Another Update on Hardys / Impact Situation After Nordholm’s Comments

Impact / Anthem President Ed Nordholm said in an interview last night with Live Audio Wrestling that WWE has told him that they have no interest in the Broken Hardys gimmick. He also claimed that Impact “unquestionably” has “ownership of the characters and the storyline” and that Impact has “offered many times to find an arrangement with the Hardys.”

He also obviously tried to make it seem like he was the “good guy” in all of this and claimed that he was not trying to keep the gimmick from the Hardys. According to a report by Pro Wrestling Sheet, the Hardys tried to work out a deal with Nordholm in April, but the Hardys’ lawyers were ignored for over a month.

The Hardys still claim ownership rights over the gimmick and storyline due to creating and funding the inception of it themselves, long before Anthem purchased TNA. Matt Hardy reportedly wants Impact to sign over any claim they have to the gimmick and in return, he will agree to not sue the company for a “litany of claims they have” against them, seemingly including issues that are even unrelated to the gimmick.

According to Pro Wrestling Sheets, both sides met last week and appeared close to resolving the issue, but it obviously has not been resolved sine Nordholm did the interview last night claiming that WWE doesn’t even want the gimmick.

In a statement to Pro Wrestling Sheet, Nordholm said: “I do not think you have drawn the correct conclusion from what I said in the interview about prior contacts on this; there have been proposals back and forth on this, and WWE has advised me directly that they have no interest in this. As per the interview, we are now and always have been amenable to negotiating an arrangement with the Hardys that respects our investment in this IP. I have no comment on the Hardy’s legal posturing. Our position is clear.”

Reby Hardy posted this on Twitter in response to Nordholm’s interview:

Only thing apparent here is the level of desperation from a person of his position doing a phone podcast re: intentions of a billion $+ co. https://t.co/WcXOJUwkQa

— Reby Hardy (@RebyHardy) May 22, 2017

Taking advantage that fans do not know details of contracts, which were NOT "standard entertainment contracts" & not drafted under Anthem 🙄 https://t.co/2IXCMITa03

— Reby Hardy (@RebyHardy) May 22, 2017

Matt Hardy posted this:

Safe to say Ed Norholm wasn't being fully honest while talking about @MATTHARDYBRAND and the Broken Universe trademark last night. https://t.co/1pwefQSJTH

— Ryan Satin (@ryansatin) May 22, 2017

Accurate. https://t.co/HR7vAuWRfV

— #BROKEN Matt Hardy (@MATTHARDYBRAND) May 22, 2017