The Hardys are the current TNA Tag Team Champions and one of the most iconic duos in the history of professional wrestling having spent time in every major promotion. We sat down with them to reflect on their legendary careers, the moments they’ve created and asked them about a range of topics.
Matt on Jeff’s legacy in wrestling:
Matt:“I think Jeff will go down as one of the most death-defying, fearless, adrenaline junkie performers that has ever existed. Someone who was iconic because of the crazy stunts he did, tables matches, ladder matches, TLC matches, and a true pioneer.”
“I felt like Jeff touches many people across many different cultures, he is very very beloved and I think part of that is because we seem like attainable, normal people who fans of us would be friends with if they knew us. That’s just how we see it, we come from a small country town in North Carolina and I think that stands out. I people look at Jeff and are inspired, by him, his career and all the things that he does.”
Matt Hardy with his TNA Tag Team Championship.
Jeff on Matt’s legacy in wrestling:
Jeff: “Oh man, definitely as a genius, a great mind for professional wrestling. I’ve always been more of a moment guy but when it comes to storytelling and psychology he’s more of that type of brain. Even when he’s not wrestling anymore I see him involved behind the scenes for the rest of his life.”
If they feel pressure to keep taking bumps and how they manage to keep performing at a high level:
Matt: “We don’t necessarily feel pressured to take bumps but I feel just our performance in general, and whatever story we’re trying to tell, I feel like we want to make those as good as possible. As time has gone on I feel like both Jeff and myself have learned to work smarter as opposed to working harder. We know what we can do and that whether we’ll be okay to be able to bounce back the next day. But we also know the things that we shouldn’t do, so we’re trying to work smart.”
Jeff: “It slowly started to come back to me, for example that last tables match we had with The System, that Swanton Bomb I did to end the match was so identical to the one I did to Devon Dudley twenty years ago in Madison Square Garden but way more sketchy because the table was all diagonal. That’s what I live for, that’s kind of my spot in pro-wrestling, to create moments like that. I want to continue to do this for as long as I can because I think I was born to create those moments.”
“Wrestling for TNA has been a lifesaver. They really helped me out when I needed it most and gave me a platform to perform and be employed through some dark days in my life. So I’m so grateful for that and this is my opportunity to pay them back for all the support and chances they’ve given me over the years. Now to have this opportunity to shine as champions again, it just feels so good and so rewarding – which inspires me to keep doing what I’ve been doing.”
Physical health, fitness and mental health:
Matt: “I hope people look at it as an example like hey if this guy can do all the crazy stuff he’s done for 33 years and still be okay, competitive and still push himself then hopefully it motivates them to. That’s something I preach really hard, when you’re young you don’t realise how gifted and how blessed you are to be health and be able to whatever.”
“As you get older and your body ages it’s very important that you start to get some sort of exercise and strengthen your muscles so you keep tissue and stay strong. That way you can still take care of yourself. I’m a big advocate of that and my brother is too.”
Jeff: “I’m huge into meditation these days. I never really understood meditation but this go-around getting sober, I really started to understand it. How to actually get out in nature beside a flow of water and give my mind a break from the everyday stressors. I’ve got really good at it, too, where thirty minutes can feel like two minutes sometimes.”
“I feel so blessed to have got to know Darby Allin a little bit during my time in AEW and to work with him two times. That last match we had kind of refilled my soul for pro-wrestling again He does saunas and ice baths and that really intrigued me, so that’s really something I want to add to my repertoire.”
Jeff Hardy has always been one of wrestling’s biggest daredevils.
The Rascalz, the tag team they’ll face at TNA Genesis (2025) for the TNA Tag team Championships:
Matt: “We heavily influenced those guys, they were the Hardy Boys and now their dream is coming true. They remind us of us in the year 2000. They’re fast, they’re quick they’re talented and can do all kinds of cool things.”
“So, we’re going to lean on our experience for this match because we’ve been those guys too, and we know what its like to face a bigger more fierce opponent, so we’re going to cut them off when they start trying to get super fancy. But they’re great guys, great professional wrestlers, and good human beings.”
Jeff: “I’ve been watching at least one Rascalz match every morning after I finish my workout, just to kind of study what they do. Some of the combos they do has inspired some Hardy Boys combos that we might try to pull out at Genesis. So yeah, they’ve kept me on my toes as far as being creative so I think it’s going to be a good mix of old versus new.”
Music to get pumped before a match:
Matt: “My favourite music has always been rap with Public Enemy being my favourite band of all time. Songs like Shut ‘Em Down and Bring The Noise gets me going. There’s a version of Puffed Up Kicks done by Three Teeth that’ll make you want to run through a wall! Pearl Jam, Kings of Leon, I listen to a lot of those guys too. I listen to a little but of everything.”
Jeff: “The grundge movement really chanced my human existence. It really opened my mind to how powerful and how game changing a song can be for you when you relate and connect with it. So, Peal Jam, their first album just never gets old – ever. It’ll always be cool for the rest of time. I’m a big fan of Bring Me The Horizon now, especially one of their songs called Mantra. I have to listen to that before I go out to face The Rascalz to get me fired up.”
TNA Genesis (2025) will take place on January 19, 2025, at the Curtis Culwell Center in Garland, Texas.
You can listen to the audio from the chat on the Wrestlesphere YouTube!
