One of the most unique characters in TNA Wrestling history came from the mind of the legendary Matt Hardy, who brought “Broken” Matt Hardy to life, complete with catchphrases, lore, a host of equally as unique characters, and even a “Lake of Reincarnation.” Though Hardy carried the character with him and attempted to make it work in both WWE, alongside the late Bray Wyatt, as well as during his time with AEW, the “Broken” character thrived alongside the Hardy Family in TNA.

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Hardy recently spoke on “Busted Open Radio” about how the character came to be. He explained that he was influenced by the show “True Blood” and the concept that vampires can live for thousands of years, and you see them throughout different periods. He also pulled ideas from other shows like “Dexter,” while detailing how he wanted to be more creative in the ring as he got older.

“The guys are so athletic and so talented now and they’re smaller, and I can’t wrestle like I did 20 years ago, 25 years ago. So I said, ‘What if I try to be more theatrical and more performative?'” Hardy said. “I did think of, like, a throwback to the Papa Shango, Undertaker stuff when he first started. I said, ‘Either people will buy in that I am this supernatural character because something has happened, my brain has opened up,’ or they’ll think I’m crazy. Either way, I’ll make it work.”

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Hardy and his brother Jeff returned to TNA on June 17 after both finished up their time with AEW. Though still currently working with the promotion, the tag team reportedly met with WWE officials ahead of SummerSlam in August.

If you use any quotes from this article, please credit “Busted Open Radio” and provide a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.