Matt Hardy On Wrestlers Dealing With Online Criticism, Mercedes Mone Finding Her Way In AEW

On the latest episode of Extreme Life Of Matt Hardy, the TNA star talked about Mercedes Mone finding her way outside of WWE, wrestlers dealing with online criticism, and more. You can check out some highlights below:

On wrestlers dealing with online criticism: “I think it’s hard not to hear those criticisms. Because usually with Wrestling Twitter — you know, online on social media, if a narrative starts forming, usually people run with it. So I think it’s almost mandatory that you hear it, in many ways. Whether you listen to it or not, I think that is determined by the people you speak to, the people that you are working for, the people you are, you know, that you actually rely on their opinions. If they think there’s some sort of issue with changing something or evolving something or, you know, making something work in a different way, then then maybe it’s worth listening to or trying to, or trying on something new. And sometimes too, I think it’s just it’s real easy to get stale. If you’ve been doing the same thing for too long, you have to change things up and and go a different direction, do something new.”

On Mercedes Mone finding her way after being in WWE for so long: “Sasha Banks — Mercedes — is a WWE baby. You know, born and created and forged in the WWE. And with that very heavy character-driven — you know, I think that’s her instinct, I would imagine. Just because that’s how things are taught at WWE, as far as like finding a character and moving down a path where people get emotionally connected to you and what you’re doing. And then the work follows that and makes them even more if they enjoy the work as well. And you know, with AEW — and I’ve talked about this so many times. You know, kind of Tony Khan, the way he promotes his show and the way he promotes his product, ‘Where the best wrestle’ to a certain niche of the market that is more focused on wrestling and five-star matches and just the quality of wrestling more than the characters and the stories and whatnot.

“So I could see that kind of being something new to her if she’s getting there. And as you said, I think you made a great point when you said she’s trying to get over the CEO gimmick and she’s trying to do this, especially starting as a babyface, right? I think she was kind of figuring out her way as all that was going down. And then once she realized like, ‘Oh, maybe I can tweak it up. And here it’s a little less about the persona.’ You can kind of tune it down a little bit, and they would rather tune up the work. So maybe that is what started clicking. Because it really is. It’s like two different audiences, you know if you’re playing to a WWE-type crowd to an AEW-type crowd.”

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit Extreme Life Of Matt Hardy with an h/t to 411mania.com for the transcription.