Matt Hardy explains why Tony Khan moved away from the “Broken Matt” gimmick at AEW

Former AEW star Matt Hardy has revealed why he put the “Broken” gimmick on hold during his AEW career and switched to the “Big Money” character.

Hardy's AEW career was marked by many moments that will be etched in the minds of AEW fans, most notably his debut on the first episode of “AEW Dynamite” which took place at Daily's Place during the COVID-19 pandemic. Hardy revived his infamous “Broken” gimmick of Matt Hardy in the lead-up to the first-ever Stadium Stampede match at Double or Nothing 2020. The “Broken” gimmick did not last long, however, as he returned to his “Big Money” Matt persona when his feud with Sammy Guevara ended and his feud with Hangman Page began. He explained the reasoning behind the change on his podcast “Extreme Life of Matt Hardy.”

Advertising

“'Broken' Matt Hardy wasn't Tony Khan's cup of tea anyway,” Hardy said. “I think 'Big Money Matt' is a guy who brags about his wealth and status and how much money he's made in this industry, whatever, because if you pay attention right after we made The Elite Deletion, you see me on TV doing promos bragging about how I destroyed Sammy and that was the best thing on the pay-per-view. The wheels were already in motion to make 'Big Money' Matt.”

After both roles ran their course, Hardy joined his brother Jeff Hardy in AEW in hopes of cementing their status as one of the greatest tag teams of all time. Although they vowed to end their careers with an AEW Tag Team Championship run under their belts, the Hardys never won the titles and eventually left the company in 2024.

Advertising

If you use quotes from this article, please credit The Extreme Life of Matt Hardy and send an H/T to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.