5 Reasons why 'Woken' Matt Hardy won't work in WWE

Having been teased with bits and pieces of his famous 'Broken' persona since Wrestlemania back in April when he and his brother Jeff re-debuted with the WWE, fans have been longing for Matt Hardy to bring forth his inter-dimensional alter-ego in full force.

However, as you know, legal issues with TNA surrounding ownership of the 'intellectual property' had stifled both Hardy and Vince McMahon from giving the people what they want. But, it finally appears as though the WWE has taken the plunge with the character, having Hardy take part in video segments in which he refers to himself as 'Woken'.

Fans, and the internet, understandably exploded with joy, but given his success in the indies since leaving the company several years ago, will the same approach work for Hardy on the biggest scale?

Here are five reasons why 'Woken' Matt Hardy won't work in WWE.

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#1 The passage of time

The Hardyz Return

As we have discussed, it was way back in April that Matt and Jeff re-debuted with the company that made them famous, capturing the Raw tag team titles in a stunning surprise. But, while Matt was clearly eager to offer fans a taste of what was hoped to come, gesturing his popular 'Delete' motions, from this moment on he never fully immersed himself in character in front of the camera for obvious legal reasons regarding TNA.

The best possible time to do this was at Mania. Now eight months later, it could be said that some of the steam surrounding Hardy's return has worn off, leaving the more impatient of WWE fans uninspired by the long-awaited emergence of the 'Broken' one.

They're happy he's here, but by now, do they really care?

#2 Further legal issues

Will legality cause a problem?

It's been highly publicised within the online wrestling community that TNA and their relevant companies were adamant the 'Broken' Matt Hardy character was their intellectual property. For months after his return, Hardy was unable to give the fans what they had spent so long admiring in TNA.

Now that he has finally become 'Woken' it appears as though some kind of agreement has been reached between the two rival companies. But, unless that includes a full purchase or recognition of ownership of the character that does not mean these kinds of problems won't become apparent again. It might be worth checking up on the specifics of the deal.

#3 The disappearance of 'Brother Nero'

Brother Nero is Missing.

Yes, it is safe to say that Matt Hardy has been the creative captain steering the 'Broken' gimmick to ridiculous levels of popularity. But, it's also safe to say that he became an online powerhouse thanks to the inclusion of his brother Jeff. Or, 'Brother Nero.'

However, at this moment, Jeff is out of action with an injury. Rather than having started off his 'Woken' gimmick in WWE with a singles run, would it have not made more sense to wait for the return of Jeff to give the fans the full 'Deleted' experience?

#4 Singles or Tag Team?

The Broken Hardyz

Speaking of Brother Nero, now that the gimmick appears to be safely in the hands of the WWE the inevitable question remains: Will creative choose to focus their popularity as a tag team or in singles competition?

It appears as though Matt will be engaging in a feud with Bray Wyatt (an understandable choice) to start things off. But, when Jeff is able to return will it be tag team action for the brothers full time? Given the state of the two individual divisions at the moment, this could be the most important decision of the whole 'Broken' affair.

In my view, they would make more sense as a tag team. Individually, they're great. But as 'The Broken Hardyz', they're sensational. Running them both as singles competitors could be a mistake.

#5 Creative control

Will Vince interfere?

While Matt Hardy and his brother retained virtually all creative control of the 'Broken' gimmick throughout their entire indie run, the WWE is a very different machine. Specifically speaking, creatives and writers are more so the ones in charge of what goes on in front of the cameras, not talent. It's rumored that, at the moment, Vince McMahon is happy to let Hardy run with his 'Woken' character however he sees fit, and who can blame him given its popularity.

That, however, does not mean there will be no interference further down the line. Or, perhaps the character and the gimmick will be taken in an overall direction Hardy won't be happy with. Hopefully, this won't happen and Hardy will be able to take the gimmick to new heights, perhaps even a surreal world title run, but don't be surprised if people start sticking their nose in Hardy's universe.