"What is this delete s***?" - Matt Hardy recalls Vince McMahon's reaction to Broken gimmick 

AEW star Matt Hardy recently recalled sitting down with Vince McMahon back in 2017 to explain the Broken gimmick as the WWE chairman didn't understand it very well.

Hardy introduced this moniker in IMPACT Wrestling in 2016, where it quickly became popular with fans. However, in a matter of a year, WWE brought him and Jeff Hardy back just in time for WrestleMania 33, thanks to the gimmick's success.

Did my 1st https://t.co/2luZD97wDC AMA livestream tonight. Covered tons! Comparing the pandemic events to fans in venue, the worst injury I’ve ever had, explaining Broken to Vince, breaking into the biz in the early 90s & so much more. WATCH IT HERE-https://t.co/hQ6teJUqMZ pic.twitter.com/5y05Gbm2IP

— MATT HARDY (@MATTHARDYBRAND) June 22, 2021

In his first-ever Twitch stream on his YouTube channel, the AEW star admitted that his reinvention played a vital role in his WWE comeback. He disclosed that despite Vince McMahon personally not understanding the Broken Hardy character well, he couldn't ignore the fact that fans across the globe chanted "Delete."

“One of the reasons I think we were asked to come back is because Vince kept saying ‘Why do these people keep saying delete? What is this delete s**t? Why do people keep going delete?’ Eventually, we spoke to him and that’s how we ended up back there. We came back, we were the Hardy Boyz and once Jeff got hurt, I was going to do a Woken Matt Hardy run,” said Hardy. (H/T - WrestlingInc)

Matt Hardy also revealed that Triple H did all the negotiations for his and Jeff's WWE return as the chairman had little idea about the gimmick.

Matt Hardy recalls meeting with WWE Chairman Vince McMahon

Matt Hardy also recalled his 30-minute meeting with Vince McMahon in WWE, where he finally got the chance to explain his character. He stated that it was one of his favorite memories in WWE, as Vince McMahon was very open-minded and welcoming towards his ideas.

Hardy added that the chairman stayed true to his words by letting him perform as Broken Hardy on WWE RAW, even allowing the iconic Ultimate Deletion Fight against Bray Wyatt.

“That was definitely one of the most interesting 30 minutes I ever had, especially telling him the whole idea of the essence of Broken Matt Hardy going from one body or vessel to another body over time. Explaining that to Vince McMahon was one of my favorite memories of all time. I remember there was a lot of ‘Hmmm, okay,’ and I know in his mind he’s going, this son of b***h is crazy. I had to sound like a mad man to him, an absolute madman. It was cool, it was fun and Vince really did stay open minded. He let me do Broken Matt on WWE T.V. and on top of that they had said we’re going to get some sort of compound deletion fight. He stayed true to his word, we really had to fight and work hard to do it,” recalled Matt Hardy.

The Broken Hardy gimmick didn't last long in WWE as an injury to Matt Hardy in July 2018 led to the character being disbanded. He returned with his brother Jeff Hardy, where the two reformed the Hardy Boyz and won the SmackDown Tag Team Championships.

Do you think the Broken Hardy gimmick wasn't used to its fullest potential by Vince McMahon and his creative team in WWE? Sound off in the comments section.