Matt and Jeff Hardy want to take their #BROKEN characters from Impact Wrestling to Ring of Honor and then, presumably, to WWE. Their Impact contracts have expired.
But Impact claims to own the intellectual property rights to the Hardys’ #BROKEN brilliance. Legal action is pending, etc.
Impact was the proving ground. But Matt Hardy is the gimmick’s creative force. Announcer/utilityman Jeremy Borash was involved, but nobody else. Current Impact creative directors Jeff Jarrett and Dutch Mantel weren’t even with Impact for the #BROKEN gimmick’s genesis and development. Impact producer John Gaburick hasn’t “produced” anything since producing Kevin Dunn’s coffee back when Gaburick was the WWE VP’s errand boy.
Impact isn’t alone in its pettiness.
WWE won’t allow Cody Rhodes (ex-Stardust) to use the “Rhodes” surname in Impact or ROH. Cody’s father, the late and legendary Dusty Rhodes, started using that name in 1968.
WWE won’t allow Alberto Del Rio to use that name in Impact. Instead, he performs as Alberto El Patron.
As Matt Jackson of the Young Bucks tag team (ROH, New Japan) tweeted:
Unfortunately, that’s easier said than done.
My idea: Impact lets the Hardys be #BROKEN wherever they want. Otherwise one of the most vibrant and original gimmicks in recent wrestling memory disappears, and we all lose if that happens. WWE lets Cody use the Rhodes name, and El Patron becomes Del Rio again.
Make the swap. Everybody wins. Because this level of triviality is unseemly, even for fake wrestling. Have respect for your employees and what they did for you.