TNA has seen a significant shift in momentum over the past year, and according to Matt Hardy, much of that can be credited to the arrival of top stars and the promotion’s renewed sense of unity behind the scenes. Appearing with his brother Jeff on The Ariel Helwani Show, Hardy reflected on how far TNA has come compared to earlier eras, particularly the time when big names like Hulk Hogan and Eric Bischoff were involved.

“They’ve been through a few different transformations, obviously. But at that time, they got some steam. But, you know, I think they didn’t play the cards like they should have played the cards. Right now, we have a great roster who is working for the greater good. Everyone is very selfless. Everyone wants TNA to grow, and it has been. We have a new boss right now that just came in, Carlos Silva, and he’s been doing a great job. He’s super passionate, super motivated. Not a wrestling guy per se, but he is learning on the fly and, he is super motivated to make TNA as big as it can possibly be we’re both happy.”

Matt credited Nic Nemeth’s arrival and championship run as the spark that helped reignite interest in the promotion. “I think what started kind of this resurgence in TNA was Dolph Ziggler, Nick Nemeth, coming and becoming the champion. I think that was a good boost for them.”

He pointed out that Nemeth’s switch to TNA after two decades with WWE was not just surprising, but impactful. “I just think Dolph Ziggler, Nick Nemeth, he’d been on TV for 20 years WWE established star. A lot of people were surprised. They thought he’d probably be a lifer, you know, at WWE. And then he came in and he is a very talented guy. And I think he brought a lot of star power, a lot of name power, and people started taking TNA a little more serious.”

Matt also praised Joe Hendry’s viral popularity and the buzz it has created. “And then you have Joe Hendry, who became viral. He’s the best Joe Hendry rules. And you know, he became a viral sensation. So that’s helped with everything.”

He touched on his own return to the company, which took even Jeff Hardy by surprise. Jeff would go on to join him, and since then, TNA has started drawing larger crowds. Matt added that the working relationship between TNA and WWE NXT is another exciting development that has brought positive attention to the brand.