5 roles in WWE that Matt Hardy could undertake now that he's retired

Well, it had been a long time coming, the rumours were circulating, and we had prepared for the worst with regards to Matt Hardy - but the bad news was finally confirmed today.

In a poignant message to the world, a sombre but grateful Matt Hardy spoke from the heart, ditching his Woken gimmick, to address the rumours that he may have wrestled his last match - and, well, it seems he has.

The secret was out the bag earlier this week when Hardy reportedly told a fan this week that he'd wrestled his last match, and The Woken One spoke after the Corpus Christi live event to say the time has come and he won't be returning to the ring any time in the near future.

It was first reported weeks ago that Matt Hardy was taking an extensive period of time away from the ring due to an issue which is causing his spine and pelvis to fuse, likely due to years of physical wear and tear - but after his wife, Rebecca, spoke about the injury and photos emerged of Matt backstage in a suit learning the ropes to prepare him for when the inevitable occurred, it seemed like it was all but confirmed.

The former TNA World Heavyweight Champion and multi-time WWE Tag Team Champion did say, "Never say never," but an out-of-character Hardy delivered a very heartfelt message, which you can watch below.

So, what's next for Matt Hardy? He said, "It's time to go home," but after spending a lifetime in the business, is his home in the wrestling industry? With such a great mind for the business, I look at five roles Matt could transition into to stay in WWE.

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#5 Backstage role - producer/booking agent

Matt Hardy is said to be learning the ropes backstage

Well, let's get the obvious one out of the way first. Ever since the news of Hardy's injury emerged, rumours arose that Hardy may be learning the ropes backstage and could very well transition into a producer role - confirmed by the man himself and his wife shortly after.

As we've seen with matches that have recently been produced by the likes of Shawn Michaels and Tyson Kidd, a producer role something that would be a no-brainer with Hardy's in-ring experience coupled with the creative streak that saw the "Broken" character birthed.

This would be an awesome role for Matt Hardy and, while we might not see much of the man himself on television, everyone would reap the rewards of his unique way of thinking.

Knocking Day 2 out.. pic.twitter.com/FGtzkvFpLx

— MATTHEW MOORE HARDY (@MATTHARDYBRAND) August 20, 2018

#4 No role at all

Will Matt Hardy delete himself?

Well, let's go from one extreme to the other. At the end of his video, Matt Hardy did say he has a wife and children, and it's "time to go home."

Maybe the time is finally up for the Woken One and he is actually going to completely retire from the wrestling industry. After spending what must seem like an eternity in the business, maybe it's too difficult being so close to the ring without being able to actually compete - and goodness knows what other roles lay outwith the wrestling industry for a man as creative as Matt Hardy?!

So, could it be that Matt Hardy might actually delete himself from the wrestling industry and let the legend live on in our minds and on the WWE Network?

Let's hope not.

#3 Manager

Could Matt be stepping outside the ropes?

This might arguably be the best option on the table. While Matt Hardy is a very experienced in-ring worker, his exploits in recent years have garnered more attention outside of the ring.

Matt Hardy birthed a wonderful character in the Broken version of himself, and just because he's no longer wrestling doesn't mean that we can't have the character as a manager for someone else - say an upcoming NXT talent, Bray Wyatt or even his own brother Jeff Hardy.

Jeff Hardy has been veering more towards the Brother Nero and Willow characters we've saw him become in the past, so becoming a fully-fledged Woken Warrior, as we've only seen glimpses of in WWE, may be a great idea, and with Matt in his corner, Jeff could be unstoppable!

BROTHER NERO, I knew you'd need me!

#2 Commentator

Could Matt Hardy join the commentary table?

Now, this would be... WONDERFUL!

Matt Hardy, particularly as his Broken and Woken self, is arguably one of the best talkers in the business. His vast vocabulary left every watcher hanging on every word, so surely making use of his vocal variety would be best for business!

Who can forget such catchphrases as "Humongous Wonder Number Eight" and "The Consumer of Terrestrial Entities"? And sure, there's no shortage of great commentators in WWE, but having Matt Hardy in a role where he talks for two or three hours straight?

Man, if you don't want that, you're just lying to yourself.

#1 General Manager

General Manager Matt Hardy?

Well, the most recent big-name retirement before Matt Hardy was... Paige!

While the saga surrounding her career-ending injury was slightly more drawn out than that of Hardy, there were a lot of similarities. Not least the fact that we'd already prepared ourselves for it happening, but it definitely still hit hard.

Could Matt Hardy follow Paige into the GM role?

With Kurt Angle no longer the Raw General Manager and Constable Corbin currently running the show in a very heel-ish fashion, a face Woken Matt Hardy coming back to save the day would be incredible.

Nothing makes great TV like a quirky, unpredictable general manager, and I'd love to see the kind of matches Matt Hardy would make if he were in charge...

What would you like to see Matt Hardy do next? Let us know in the comments.