Impact Wrestling President Says WWE Has “No Interest” In Broken Hardy Gimmick; Matt Responds
Ed Nordholm, President of Impact Wrestling, was a guest on this week’s The LAW: Live Audio Wrestling radio show. During the interview, he was asked about the Broken Hardy gimmick, who owns it, if WWE has any interest in obtaining it and if something can be worked out.
On Impact Wrestling unquestionably owning the Broken Hardy gimmick.
“I think it’s unquestionable that the ownership of the characters in the storyline resides in Impact Wrestling. I don’t think even the Hardys would dispute that. They’ve all signed contracts. Their contracts are standard contracts. Not only in the wrestling industry, but in the entertainment industry, generally, the producer of the show owns the content and it doesn’t really matter who in the creative team came up with the idea of what the character should be. The person that owns the storyline and the character is the person who invested to take that idea and put it on TV. That’s what we did. Impact put those characters on TV, and the contracts with those people are indisputably contracts that provide their IP to Impact.”
On being open to speaking with the Hardy’s and WWE having no interest in the Broken gimmick.
“Oh, of course. I was open to speaking before and I’m open now. We’ve offered many times to find an arrangement with the Hardys that would allow them to continue to use the gimmick within reasonable parameters as to what’s important to us and what would be important to them. I understand with the dynamic of their move to the WWE and drama with which they created that launch – I understand their plan to create maximum “heat” in that period from when they announced to us that they weren’t going to sign the contracts, to the date that they revealed their new location. But I kinda half-expected that once that had been achieved, the thing would die its own natural death because as far as I know, the WWE doesn’t want the gimmick, and indeed, from every conversation I’ve had with them, I’ve been told they have no interest in it.”
When asked if the WWE is trying to obtain the Broken gimmick from them.
“Oh god, no. We’ve been in communication because there’s all this chatter about how we’re keeping it from them. [Laughs] I’m taking heat because I’m keeping something from you. If you want it, why don’t you call me? And their answer to me has been, ‘No, not interested.'”
Although he did not necessarily call Nordholm out, it is believed that this tweet from Matt Hardy was in reference to Nordholm’s aforementioned comments.
Wrestling fans, esp avid online fans, are astute.
When you attempt to serve them manure & claim it's filet mignon, they'll call you on it.
— MATT HARDY (@MATTHARDYBRAND) May 22, 2017
If you would like to listen to more comments from Nordlholm, you can watch the video below. Thanks to Wrestling Inc for the transcription.
Picture used above is courtesy of WWE.com.