The Hardy Boyz weren’t exactly thrilled with how things were going for them in AEW, and D-Von Dudley says he heard about their frustrations straight from Matt and Jeff Hardy themselves. The WWE Hall of Famer has now revealed that the legendary brothers privately complained about their situation while they were still with Tony Khan’s company.
During the October 23, 2026, episode of the Duke LovesRasslin podcast, Dudley discussed AEW’s handling of former WWE talent and questioned why so many established wrestlers arrive in the promotion with major momentum, only to eventually find themselves sitting on the sidelines. Dudley explained that he’s noticed a pattern with wrestlers who join AEW. They receive plenty of attention when they first arrive, but that excitement doesn’t always translate into consistent television appearances.
“The one thing, you know, I’ve noticed with teams or people coming from WWE or just new guys in general to the scene is that, you know, they start off great and hot in the very beginning and then all of a sudden it’s like they’re not used anymore.”
That’s when Dudley brought up The Hardy Boyz. Considering everything Matt and Jeff have accomplished throughout their careers, he admitted that he never expected AEW to struggle with finding something for them to do. What made the situation even more surprising was that the brothers personally told him how unhappy they were.
“You have so many people that are very good hands that are used one minute and then not used the next. And you know what? The one team that I never thought I would see that happen to and it did. And I spoke to them personally and they were telling me about their frustration were the Hardy Boys.”
Dudley went even further, revealing that he had visited AEW on multiple occasions while exploring the possibility of working as a producer. During those visits, he heard wrestlers discussing how they weren’t being used on television and were spending their time backstage instead.
“I would have never thought in a million years that they would be put to the side or be the one of the ones that when I went to go a couple of times to, you know, see about being a producer, you know, I was told, you know, by certain people, oh well, you know, we’re not on this week. We’re we’re going to be sitting in catering again. And I’m like, that is insane.”
Dudley didn’t identify which individuals made those specific catering comments, but he made it clear that Matt and Jeff Hardy were among the wrestlers who had personally expressed their frustrations to him.
The conversation then shifted to what The Hardys have accomplished since returning to TNA Wrestling. Duke pointed out the difference between how AEW utilized the brothers and how TNA has made them a major part of its programming.
“Look at what the Hardies are doing in TNA right now. where where TNA is essentially structuring what everything that they’re doing around the Hardies and the ratings have gone up and they’re doing great.”
Dudley agreed that seeing The Hardys succeed elsewhere was a positive development, but he also made it clear that he believes AEW needs to reconsider how it handles established talent.
The WWE Hall of Famer argued that Tony Khan needs experienced people around him who are willing to push back on creative decisions instead of simply agreeing with everything he wants.
“Get people that know what they’re doing and that can help the company really strive as opposed to getting people that you like because you’re friends with or what have you. and they will tell you yes. You need people that’s gonna tell you no.”
He even pointed to Vince McMahon’s longtime relationships with Pat Patterson and Kevin Dunn as examples of why having people willing to challenge the boss can make a difference.
“Vince needed people like that. He had that in Patterson. He had that in Kevin Dunn.”
Matt Hardy’s AEW contract expired in April 2024, while Jeff Hardy followed in June of that year. Both eventually returned to TNA, where they reunited as a team and became prominent fixtures on the company’s programming.
For D-Von Dudley, the fact that The Hardy Boyz were privately frustrated with their AEW situation says plenty about how the company handled two of wrestling’s most recognizable stars. Matt and Jeff have spent decades proving they can connect with audiences, and their success in TNA has given fans another chance to see what they can do when they’re featured consistently. Whether AEW could have gotten more out of the brothers remains up for debate, but Dudley’s comments make it clear that the frustration behind the scenes was real from the conversations he had with them.
Do you think AEW dropped the ball with The Hardy Boyz, or was leaving Tony Khan’s company the best thing that could have happened to their careers? Let us know what you think in the comments below.
This transcript was produced exclusively for Ringside News from the original recording. Republishing the transcription in full is prohibited. When using excerpts, provide prominent credit and a link to this article.
