TNA veteran Matt Hardy has responded to recent comments made by WWE Hall of Famer Eric Bischoff, who predicted that TNA Wrestling could surpass All Elite Wrestling as the number two promotion in the world within a year. While Hardy is optimistic about TNA’s growth, he offered a more measured and realistic take on the situation, pointing to television deals and financial realities as key factors.
Matt Hardy on TNA’s Growth and Competing with Themselves
Speaking on the latest episode of his podcast, The Extreme Life Of Matt Hardy, Hardy was asked about Bischoff’s bold prediction. He praised TNA’s massive growth over the past year and expressed confidence that the trend will continue. However, he stated that TNA’s primary goal is not to beat AEW, but to improve its own product.
“I think TNA can have a lot of growth in the next year… But I don’t think our goal is to be better than AEW or anywhere else. I think we’re just competing with ourselves,” Hardy said. “We want to be as good as we can possibly be and make our brand as strong as we can possibly make it.”
He believes the single most important factor in TNA’s future growth is securing a new, high-profile television deal that will make the product more easily accessible to a wider audience.
The Financial Reality and TV Deal “Gamechanger”
Hardy was realistic about the financial disparity between the two promotions, acknowledging that AEW has what is essentially “unlimited money” backed by the Khan family. He also stated that a new television deal for TNA would be a “gamechanger” that could make the promotion a true “force to be reckoned with.”
“AEW right now has unlimited money. I mean, it truly is unlimited. They spend a shit ton of money in there,” Hardy explained. “A lot of it is going to depend on the TV deal we get. But if we do get a great TV deal, if we land on a platform that actually reaches people, it will be a gamechanger.”
He believes that with the right platform, many fans might prefer TNA’s more “classic pro wrestling style” to AEW’s “alternative” product.
“I Don’t Know If That is Realistic”
Ultimately, while Matt Hardy believes TNA can grow its ticket sales to be comparable with what AEW does on a weekly basis, especially if they start running live TV more regularly, he stopped short of cosigning Bischoff’s prediction that TNA would become the number two promotion within a year.
“As far as actually being number two. I don’t know if that is realistic, as far as TNA in a year from now,” Hardy concluded. “But I do think there could be major growth where people would be like, ‘Wow, I like TNA better than AEW.’”
Hardy’s comments provide a level-headed, insider perspective on the state of TNA Wrestling. While he shares Bischoff’s optimism for the company’s future, his analysis is grounded in the practical realities of television rights and financial backing that define the modern wrestling landscape.