What’s the story?
Matt Hardy said in a tweet today that the WWE is going to let him and his brother Jeff fulfil their contracted dates on the independent scene. The Hardy Boyz are contracted to a variety of different independent promotions through the end of April.
In case you didn’t know...
Matt and Jeff Hardy made their triumphant return to the WWE this past weekend at WrestleMania 33. They were a late addition to the triple threat ladder match for the Raw Tag Team Championships. The match also included the teams of Gallows and Anderson, Sheamus and Cesaro, and Enzo Amore and Big Cass. The Hardys won the match and the Tag Titles and also successfully defended those titles in a rematch on the post-WrestleMania Raw against Gallows and Anderson.
The heart of the matter
Matt tweeted today on his official twitter account that the WWE is, in fact, allowing the newly signed team to fulfil their obligations on the indy scene while still holding the WWE Raw Tag Team Championships.
The dates include appearances for International Wrestling Cartel (IWC) on 4/8, House Of Hardcore on 4/21 and 4/22, and Pro Wrestling South (PWS) on 4/29. After that, the Hardy Boyz will be the exclusive property of the WWE.
Implications
Ten years ago, Vince McMahon would never have entertained the idea of allowing an act to do something like this. With Triple H in charge of talent relations, it's clear his opinion on this type of situation has changed drastically. Triple H is working to cultivate talent all around the world so the WWE can grow and move into the future. In doing so, he has forged relationships with many independent promotions including Ring Of Honor, Evolve, House Of Hardcore, and others.
Because of that, there is a trust between the WWE and these outside promotions that hasn’t existed before. It’s why the WWE will allow their champions to appear outside the company and it's why independent stars like Pete Dunne get to work in the WWE without a long term contract. This move potentially opens more doors to unique relationships with top talents from around the world.
Author’s take
It's incredibly interesting that Vince is allowing a top act of his to do this and shows his stubborn opinion can be changed. It was one thing to allow Samoa Joe to finish his dates on the indy scene as he was simply debuting for NXT. The Hardy Boyz are champions on the flagship company show and will be applying their craft outside of that realm. This is uncharted waters and the man to thank is Triple H.
His work to build relationships with wrestling circles all across the world allowed for this to happen and allowed for Matt and Jeff to debut when they did. Ten years ago, the Hardys would have had to finish their indy dates before starting with WWE. That would have made the WrestleMania moment they and the fans received in Orlando impossible.
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