Matt Hardy Names TNA Star He Believes Is Wiser Than His Years

He is the TNA X-Division Champion, the Number One Contender to Oba Femi's "NXT" Championship, and someone who, in the eyes of former WWE tag title tycoon Jeff Hardy, is ahead of the curve. Leon Slater is having a stunning end to 2025, and on a recent episode of "The Extreme Life of Matt Hardy," Hardy commended the up-and-coming star for his maturity.

"Leon is 21 years old, physically, but like, mentally, he's 30," Hardy said. "Young 30's. He's way ahead of his game, mentally."

Hardy's praise of the young star comes after Slater and Je'Von Evans' match against Dragon Lee and AJ Styles on the December 13 episode of "Saturday Night's Main Event," Hardy specifically complimented Slater's quick cover on Styles post-springboard slip. Hardy praised Slater for his in-ring knowhow, and overall dubbed the match "awesome." 

Hardy continued to heap praise onto Slater for his in-ring — and out-of-ring — calls. Hardy's conversation with cohost Jon Alba referenced an online altercation between Evans and AEW's Ricochet, which prompted Hardy to once again praise Slater for his maturity.

"To me, one of Leon's greatest gifts: he is so far ahead of the game mentally," Hardy commended.

A part of Slater's maturity, Hardy said, was his willingness to listen and absorb feedback. He compared Slater's ready-to-learn attitude to other young stars in the industry who might shirk an "old" veteran's advice. Hardy expressed his confidence in a "limelight" feature for Slater, but could not say the same for Evans. While Hardy admitted to being less familiar with "The Young OG," he gently cautioned against pushing Evans too soon.

"You want to make sure those people are mentally and emotionally ready," Hardy concluded.

Slater is due to challenge for Femi's "NXT" Championship at "NXT's" upcoming episode of New Years Evil, in 2026.