Former WCW Champion comes to Matt Hardy's defense after he criticizes AEW over major reason (Exclusive)

Former WCW Champion Vince Russo has sided with Matt Hardy on his recent comments about AEW. Hardy recently stated that the Jacksonville-based promotion should focus on creating stories rather than five-star matches.

Matt Hardy gained popularity alongside his brother Jeff, as the Hardy Boyz, for their iconic TLC matches in WWE. However, both men also tasted success as singles performers. Matt created the 'Broken Matt Hardy' gimmick in 2016 and got over with fans in TNA and Ring of Honor. The veteran also briefly portrayed the same character as 'Woken Matt Hardy' in WWE from 2017 to 2018.

In an exclusive chat with Dr. Chris on Sportskeeda Wrestling's The Wrestling Outlaws podcast, former WWE Head Writer Vince Russo praised Matt Hardy for being a TLC guy, as well as creating an impactful gimmick like the Broken Universe.

The veteran also noted how the Broken gimmick could be done at any time as it does not require getting physical, ultimately emphasizing the importance of storylines in the pro wrestling business, which goes beyond just in-ring performances.

"Bro, you talking about a guy who had one of the greatest matches ever in that TLC match, and then he did the 'Broken Universe', so he knows. If anybody could tell you I mean it's that guy because he's had the best of both worlds. But I guarantee you this, The Broken Universe was a lot more friendly to his body than the TLC matches were without a shadow of a doubt. The Broken Universe, the guy can do well into his 40s. You know, if anybody has the right to say that in the education, it's definitely him," said Russo. [3:24-4:04]

Check out his comments in the video below:

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EC3 praised former AEW star Matt Hardy's current run in TNA

Former AEW star Matt Hardy recently appeared for TNA Wrestling as a free agent after he departed from AEW.

Speaking on the same episode of Sportskeeda Wrestling's The Wrestling Outlaws podcast with Dr. Chris, EC3 further praised the former AEW star for creating a great character and helping the TNA World Heavyweight Champion Moose get over with the crowd.

"It seems like what he's done in Impact [TNA] with Moose too, he seems reinvigorated. He has that I hate the word creative freedom but he has that leeway to be listened to, to develop and tell a story, and in the process, get over a talent like Moose and I think that's what really drives him," he said.

Matt Hardy has been working as a free agent in TNA Wrestling. It will be interesting to see if the veteran returns to WWE or NXT due to the current partnership between both companies.

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