DR TNA asked me to swap with him this week, and since I had this mostly written by mid-week, I obliged.
Over the past week, Matt Hardy has created quite a stir both in the WWE and the IWC.
As has been reported on this site and others, there was plenty of controversy surrounding Hardy during WWE’s recent European Tour. Matt was apparently not in the best of shape nor in the best mindset overseas, and WWE decided to pull the plug on one scheduled appearance, a week after reported “concerns” about his condition at a U.S. house show.
Then, just when you think you’ve seen everything in pro wrestling, Matt decided to go rogue against WWE protocol and broadcast the following video on YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LdIpHUXyDCk&feature=player_embedded#!
Lastly, we have Matt Hardy’s very own tweets, reposted below for your consumption, as he hints towards a possible (and perhaps inevitable) WWE release:
* Here’s a quick hello to all my people & a reassurance to everyone that I’m fine, healthy, & in good spirits. Thx for all of your support.
* When the time is right, I’ll put everything out there as far as what “really†went down. I know I have to protect me & my brand, & I will.
* I appreciate my fans so much that I’ll always be honest with them, & the whole story certainly isn’t out there now.
* I appreciate all of the things the WWE has done 4 me in the past, they have been gracious to me-but now, it’s decision time for me. Thx all.
Just looking at all of this chatter and speculation that has transpired in such a short span of time, I have come to two possible conclusions:
1. Matt Hardy has serious health issues that both he and WWE have grossly neglected over the past year, he has not had any time to recuperate from such injuries based on WWE’s heavily scrutinized year-round schedule without an offseason, and now that he has broken rank WWE will try to distance themselves from Matt regardless of any competitive consequences they may have to deal with by discarding him; or
2. Matt Hardy has serious health issues that both he and WWE have grossly neglected over the past year, he has not had any time to recuperate from such injuries based on WWE’s heavily scrutinized year-round schedule without an offseason, and now Matt has seen the writing on the wall and therefore he’s finally taking control of his own life by breaking rank and acting out in order to expedite his release so he can join TNA with his brother Jeff and work a lighter schedule.
While there are differences to be found in both of my proposed scenarios — the first examines WWE’s possible perspective on the situation while the second assumes that Matt is trying to do all he can to get out of his WWE contract — the common thread I’d like to break down is this:
Matt Hardy has serious health issues…
Talking about abdominal pain and exploding intestines on a YouTube video qualifies.
…that both he and WWE have grossly neglected over the past year…
WWE seemingly has no problem looking the other way when it’s convenient for them and the wrestlers themselves “play hurt” all the time for a variety of reasons, such as fear of losing their spots, fear of missing out on paydays, and fear of being labeled as unreliable and/or replaceable parts.
…[and] he has not had any time to recuperate from such injuries based on WWE’s heavily scrutinized year-round schedule without an offseason.
When the wrestlers work a year-round schedule without any offseason, they simply aren’t given the proper time to recover and recuperate from any injury. And so when a veteran like Matt Hardy — who has sacrificed his body, mind, heart, and soul for his adoring fans that helped line WWE’s fattened pockets during the Attitude Era and beyond — goes up and down the road to show after show after show, his injuries mount, his ability to fully recover from those injuries suffers, and he finds himself in a situation like the one he experienced in Europe.
As for WWE’s role in this whole thing, it’s becoming clearer and clearer that they have seriously neglected the health and wellness of their superstars by insisting on a heavy weekly workload that is filled with wear and tear both inside the ring and out.
My question is this: If Matt Hardy has been injured all year, why was he allowed to press on week after week after week for so long until now? Were they simply waiting for him to implode, or were they slyly running one of their veteran horses into the ground until he couldn’t get back up for anymore fights?
As a pro wrestling catchphrase, Matt Hardy used to say, I Will Not Die:
Here’s to hoping that this will remain the case for a very long time, and that Matt Hardy will now be able to find new life however — and wherever — he is booked next.
That’s all from me this week — CB.
