WWE: The Latest Evolution of the Hardy Boys

WWE fans may not get to see the “broken” gimmick of Matt and Jeff Hardy and this may be a good thing.

Part of the genius of the Broken Matt and Brother Nero personalities invented by Matt and Jeff Hardy is that they were such a departure from anything we had seen previously that even professional wrestling fans were taken aback. We are used to larger than life characters acting out our favorite violent soap opera and we expect them to be entertaining but few (if any) of us expected to be part of such a unique experience.

Now that the Hardys have returned to WWE, many fans are wondering when and if we will see this same routine that put them back on the professional wrestling radar. The RAW after WrestleMania is always a rowdy and raucous affair. After the ovation the Hardys received during their return at the Granddaddy of Them it was only fitting to see the RAW crowd give them something similar as they defended their newly won tag team titles. Both men later appeared on RAW Talk to discuss their return to the WWE and Matt’s self-awareness may well represent another turning point for the legendary duo:

"“Maybe before we truly were the Hardy Boyz, maybe now we’re the Hardy Men, we’re grown up.”"

Since leaving WWE in 2010 both men have become fathers and this alone is enough to change your perspective about pretty much everything in and out of the ring. As we have seen with the return of other superstars like Goldberg and Kurt Angle, many professional wrestlers consider WWE to be their home and prefer to finish their careers here than anywhere else. While fans are undoubtedly hoping to see the broken characters eventually, the two men don’t seem to be in any rush to introduce them. In fact, Jeff views their return to WWE as possibly the final chapter in their long journey from Cameron, North Carolina in the early 1990s to their inevitable induction into the WWE Hall of Fame.

"“The perfect story with a perfect ending.”"

The most notable aspect of their appearance on RAW Talk was the absence of any of the typical quirks or unique phrases fans have grown accustomed to hearing when either of the brothers would speak. The fact that Matt and Jeff seemed…well…normal, seems to be confirmation that the WWE will be giving us Team Extreme for the foreseeable future. This doesn’t mean we won’t get some version of the Broken Universe or maybe something entirely new, which wouldn’t be all bad either.

Whether or not the Hardys “own” the broken personas and the ongoing legal battles associated with them may become moot points if the two men simply decide to create new characters for this run in the WWE. This would not only solve old problems but give fans something new and different. Matt and Jeff have proven they can craft something special several times before and there’s no reason to think they can’t do it again.

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