AEW’s Matt Hardy has eagerly embraced his new role in the industry and the opportunity to mentor the next generation of pro wrestlers.
Hardy recently spoke with Justin Barrasso of Sports Illustrated to promote Tuesday’s live in-person episode of his “The Extreme Life of Matt Hardy” podcast at Kowloon’s near Boston. Hardy is no longer headlining shows, but he and brother Jeff Hardy are now focused on helping the next generation of wrestlers reach stardom. Hardy has worked with The Gunns (Austin, Colten) as of late, and he recalled wrestling with them backstage at WWE shows before they were even teenagers.
“I remember the Gunns as kids from when they were the ages of my own children,” Hardy recalled. “Now we’re wrestling them. How crazy is that? Father Time holds back for no one. As you get older, things change, but you have to make the most of it.”
Regarding his current role in helping the up & coming wrestlers, Hardy said he loves giving back and without veterans having that attitude, the business will be in trouble. Hardy added that pro wrestling has gotten “a lot more selfless” in the last three decades.
“I love giving back,” Hardy said. “When we were younger, I remember that being much bigger of an issue with the older talent. Myself and Jeff, we promised we’d never be those guys. It’s part of the responsibility to give younger guys a rub. Without people giving back, the business withers away. Someone made the older talent. Then comes the time to make someone new. The business has definitely gotten a lot more selfless over the past 30 years.”
Hardy’s recent storyline work has given a much bigger spotlight to Ethan Page and Isiah Kassidy. He revealed that his goal is to continue pushing until Page and Kassidy become cornerstones of AEW.
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