Matt Hardy thinks too many wrestling fans spend more time hating things than actually enjoying wrestling. The veteran star recently went after today’s social media culture, calling out people who treat their opinions like facts and constantly look for something to complain about online.
Speaking on The Extreme Life of Matt Hardy, Hardy said there’s nothing wrong with liking or disliking a wrestler, a company or a storyline. His issue is with people who believe their opinion is the only one that matters.
“The toughest thing about today, I think in today’s social media environment, there are people who have an opinion and they go, ‘Well, this is what I think, so this is what I feel is right.’ And they express it where it’s almost a fact as opposed to an opinion. There are reasons you could legitimately like, not like someone or an act or their gimmick or whatever their character is… But just because it’s your opinion and you have a particular flavor of ice cream that you like, just because it’s a different flavor of ice cream, that doesn’t mean that other people do not like it.”
Hardy feels people lose sight of what’s actually important by getting caught up in internet arguments. Instead of worrying about strangers they’ll never meet, he’d rather spend that energy on the people who are actually part of his life.
“When you’re old and on your death bed, the last thing you’re gonna be thinking about is like, ‘Oh my God, this guy’s opinion…’ Just… live your life. That is the best thing that we can do, is live your life, make it as good and as enjoyable as you can. Your friends, your inner circle, your family, your kids, whatever it may be, be there with those people and relish in those moments. So many people get stuck on dealing with other people’s opinions… It’s a waste of time and space and energy. Channel it towards something good and positive.”
Matt Hardy then turned his attention to fans who constantly bash wrestling companies they don’t even watch, saying it’s a mindset he’ll never understand.
“If someone says, ‘I don’t like WWE,’ why do you go and start commenting on WWE posts and saying this negative s***? You know what I mean? It’s just like negative energy, and it’s not helping you. It’s bad for you at the end of the day.”
He’s dealt with plenty of that negativity himself over the years. Matt admitted he still sees people taking shots at him and Jeff Hardy on X, but says he’s completely done wasting time arguing with people online.
“I’ll see guys on Twitter… where they try and insult me or Jeff in some way. And it could be real easy to hit back and score a layup… I just don’t. I don’t deal with that stuff anymore. I just let it go. Usually anytime you’re getting hate, if someone is ignorant enough to publicly send you hate on some forum where they don’t know you and they’re not personally familiar with you, then it is coming from beneath you and you should never lower yourself to that level.”
Later in the podcast, Hardy was asked how he deals with people who claim he’s too old to still be wrestling. He didn’t hesitate, making it clear he nows what he’s doing.
“Because I know what the f*** I’m doing. I’m a professional wrestler who knows what’s up.If I need to go out there and go 20 minutes, I can do it. If I need to go out there and have, like, a No DQ match with Nick Nemeth… I can do it.”
He also laughed off people who say he would’ve never succeeded without Jeff, explaining that he knows exactly who he is as a performer and isn’t looking for validation from strangers online.
“I’m not the kind of performer Jeff is, but I understand who I am. And I think being 52 years old and knowing who I am and knowing what I can do that works and people will buy into it, there’s a victory in that. There’s always gonna be, if you’re successful in anything, you’re always gonna have people that are gonna just be pissed off at you for whatever reason. It’s a lot different when you’re behind the keyboard. Right. There’s no accountability.”
Matt’s message wasn’t really about himself—it was about how people choose to spend their time. He’s not saying fans have to love every wrestler or every company. He just thinks life gets a whole lot better when you stop letting internet arguments and anonymous opinions take up so much space in it.
Do you agree with Matt Hardy’s take on social media, or do you think dealing with criticism is just part of being a public figure? Let us know 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.
