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Mike: Towards the end of the WWE run, we saw you with doing the angle with Randy Orton on behalf of Edge. Obviously you had been going back and forth all the way to the end here, just talking to them. Did you feel like that was your write off from the company at the time? Or did you feel like, "All right, well if I sign I'll be right back in the mix here and I can work with Randy down the line or do something with Edge down the line." In the moment, it seemed like that was this primed for something larger beyond what we just saw out of those appearances. So at that time period do you think they were kind of like trying to like lure, here's the carrot, here's the carrot, you could work with Randy, you'll be in a higher position or do you think it was just what we're going to use you to kind of expedite the Edge story without exposing Edge and having Edge on TV every week?
Matt Hardy: Yeah, I mean I think it was a little bit of both. They were still actively working to sign me and figure out something to do going forward. And it was just, I mean it was hard and I wasn't even set if I was going to stay there that I had to do Broken Matt because during the time that Jeff was gone for the last 10 or 11 months, I mean I submitted so many different ideas that I thought were great things. For instance, when I did that, I'd given them, because they have so much content, three hours of Raw, two hours of Smackdown. I even suggested on one of the shows, I said, "Could we have something for 15 minutes?" I wanted to come out. I wanted to address the Authority when they did the things that they were going to listen to the fans, however long it was, like a little over a year ago. Right?
Mike Johnson: It was over a year ago.
Matt Hardy: When was that? December 2018, whatever?
Mike Johnson: Yeah. January 2019.
Matt Hardy: My idea was like, I come out and I say, "I want to address these guys. I want to dialogue with you." And I was going to say like, they were going to say like, "What do you want? Do you want your release? Do you want to get fired? Whatever?" No, I want to stay the show because I feel like you guys are going back on your word some with what you're telling the people. You're not listening to them. I just want 15 minutes. Give me 15 minutes of the show and I want to make a segment called The Broken Block. I want to take guys like Ali, Apollo, Chad Gable, guys who are underutilized, use them, let them have bad ass matches and then throw a little bit of Broken Matt in there as well and actually be gone away for a while and come back as Broken Matt. I had a whole storyline about how to do that and just different things like that. I didn't want to be the champion. I want to do things that I could do to help other guys and do a little role. I feel like too, a little variety would help the show as well. So much content.
Mike Johnson: Talk us through that last week when you're going back and forth and you're trying to make your decision. WWE's waiting to hear, every independent promoters waiting to hear, your wife's waiting for you to decide. And I'm sure she had her voice involved. Where's the moment where you go, "All right, I'm just going to let the contract roll out and I'm going to step out and we're going to see what the world has for me." What's that moment like when you've been out there on the independents and you make the decision to come back to that Wrestlemania with Jeff and now this is the complete opposite decision. It’s an interesting time because AEW's out there, they're doing great business and because they're doing so well and they've signed so many talents, there's not as many "names" out there on the independent scene currently. That puts you in a position of you can work all week on every independent and be the top name on a lot of these shows now and be the top name. So, there’s lot of potential out there for you. Thinking about all that, what's that decision process like in the last week before you go, "All right, we're going to let the contract expire," and what's it like when you tell WWE?
Matt Hardy: I mean I was determined if I didn't get my dialogue and I didn't get my creative concerns addressed, I was going to leave. I just determined that. And it was like, I worked to do it and I have to talk about how great all the WWE people were and they treated me great while I was there, very professional, took great care of me. And even dealing with everyone with the Mark Carranos and the Triple Hs and everybody else, they were great all the way out. It's like I didn't want to leave, but I had to leave that creative process.
Mike Johnson: So Vince McMahon calls you right now and says, "Hey pal, we're going to give you what you want," do you go back now or do you feel like you've taken your step into the next world?
Matt Hardy: I mean there would be a possibility, but I would need assurances. This is really important to me, like how I do these next three or four years. I'm not 25 or 30 years old. I have some good matches left in me, but I don't have a good match every day of the week, and I can't do it four or five days a week like I used to. I just don't bounce back like that.
Mike Johnson: The bump card's gotten pretty full.
Matt Hardy: Yes. I mean I just know I have to be utilized and I still think there's going to be some stuff I do coming up that's going to surprise people like, "Oh my God, I can't believe he did that," because the way you're utilized makes all the difference in the world, and I just wasn't happy with my utilization with WWE for the last year.
Interview continues on Page 4!
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