10 Terrible Debuts AEW Quickly Fixed
7. Matt Hardy
Debuting as a headline surprise during AEW's first pandemic show was less-than-ideal for Matt Hardy, particularly with no fans there to cheer the fact that he was effectively a substitute rather than a first choice.
The Elite were a man down for their Blood & Guts match with The Inner Circle that never happened, resulting in Hardy being a favour called in by The Young Bucks after their time together years prior. More nice than good, Hardy - in full Broken/Woken regalia - gesticulating from one of the Daily's Place balconies might have been something in a packed house. It was only a little more than nothing in the empty arena.
That very same venue would ultimately be the source of vindication for the elder Hardy just two months later. Stadium Stampede 1 was a riotous, life-affirming success story, driven by the obvious creativity of some of the contest's key players, Matt included. His spots in particular were some of the best, helping wrestling provide actual escapist entertainment when the world needed the escape most.