardy's bringing in to TNA aside of the name value? They were under guaranteed deals, getting big buck, the world was given to them and while they were indeed doing their absolute damnedest for the benefit of the company, it was nothing short of keeping the boat afloat.

They reached a point where they're better going to the indies than working in TNA. It's not their fault TNA had no idea how to produce revenue off the Hardy's aside of what was essentially prostituting them, but if TNA wasn't willing to give Matt a creative position, which they should've, then they're better off going elsewhere. For the benefit of both parties.

 

[ShinChan]

I'm happy and sad at the same time.

On one hand, Hardyz were a significant big names. On other hand, TNA was more dependent on Hardyz. Too much dependence. Like having a couple of full shows entirely on Hardyz.

So, you can count out TNA's over-dependence on Hardyz. Talents like Jesse Godderz should be given more opportunities.

Also, it's not like the viewership was high just due to Hardyz.

In nutshell, almost a good riddance. Apparently, Drew Galloway should've been resigned.