Fans of the “Woken” Matt Hardy may not have reason to celebrate today, as the ring veteran of nearly 26 years has all but announced his official retirement from the ring.
According to The Mirror , Hardy spoke out on social media on the matter following a live WWE event in Corpus Christi last night.
“It is time for me to go home…to be a father and a husband. I did so much more than I ever imagined I would do in this industry. Thanks for making this incredible journey with me, ladies and gentlemen. I love you all… I wanted to send a message to the fans who have allowed me to live my dream for so many years. This is all I have ever wanted to do and I have done it at the highest level for 26 years… There has been a lot of speculation for a while about me wrestling any longer. The WWE let me fulfill my televised commitments. Never say never but this is most likely the last time you will see Matt Hardy in a WWE ring.”
Matt Hardy has rung up an impressive roster of achievements in the squared circle since making his return to the company that made him famous, coming back last year. Since then, Hardy has captured the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal trophy with some help from Bray Wyatt, along with the RAW Tag Team Championship beside brother Jeff Hardy during their impromptu debut match. He formed the short-lived tag team entitled “The Deleters of Worlds” with Bray Wyatt in an angle that appealed to fans of the “Broken” Matt Hardy character that had become quite famous on competing product Impact Wrestling.
During his career, Hardy accrued 13 tag team championships — nine of them with the WWE.
While it’s still a bit early to judge whether or not the news is earnest, it appears to be legitimate rather than a work or scripted storyline. Reports that Hardy’s pelvis has fused with his spine have contributed to the gravitas of the retirement announcement, lending it credence, details WhatCulture . Fan reaction has been nearly unanimous on popular social media platform Twitter, with wrestling aficionados from around the world chiming in to offer their support and regrets that they will no longer get to see Hardy — and his wild persona — perform.
Gutted Matt Hardy’s had to retire. The way he reinvigorated his career with the Broken gimmick was amazing and his return at WM33 is one of my favourite moments as a wrestling fan.
— Hieronymus Kosh (@JaseCurtis) September 16, 2018
My introduction to wrestling was through video games and my 3 first favourites were Rey, Jericho and Matt Hardy. It’s a weird feeling seeing someone who influenced my taste in wrestlers retire without fanfare. I’m hoping for the best for him.
— A-A-Ron (@YouDoneMessdUp) September 16, 2018
At least one Hardy brother is still set to perform, with Jeff Hardy scheduled to compete at tonight’s WWE Hell in a Cell pay-per-view. Jeff Hardy faces off against Randy Orton in front of a San Antonio, Texas, crowd. The match will, in fact, be a Hell in a Cell match, with the steel surrounding them both.
Will Jeff Hardy celebrate his brother’s retirement with a stunning Swanton Bomb tonight? Only time will tell — although Jeff Hardy has gone on the record as stating that he is using the move less frequently due to lower back problems, reports GiveMeSports .