Being the Elite helped lay the foundation for AEW long before the company ever aired its first episode of Dynamite. While the series became a huge part of the promotion’s identity, Matt Hardy says there were times when Tony Khan wasn’t exactly thrilled with everything the Young Bucks were doing on the show.
Speaking on The Extreme Life of Matt Hardy podcast, the conversation started with PAC’s appearance at AEW’s launch press conference. Jon Alba pointed out that the name Full Gear actually came from PAC showing up in his wrestling gear, which naturally led Hardy to reflect on how influential Being the Elite became during AEW’s early years.
Hardy said the series was much more than just a collection of comedy skits or behind-the-scenes videos. In his view, it became an important storytelling platform that helped shape AEW before the company even had weekly television. Even so, he acknowledged that Tony Khan didn’t always agree with everything that appeared on it.
“It also, too, shows you how influential Being the Elite was in so many ways, too, because I know there’s sometimes that Tony hadn’t been too happy with Being the Elite and some of the things the Young Bucks did.”
Despite that, Hardy made it clear he has always backed the Bucks’ creative style. He believes wrestling needs serious stories, but it also needs room for humor and creativity because, at its core, professional wrestling is supposed to be fun.
“But I’m a big advocate of them and their storytelling, and I’m always here for Being the Elite and also, like, just having fun with what you’re doing. Like, not taking yourself too serious.”
“Like, wrestling is, like—there are times where there needs to be a serious mode, a serious vibe. But, like, at the end of the day, like, if you think about what we’re doing, it’s kind of outrageous.”
“You know, there needs to be time to have fun and have comedy. And I love the fact that the Young Bucks do that.”
Hardy also shared that he’d been talking with Matt and Nick Jackson earlier in the week. Their exchange wasn’t about business or storylines—it was simply old friends checking in on each other and reminding one another how much they still appreciate everything they’ve accomplished together.
“I actually, I just interacted with the Young Bucks this week doing that and just back and forth, kind of like the same thing, you know, like, ‘Hey man, just want to—miss you guys, love you guys,’ and, you know, same thing back from myself and Brother Nero.”
“And I’m just a big fan of those guys, big fan of everything they’ve done. They’ve broken so many barriers. They’ve done so many amazing things, especially starting AEW probably being the top one.”
Hardy returned to the influence of Being the Elite. Using Full Gear as an example, he explained that ideas created on the YouTube series regularly carried over onto AEW television, making BTE another storytelling tool alongside Dynamite and Collision.
“But dude, I love the fact that BTE—and even that story was told, that the whole Gear concept, that was derived from that and something they had done on that show, which is fantastic.”
“And a lot of things have happened on that show, and it’s a good means of storytelling that can be incorporated into the show, Dynamite and Collision.”
Whether Tony Khan agreed with every episode or not, Hardy believes Being the Elite played a huge role in helping AEW find its identity. For him, the series wasn’t just bonus content—it became an extension of the product itself and proved that wrestling stories didn’t have to be confined to television every single week.
Do you think Being the Elite was an important part of AEW’s success, or do you prefer wrestling stories to stay on TV? Let us know your thoughts 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.
