From the WWE rumour mill: WWE to use "Woken" terminology for Matt Hardy

What's the story?

It is being reported that WWE will be going ahead with "Woken" terminology for Matt Hardy instead of the original "Broken" term.

The apparent reason for this decision is that WWE wants to own the trademark and rights of this gimmick since Matt is all set to get the rights to the original Broken gimmick.

In case you didn't know...

Matt Hardy debuted his Broken gimmick in 2016 when he was working for Impact Wrestling. Matt completely changed his persona as a part of the gimmick and started behaving in a very eccentric manner.

The gimmick was highly popular not just in TNA but also the entire independent circuit, making Matt one of the top superstars not signed with WWE.

Ever since Matt made his return to WWE at Wrestlemania 33, fans have been wanting to see that side of Matt in the WWE ring. However, that was not possible due to an ensuing legal battle for the rights of the gimmick between Anthem sports (current owners of Impact) and Matt Hardy.

It looks like that battle will be coming to an end now, and Matt will get the rights to the gimmick finally.

The heart of the matter

Although Matt may have the trademark for the "Broken" gimmick, WWE will be sure to change the gimmick enough to make it completely their own property.

That is the primary reason that they will trademark this new version of the gimmick under the "Woken" terminology.

It is actually a blessing in disguise for Matt Hardy as he can continue with the same gimmick in the future even if he leaves the WWE under the "Broken" name.

What's next?

This news has come at a great time for the fans and Matt Hardy himself, as Matt Hardy had been languishing ever since Jeff Hardy was injured.

The new character will give Matt a freshness in his character that has been lacking for the past few months and might result in a long-deserved push.

A feud with Bray Wyatt seems to be on the cards as of now.

Author's take

Matt Hardy has been one of the most consistent performers in the world of sports-entertainment and it is good to see that he will finally be getting the spotlight again in WWE.

With Jeff Hardy out of action, this is the perfect opportunity for the WWE to rebrand Matt and push him as a singles competitor as the crowd is solidly behind him and he continues to be one of the most popular superstars on RAW.

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