10 Mind-Blowing Real-Life Wrestling Reinventions

9. Matt Hardy

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CagesideSeats.com

It's been a long road back to WWE for Matt Hardy following his departure from the organisation in 2010.

Sent home from a European Tour for undisclosed reasons in September, he was officially gone from the company the following month after a series of unsettling YouTube interviews in which he appeared to be mentally unravelling in a drug and alcohol-fuelled haze.

Moving to TNA at the conclusion of his WWE non-compete clause, he appeared tired and disinterested in his run as 'Cold Blood' Matt Hardy, with his brief run ending in further turmoil after crashing his car into a tree whilst driving under the influence.

Entering WWE-sponsored rehabilitation in the aftermath was largely unsuccessful, with a host of incidents over a short span that left the tag team icon looking further dominated by his demons.

Arrested multiple times for drug-related charges, Hardy was kicked out of the programme for failing to remain clean, then later forced future wife Reby Sky to call police due to being 'strung out on pills and needing help'.

Miraculously, this appeared to represent rock bottom for the older brother.

A 2013 run with the S.C.U.M stable in Ring of Honour triggered a creative renaissance that ultimately lead him back to TNA and eventually the #BROKEN persona that would become one of 2016's biggest industry success stories.

Now a father and polished WWE veteran, his return to relevance has been truly remarkable.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation over 7 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 30 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz", Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 50,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett