Former professional wrestler Booker T. Erik Williams-USA TODAY Sports

WWE legend says Hardys were 'mismanaged and misused' in AEW

By Adam Taylor | Last updated 7/8/24

Matt and Jeff Hardy have both left AEW. Despite reportedly being free agents, they are currently appearing on TNA programming.

Neither brother found success while working for Tony Khan's company. WWE legend Booker T detailed where things went wrong in a recent episode of his "The Hall of Fame" podcast.

"That experiment in AEW, it did not work out at all," Booker T said. "It didn’t work out at all, because, again, I thought they were mismanaged and misused in AEW. They just weren’t used properly. That’s all ... The way Tony Khan books matches, I would imagine he was reliving a lot of those Hardy matches that they had had before like, ‘Man, we could do some really, really great stuff here with The Hardys.’ Expecting The Hardys to still be able to go out there and do it like they did it when they were in their prime. And nothing against The Hardys man, but Father Time waits for no man.”

AEW's booking has come under consistent scrutiny this year. Khan has constructed a talented roster. However, countless talents under contract seldom get television time. Fans are tuning in each week without knowing which talents they will see. That leads to disjointed storylines and many flat moments with the crowd and fans watching at home.

The Hardys aren't the elite tag team they once were. They are at the end of their careers. Asking them to do high-flying moves night after night isn't a possibility. Since moving to TNA, they've been given a legitimate storyline that allows them to wrestle a style that suits their current skills while still getting them over with the fanbase.

Failing at AEW isn't a knock on The Hardys' legacy. Multiple veterans and top talents have struggled to crack the roster. Jay White was billed as a major star when he left New Japan Pro Wrestling but has been glued to a mid-card slot since signing with AEW.

As such, Booker T's comments appear to be right on the money. The Hardys were brought in to be a historical version of themselves. When that didn't work, they were stuck at the bottom of the card.

At least now both Matt and Jeff are finding some rhythm with TNA and are working toward bowing out of the industry on their own terms.

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