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Jeff Hardy's recent arrest and subsequent suspension threw a spanner in AEW's plans for this week's Dynamite. The originally scheduled AEW World Tag Team Championship Ladder Match was set to feature current champions Jurassic Express, The Young Bucks, and the aforementioned Hardys.
However, it seems that AEW President Tony Khan has pivoted towards making the bout just between the champion duo of Jungle Boy and Luchasaurus against The Young Bucks. This means that Matt and Jeff Hardy have been withdrawn from the match.
Taking to Twitter, TK announced that the match would go on without The Hardys. He also confirmed that The Charismatic Enigma would be suspended without pay.
Jeff Hardy's personal troubles have left his older brother in the cold once again. So what's next? Let's look at five potential directions for Matt Hardy in AEW going forward.
#5: Reform the Hardy Family Office
Before Jeff arrived in AEW, Matt was the leader and manager of the stable known as the Hardy Family Office. The faction included the likes of Private Party, The Butcher, and The Blade plus The Hybrid 2.
The mid-card group primarily wrestled on AEW Dark or Elevation. Former NXT Champion Andrade assumed control of the faction as co-leader before throwing out Matt earlier this year.
The AFO turned their backs on Matt Hardy and assaulted him, which led to Jeff Hardy's All Elite debut to save his brother. Perhaps Matt would consider returning to his former brethren and mending old bonds?
#4. Matt Hardy feuds with brother Jeff upon his return
This is not the first time Jeff Hardy has gotten in trouble with the law. He has been arrested on charges of DUI and multiple violations of the restrictions placed on his driver's license. The 44-year-old has also battled major addiction-related issues in the past.
Matt Hardy recently issued his first statement on his brother Jeff Hardy being arrested. Taking to Twitter, he admitted that it was disheartening to hear about Jeff's arrest and tweeted:
"It was disheartening to hear the news about my brother yesterday. Recovery isn’t a linear process & I’ll continue doing whatever I can to help my brother be healthy. Being healthy & well is the most important thing for Jeff, his wife, his children & our family at this time."
At some point, the personal turmoil could fuel a storyline between the siblings. The two have feuded numerous times in different companies, from WWE to IMPACT, so it's not exactly new territory. Given the circumstances, it would be interesting to see if AEW attempts a brother vs. brother storyline.
#3. Matt Hardy turns heel and revives the Broken persona
When Matt Hardy debuted in All Elite Wrestling in 2020, he brought back the 'Broken' persona that he made famous in IMPACT. He also performed a version of this character in Ring of Honor and WWE. However, he only used this gimmick for a couple of months during the pandemic before ultimately shelving it.
In an exclusive interview with Sportskeeda in 2021, the veteran wrestler admitted that the character required a lot of fan input and was put aside due to the lack of crowd during that period:
"Broken Matt Hardy and the Broken Universe is a very fan-driven persona and character. And obviously due to the state of the world, we’re in a pandemic, I debuted on the very first empty arena pandemic era show."
He continued:
"So we weren’t playing to any fans in the live venues. So that definitely made it very hard, especially being in Jacksonville ‘cause I was playing towards the fans at home, more than anything else. So that’s why I decided to change directions and start doing 'Big Money Matt' as opposed to 'Broken Matt'," revealed Matt Hardy.
Matt Hardy has effectively reinvented himself over the years. Now that fans are back in the arenas, it's the perfect time for him to bring back the 'Broken' universe.
#2. Matt Hardy calls time on his in-ring career
Back in 2019, Matt Hardy revealed to Sky Sports that he believes he only has three years left to compete inside the squared circle. He claimed that his back and pelvis were fusing together as a result of years of physical abuse throughout his career. Hardy said:
"I think, in the ring, much more entertainment-based than athleticism-based, I have about three years left."
Three years have come and gone since that interview, but the 47-year-old is still wrestling pretty regularly in All Elite Wrestling and was slated to compete in a Ladder match this week before Jeff Hardy's arrest.
He isn't getting any younger, and perhaps his younger brother's suspension should be the tipping time for Matt to finally call time on his career. He could remain an on-screen manager or become a coach/agent backstage.
#1. Matt Hardy waits for Jeff Hardy's return and challenges for the AEW Tag Team Championships
The Hardys have made it clear that they want to win the AEW Tag Team Titles before retiring. They have won several tag team championships across major wrestling promotions such as WWE, ROH, and IMPACT Wrestling.
During an interview with Freddie Prinze Jr. on the Wrestling with Freddie podcast, Matt Hardy revealed their latest ambition.
"Our goal here in AEW is to cement our legacy. The first business we want to conduct is winning the AEW World Tag Team Championship."
The Broken One then added that they want to win the AAA, ROH, and NJPW Tag Titles to cement their legacy as the greatest tag team of all time.
"On top of that, I’d love to win the AAA, I’d love to win the Ring of Honor, I’d love to win the New Japan Titles. We’ll win them all, man. We really want to cement our legacy as the legit GOATs, one of the greatest of all time."
It was fairly possible that the veteran duo could have defeated Jurassic Express and The Young Bucks to clinch the gold before Jeff Hardy's untimely arrest. Now, Matt will have to wait for his younger brother's return before they can accomplish that accolade.
