How to Debut The ‘Broken Hardys’ Gimmick in WWE

The ‘Broken Hardys’ gimmick has become one of the most beloved things in all of professional wrestling, but unfortunately couldn’t make the jump over to WWE for Matt and Jeff’s DELIGHTFUL comeback at Wrestlemania 33. Issues surrounding who actually ‘owns’ the creative rights to the Broken gimmick are still being discussed between WWE, Anthem and King Maxel. But as with all things, it’s not a matter of ‘if’ rather than ‘when’ we will eventually see this ordeal settled and the celestial voices begin taking over once more.

Call me a spoilsport, but I can’t help but wonder how this gimmick will just magically re-appear on our television screens. Surely it’ll be a just a little awkward if one day the Raw tag champs suddenly appear to be maniacally laughing and deleting everything in sight. I suppose the problem here really began when they decided to hurry them back into the spotlight under the nostalgic ‘Team Xtreme’ act, rather than holding off until all this legal nonsense was settled. As was proven in 2015 with the Dudleys, going all-in with the throwback only really keeps the product hot for a few weeks at most.

It leaves a lot of fans waiting for the inevitable break-up, or return to whatever they became famous for during their hiatus – see any comments made about Bully Ray. Unfortunately, I can only see the same results for the Hardys should WWE not pull the trigger on the Broken gimmick once they secure the rights. But again, how exactly do they achieve that? It’s not quite as simple as a sudden heel turn or re-package, especially now that they’re holding titles – ones that I doubt they’ll be dropping anytime soon.

The origins of the Broken Matt gimmick can be found in a heated feud between the two brothers back in Impact’s dark period of 2015. Matt was beaten so badly by Jeff, it sent him spiralling into… whatever this psychological experience is. From then on, Matt continued to harass his brother with drones and Mexican gardeners, eventually defeating him in the infamous Final Deletion – rendering him ‘obsolete’ and reincarnating him under his wing as Brother Nero. Everyone lived happily ever after from then on, especially Impact Wrestling, who were warranted a surge of popularity.

So, should WWE just repeat that? I can’t imagine WWE intended for a sibling rivalry so soon after their triumphant comeback. Maybe Matt should be triggered once again by a series of concussions (somewhat parodying the recent events with Shibata and Daniel Bryan?), eventually bring him back in touch with his Broken self. A trip back to the lake of reincarnation for the duo would make for some fun segments on Raw – filling the gap left behind by the Kevin Owens/Chris Jericho friendship saga.

Naturally, this is going to become a hot product for the WWE, and a massive draw for Monday Night Raw, although they should certainly not run this into the ground like they did with The New Day – too much of a good thing is never best for business. Perhaps it might be worth considering making the Broken alter-ego to become something which marks an occasion. What I mean by that is similar to what they seem to be doing with Finn Balor’s Demon King persona – instead of using it as a regular part of the show, keep it exclusive to pay-per-views and blow-off matches. Teasing what fans love the most about a character is part of the fun, creating more anticipation for the moment they show up as their gimmick’d alter-egos. Maybe Matt and Jeff could use this side of their characters to help drum up ratings and Network subscriptions?

No matter what route they choose to go down with The Broken Hardys, it’s without a doubt going to be a hit with all audiences. But who would you like to see them paired with upon their debut? Comment and stuff. Here or Facebook.