Legendary wrestling tag team the Hardy Boyz told amNewYork that they believe they will again have new personas that will set the grappling world by storm, and it may begin in New York’s UBS Arena.
Jeff and Matt Hardy made the comments as they prepare to enter into a hellacious ladder match at TNA’s Slammiversary on July 20. Over the past several days, the beloved brothers have made pop-up appearances all over New York, including Times Square and Long Island.
On June 25, the pair visited Create a Pro Wrestling, a wrestling training school in Hicksville, where they spoke to up-and-coming talent and offered them advice on their careers. For over an hour, the multi-time champions answered question after question from the up-and-comers before speaking with amNewYork on the past, present, and future of their careers.
Both Matt and Jeff have been trailblazers in multiple companies over the past few decades and have led the way in the likes of WWE, TNA, ROH, and AWE. In March, the Hardy Boyz once again appeared in a WWE ring, this time through a unique joint partnership with TNA that saw them defend their tag team championships in another company.
“It was great to feel the energy, especially in New York when we did the NXT, just to come out and be back in the WWE. Man, it was so wild,” Jeff recalled. “It was just so cool to feel that energetic love.”
Matt agreed, sharing that he was taken aback by how many of the NXT superstars were super fans of him and his brother.
“The crowd’s energy was electric. Everyone at NXT was great. There are so many young, talented guys there, and most of them grew up watching me and Jeff. And it still feels so surreal to walk into a locker room and guys come up say: ‘Oh my god, I grew up watching you, and you guys motivated me to be a pro wrestler, and I want to do this because I thought you guys were cool.’ We just, we end up hearing it so much. It’s unreal, like, once again, just another reason we’re so blessed,” Matt said.
In addition to meeting up-and-coming wrestlers, they have also made appearances in the New York City Subway and even threw a pitch at Citi Field. The Hardy Boyz have been exploring the Big Apple as they prepare for their Slammiversary match at the UBS Arena, during which they promised fans they will see an ending to the match unlike any other.
“We are going to put high expectations on ourselves. This ladder match is our signature match, we’re the guys who made this match famous. We want to go out there, and we are going to have high expectations — we’re going to raise the bar high,“ Matt said.
“I predict it might be the most innovative and original finish ever in a ladder match. So, it’s super exciting,” Jeff added.
Both men have had a long, fruitful career that have broken barriers and have given fans countless memorable moments. Despite having a legacy that dates back to the early to mid 1990’s, both men say they have a lot more to give. Jeff told amNewYork that he believes before he hangs up his boots he will find a character similar to his brother’s Broken Matt gimmick that will take the wrestling world by storm.
“The Broken Matt Hardy character inspires me a lot to do something like that, a really different act. For me, I feel like there’s something there that haven’t really dialed in and touched on, and I feel like I’m going to do that before my career is over,” Jeff said. “I think there is a lot more for me to do.”
Matt agreed, stating that Slammiversary may even be the beginning of that journey before committing on John Cena’s current pledge to ruin wrestling.
“I think there is a reinvention of both of us, something new and unique, something that can catch fire — and we have some ideas. And honestly, this match at Slammiversary is probably going to play a part in that. It might even be the start of it,” Matt said. “John Cena said he wanted to destroy wrestling. Well, maybe Jeff and I want to save wrestling. I mean, maybe we want to really learn how to cater TNA and wrestling to the actual wrestling fans.”
The Hardy Boyz will perform at Slammiversary on July 20 at the UBS Arena. Tickets can be found here.
