Update On The Hardys Vs. Anthem Legal Situation

Will the Broken Universe ever make it to WWE?

Broken Matt Hardy
WWE.com

The Hardy Boyz have been back in WWE since April 2nd, but the battle for the rights to their Broken gimmick continues.

Matt and Jeff are still wrangling with Anthem (Impact Wrestling's parent company) over ownership, with Anthem's Ed Nordholm recently stating that he believes there's no question that the rights belong to Impact, and that WWE aren't pursuing the property.

The Hardys have been prevented from using the characters since rejoining WWE. They hired an attorney in March but claimed Anthem had been avoiding their lawyers, which Nordholm has countered by releasing a lengthy statement including full communication logs.

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Nordholm even released part of Matt's old contract, highlighting the provisions that mark the Broken gimmick as Impact Wrestling property. Matt's wife, Reby, responded to this on Twitter yesterday, questioning the information's accuracy:-

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The legal decision will likely be based on whether or not the language in Matt's contract is upheld in court, but a lawsuit hasn't been officially filed yet. The game of he said/she said will likely continue until a settlement is made, which, on current evidence, could be a long way off. Sadly, it doesn't look like we'll be seeing the Broken Universe in WWE anytime soon.

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Channel Manager
Channel Manager

Andy has been with WhatCulture for eight years and is currently WhatCulture's Wrestling Channel Manager. A writer, presenter, and editor with 10+ years of experience in online media, he has been a sponge for all wrestling knowledge since playing an old Royal Rumble 1992 VHS to ruin in his childhood. Having previously worked for Bleacher Report, Andy specialises in short and long-form writing, video presenting, voiceover acting, and editing, all characterised by expert wrestling knowledge and commentary. Andy is as much a fan of 1985 Jim Crockett Promotions as he is present-day AEW and WWE - just don't make him choose between the two.