Matt Hardy has shed some light on the decision for The Hardys to drop the TNA World Tag Team Championships at TNA Lockdown.
Matt and Jeff Hardy lost the titles to Nic and Ryan Nemeth in the main event of the August 23 pay-per-view at Credit Union 1 Arena in Chicago, Illinois. The match took place inside the steel cage and brought The Hardys’ latest championship reign to an end.
Speaking on the latest episode of his podcast, Matt indicated that Jeff’s ongoing difficulties entering Canada played a role in the title change, with TNA holding television tapings in Brampton, Ontario, following this week’s live episode of iMPACT.
“Couple things went down there,” Hardy said. “First and foremost, TVs are in Canada and still Jeff has some difficulties coming into Canada. So, I actually kind of like what’s going on here because they’re really highlighting Nic Nemeth. They’re trying to turn him into a big deal because he is going to be the guy that Leon Slater is going to be going against when it’s all said and done.”
Hardy also pointed toward the company’s apparent long-term plans for Slater, who currently holds the TNA World Championship.
“And I think we’re hoping to make Leon Slater, when it’s all said and done, the youngest TNA World Champion of all time,” he continued. “So, we went in there, we had our match, ended up being happy with it, although the show was heavy and we lost time going in there, which is something that should not happen to the people who are the main.”
According to Hardy, the Lockdown card running long also affected the tag team title main event, with the match ultimately losing approximately six minutes from what had originally been planned.
As for where the story is headed, Hardy expects Nic Nemeth to receive a significant push as a heel as TNA continues building toward his eventual showdown with Slater.
“I think right now there’s going to be a lot of spotlight put on Nic Nemeth to really make him this heel that you want to see Leon Slater overcome and follow Leon Slater’s journey,” Hardy added.
