Over the course of the last year, there have been a lot of rumors that the Hardy Boyz would take their extremely unique “Broken” gimmick and return to WWE, but nothing was ever confirmed. Many thought that TNA Impact Wrestling would do whatever necessary to hold onto the hearts of their company, but that doesn’t appear to be true. Now, the Hardy Boyz are closer than ever to leaving TNA and making their long-awaited WWE comeback.
UPDATE at 5:45 p.m. ET
According to Pro Wrestling Sheet , the Hardy Boyz will not be re-signing with TNA Impact Wrestling due to feeling disrespected during contract talks. Apparently, TNA tried to sneak in clauses to receive extra income from the Hardys’ outside TNA gigs and also wanted to make the deals longer.
When the agent for Matt Hardy told him there were other interested promotions, TNA said, “Well, tell them to go to WWE then.” This did not sit well with Jeff Hardy who called off all negotiations. Matt continued to try to talk things through, but it didn’t go well during that either.
TNA is said to be trying to get their TNA Tag Titles back from the brothers.
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Last week, PW Mania reported that the contracts of the Hardy Boyz were set to expire within a week, and fans now know that they will be up on Wednesday, March 1. TNA is set to have their next set of tapings on Thursday, and it now is seeming more likely that they won’t be there.
According to Dave Meltzer, by way of Wrestling Inc. , things are really leaning toward the Hardys making their WWE return sometime in the near future. They are not accepting any independent bookings after May, and now Broken Matt Hardy says the upcoming week is going to be “intriguing.”
It shall be an INTRIGUING week for the professional wrestling industry. pic.twitter.com/8pDkzwJu3y
— #BROKEN Matt Hardy (@MATTHARDYBRAND) February 27, 2017
The upcoming Impact tapings are built around the Hardy Boyz as they are the current TNA World Tag Team Champions. If the Hardys aren’t there, it could really cause a lot of issues for Jeff Jarrett and the entire company, and that certainly appears to be the direction things are heading.
Matt Hardy also announced on his Twitter account that the Hardy Boyz are closing up their online store, which has been in operation for close to five years. This is a huge source of income for the family, and it is interesting that they choose to close it now.
Matt’s wife also tweeted that she was the one running the online store and that it needs to close because she can’t keep up with the demand of the fans. She stated that it may start up again in the future, but with a new baby on the way, it just isn’t possible.
…I am no longer able to run the shop in the way Matt’s fans deserve. I will likely revisit the idea after the new baby is here, but…
— Reby Hardy (@RebyHardy) February 26, 2017
…for now, it’s impossible to be @BABYHARDYBRAND ‘S Mommy, while making another kid; there are just too many sick/slow days to run properly.
— Reby Hardy (@RebyHardy) February 26, 2017
The fact that the Hardy Boyz have not been signed to new deals, are not accepting new independent bookings, and are closing up their online store are all signs they are closer to WWE than ever before. There is no guarantee in that, but it isn’t like TNA is doing a lot to salvage their roster right now.
The Wrestling Observer also reported that TNA has essentially parted ways with former world champion Drew Galloway, and that is just another poor move. His contract was set to expire this week at the same time as the Hardy Boyz.
No official announcement has come from TNA, but Galloway did let the world know that things would not continue as they were.
Thank you @IMPACTWRESTLING for these past two years & everything we achieved together. I’ll miss everyone & I’ll see you down that long road
— Drew Galloway (@GallowaySpeaks) February 27, 2017
Galloway is going to continue working with EVOLVE, ICW, and even some promotions in the United Kingdom, so he won’t be hungry for work. The fact that his contract was close to expiring and TNA never even reached out to him to talk about renewing it is what ultimately led to him choosing to leave.
There is no word on whether Galloway will return to WWE, but the Hardy Boyz are really up in the air right now. Still, a lot of signs are pointing toward their jumping ship.
Losing the Hardy Boyz would be devastating to TNA Impact Wrestling as they have become the focal point of the promotion. They’re also the reason that the company has brought back even some of the prominence that it used to have, but the company doesn’t seem concerned with their departure. If they do leave and return to WWE, it is going to come back to bite them as the “Broken” gimmick will be huge under Triple H and Vince McMahon.
[Featured Image by TNA Impact Wrestling]