On his “Extreme Life of Matt Hardy” podcast, Matt Hardy expressed deep sympathy and respect for Kevin Owens following his recent career-threatening neck injury, while also offering a powerful endorsement for Jacob Fatu as a potential future main event star in WWE.
Reacting to the news of Owens’ injury forcing him out of WrestleMania 41, Hardy acknowledged the inherent dangers of the profession. “I mean, that sucks,” he said plainly. “You know, it kind of comes with the territory… Every time you go in that ring and start bumping around you’re rolling the dice… You’re always just the next wrong landing or the next miscue away from an injury.” He noted Owens’ resilience: “For him, he’s got a lot of damage. You know, he’s put his body through a lot. He’s been such a hard worker, busted his ass.”
Hardy shared high praise based on their time working together in Ring of Honor. “The thing I love most, I think about Kevin Owens… I love getting the opportunity to work with him,” Hardy recalled. “It was genuinely I enjoyed it so so much… some of the ideas he had, he was just so creative. He was so good. And you could tell he’s a guy that had a great wrestling mind. He’s a guy who got it when it came to getting it in the business, he Kevin Owens gets it.” He lauded Owens for overcoming criticism: “The fact that he went as far as he did in WWE… when, you know, there were a lot of people who said, ‘Oh, well, he’s a fat kid who wears shirts’… I love the fact that he broke down so many barriers, he defied the odds, and he made people eat their words. That gives me the utmost respect for him.” Hardy added personal respect: “On top of that, I think he’s a good guy. He’s a good family guy… So much love and respect for him. I’m so sorry he has to deal with this injury… I’m hoping it’s one of those things that he can take care of and bounce back from.”
Shifting focus to potential future stars, Hardy strongly endorsed Jacob Fatu when asked about the “next big thing.” “I think Jacob Fatu can be a really, really big deal,” Hardy stated. “I think Jacob Fatu can be someone who can be a big deal and Main Event draw in WWE once all said and done.” He cited Fatu’s impressive attributes: “Because he’s huge. He’s incredibly talented. He is very versatile… He’s strong as sh*t. He’s powerful. He can fly. He’s agile. He has, like, all these physical gifts, right? And he has this demeanor to him, where he looks like a legit Wildman… like, I’d be afraid to be like, in a room alone with him, because he looks insane.”
However, Hardy stressed the importance of Fatu’s promo ability matching his physical presence: “It’s also going to have to match his like in ring promos… Whatever he is saying, people have to believe it with all their heart, and he has to say it with all his chest… That’s the most important thing as far as making a connection with everybody in the audience.”
Matt Hardy’s podcast drops every Friday at ExtremeHardy.com. If you use any portion of the quotes from this article please credit ExtremeHardy.com with a h/t to WrestlingNews.co for the transcription.
