B/R Exclusive: AEW's Matt Hardy Explains Why He Scaled Back 'Broken' Character

When "Broken" Matt Hardy made his All Elite Wrestling debut in March, he did so in front of an empty arena as the company closed its doors to live fans for the first time because of the pandemic. The wrestling star stared down The Inner Circle from the stands as Chris Jericho and company watched one of the most creative talents in the industry introduce himself to their promotion.

Hardy's debut grabbed headlines, but there was no denying how much bigger the moment would've been if there was a crowd there reacting to it. The pop could've easily been the largest in AEW's short history, and Hardy himself would be the first to agree.

"In a perfect world, I would've loved to debut in front of a bunch of fans," Hardy told Bleacher Report. "The reaction would've been amazing. I debuted in front of no fans and I still haven't done a show in front of fans yet, and one of the coolest aspects of AEW is their fans. They're so intense and so passionate, and I haven't even experienced that yet."

Since joining AEW, Hardy helped The Elite fend off The Inner Circle multiple times. However, no match stood out more than the infamous Stadium Stampede in which the two stables brawled throughout a near 67,000-seat venue.

One of the most memorable moments of their bout was when Santana and Ortiz dunked Hardy in the stadium's swimming pool, which acted as a version of a "Lake of Reincarnation" as Hardy cycled through various gimmicks he's had throughout his career.

Since then, he's referred to himself as the "Multifarious" Matt Hardy, allowing him to assume any one of his former characters when he chooses. In recent weeks, we've seen a much more ordinary, conventional Hardy who has gone away from the Broken character the AEW fanbase has come to know since his debut.

According to Hardy, this is a strategic adjustment made by him and the AEW front office while they continue to compete without fans in attendance.

"Broken Matt Hardy is a very interactive performer with the crowd," Hardy said. "I think he really utilizes the crowd well. It works for me to have a crowd to play off of, but now I'm changing my game plan a little bit because I'm just playing to a television audience.

"With no fans, I'm not going to be a larger-than-life theatrical performer like I typically am. I'm going to reel back a little more into the real me and focus more on that."

It's not often that a wrestler as popular as Hardy makes this kind of change to a beloved character. We've seen face and heel turns in the business before, but this is different. It's a unique transition and a reminder that the pandemic has even forced wrestlers to adjust to the times if they feel uncomfortable with the direction they're headed.

Without the power of a live crowd, Hardy knew it was time for a change.

"I think the next thing you're going to see out of Matt Hardy on AEW is going back to the normal me," the 45-year-old said. "From that persona, we'll stretch out into the different identities or personas that I've portrayed throughout my career.

"I think now because we're playing to a television audience, the best scenario is to be more of me and more of a real-life character in many aspects at least until we have the crowds back. Then when the moment's right, we can branch back out into the multiverse and the Multifarious Matt Hardy."

It sounds like the theatrical Broken Matt Hardy is on hiatus until live crowds return, but at least fans will get to witness creative ideas Hardy has for his more versatile character over the foreseeable future. Will we see more of Version 1, The Sensei of Mattitude and maybe even Million Dollar Matt Hardy? Only time will tell.