Matt Hardy Compares Filming Cinematic Matches In WWE & AEW

In the 2010s, Matt Hardy introduced the "Broken" version of his onscreen persona, bringing together supernatural elements and humor to create cinematic matches for TNA, and eventually WWE and AEW as well. During an episode of "The Extreme Life of Matt Hardy," he compared the processes of filming cinematic matches in the latter two promotions. 

Hardy first recalled filming the final scene of the cinematic match between himself and Bray Wyatt in WWE. "We were doing this and they had been calling Vince since about 9'o'clock that night, ... 'Hey, we want to get the specifics on this,'" Hardy said. "We had done some wrestling in the ring and then we had done some fighting outside, and they finally talk to Vince at about 2 in the morning."

According to Hardy, the performers had planned an elaborate wrestling sequence leading up to the finish, but McMahon forced them to change plans at the last minute. Michael Cole was the mouthpiece for McMahon that night, and he relayed a very specific message to Hardy and everyone else. 

"He said, 'Vince doesn't want anymore of this wrestling bulls**t,'" Hardy recalled. "He said, 'He wants this stuff a little hokey, a little campy. He wants this stuff crazier than the original Final Deletions were.'" Hardy felt that McMahon didn't understand their vision, but they went along with his requested changes nonetheless.

On the other hand, when it came to Tony Khan in AEW, Hardy claims that they were largely allowed to do their own thing, but he had one issue. "Too much of a big crew, and the way they were shooting it was almost as if it was too polished, if that makes sense," he opined, adding that the second cinematch match in AEW was better, with a smaller crew, indicating Khan listened to his feedback. "The original, the one with Sammy [Guevara], which we call 'The Elite Deletion,' was a little too overproduced, a little too slick."

The veteran explained that when it comes to his cinematic segments, he wants it to come off as edgy and grimy, and not overly produced.

If you use any quotes from this article, please credit "The Extreme Life of Matt Hardy," and provide a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.