In a recent episode of his podcast “Hall of Fame,” WWE Hall of Famer Booker T shared his thoughts on The Hardy’s stint in AEW, the resignation of Donovan Dijak from WWE, and the potential of him joining AEW.
The highlights of the podcast are as follows:
Speaking about Dijak’s possible move to AEW, Booker T said, “Dijak could easily be a Stan Hansen type in Japan. I completely agree with that. Dijak would absolutely fit into AEW. That could absolutely be a great spot for him to land and earn some money. I’d never criticize a move in that direction. Nevertheless, I see Japan as an ideal place where he could reestablish himself. He could become that beast and embark on a phenomenal run. If he ever wants to be part of WWE or any such promotion again, that’s up to him. But know this, it’s not out of the question for Dijak to find his way back into WWE. I was always impressed with how Dijak was developing his craft. That’s one less worry where Dijak is concerned.”
“The only concern I had with Dijak was about him getting injured. But he always gave the impression of being invincible. I’ve seen him break his finger in the ring and just get back to it. His pain threshold is off the charts. As far as someone who put it all together, I thought Dijak was that guy, he is a genuine asset to any roster. As you said, it would be a shame if he was to get lost in the crowd.”
On the topic of The Hardy Boys’ return to TNA after leaving AEW, he stated, “Their run in AEW was not a success, I feel compelled to be critical about it on this point. The Hardys were mishandled and misappropriated in AEW because it seemed like the management wanted to replicate The Hardys’ early WWE days with the Dudleys. It didn’t pan out well. Matt Hardy’s first move was a dangerous high-risk dive, and the last one for Jeff Hardy was when Sammy Guevara broke his nose. The entire AEW experience didn’t go well for them, they were not utilized properly.”
Lastly, when discussing what went wrong with their run, Booker T expressed, “The Hardys couldn’t get their momentum going in AEW due to injuries or other personal issues. They didn’t get a good chance to really start running as a pair. But if they could have consistently performed as a tag team, then things might have been different. Tony Khan, the booker, likely idealized recreating the Hardys’ past glory days, expecting them to perform as they had in their heyday. However, time spares no one, including The Hardys.”