Matt Hardy Says That He Is Now a Free Agent

Matt Hardy released a YouTube video today and revealed that his WWE contract officially expired as of March 1 and he is now a free agent.

“As of this current time, I have decided to let my contract with WWE expire,” Matt said. “I need to weigh all my options, I need to see what’s all out there, and I need to see what is going to be the perfect environment for Matt Hardy to maximize these next few years of my career. And really give me a creative canvas to paint my masterpiece, because that is what I want to do right now.”

But Matt left open the possibility that he would return to WWE. “I am going to become a free agent, and that’s not saying I’m not going to return to WWE. I did not want to leave WWE. I love WWE. WWE is my home,” he said. “I am positive that at some point I will definitely be home, back with WWE once again. I mean, I think there’s definitely a WWE Hall of Fame ring waiting on myself and my brother.”

WWE made Matt Hardy a “nice financial offer” recently in order to try to get him to stay, according to PWInsider, and also offered him the idea of going to the NXT brand, but it looks like as of now, he has turned those offers down, unless he’s swerving us.

According to Ryan Satin of Pro Wrestling Sheet, “the door is not closed on remaining with WWE as a whole as there is still interest from NXT.”

AEW has repeatedly teased that Matt Hardy might be The Dark Order’s “Exalted One,” but some of the teases have been so heavy-handed that it seems like it would almost be too obvious if it was Matt. But Matt would work well in the role and it feels like if it’s not him, there would be a lot of disappointment.

AEW posted this today:

pic.twitter.com/WNyBPy6TXf

— All Elite Wrestling (@AEWrestling) March 2, 2020

Transcript via Cageside Seats:

As of this current time, I have decided to let my contract with WWE expire. I am going to become a free agent, and that’s not saying I’m not going to return to WWE, I did not want to leave WWE, I love WWE – WWE is my home. WWE has treated me great as an employee for the last three years, they’ve been great to me, they’ve been great to my family, they’ve been great to my kids – I have nothing but great things to say about WWE and all the people who work there. And going back twenty-plus years ago, if it wasn’t for Vince McMahon I would not have been able to obtain the life, the quality of life I currently have. So I will always be grateful for that and I will always be appreciative of that.

I also have to say Triple H, Stephanie – they were always great to me. Michael Hayes a good friend of mine, I’m gonna miss him if I’m not there – everybody in WWE, really really good and very much like a family. So many talents there that I’m close friends with. It’s just time for me to take a break and become a free agent.

I didn’t want to leave WWE, because it is my home. The reason I needed to leave WWE is because when it comes to my creative stance and my creative outlook on myself and my career and how I want it to go for these last three or four years that I have to spend as an active in-ring competitor, I just think myself and WWE are on different pages. And it’s very important to me, because I love this business, man. If you know me, you know how crazy passionate that I am about this and how much I love it. And the last three or four years that I have as an in-ring competitor is really important to me to cement my legacy. And I want to enter a creative renaissance.

I am not obviously 25 or 35 years old. I am 45 years old and I have to be utilized in a certain way. But I still know in my heart – I know I have so much to offer this business. I have so much entertainment left inside this [broken voice] vessel and I have so much I want to give to each and every one of you. I want to enter a creative renaissance and I want to have non-stop input on my creative process, and I think that’s where WWE and I are on separate pages…

I am positive that at some point I will definitely be home, back with WWE once again. I mean, I think there’s definitely a WWE Hall of Fame ring waiting on myself and my brother. But I think right now, I need to weigh all my options, I need to see what’s all out there, and I need to see what is going to be the perfect environment for Matt Hardy to maximize these next few years of my career. And really give me a creative canvas to paint my masterpiece, because that is what I want to do right now…

Update

WWE confirmed that Matt’s contract has expired and wished him the best in his future endeavors.

And the Young Bucks teased a phone call from Matt Hardy on today’s episode of Being the Elite.