In a recent episode of his “Extreme Life” podcast, Matt Hardy conversed about the resurgence of TNA Wrestling’s popularity, the rising success of Joe Hendry, among other things.
Notable moments from the podcast are highlighted below:
Talking about Joe Hendry’s growing popularity, Hardy said, “We actually had a sit-down conversation over the weekend, discussing about various topics. He was offering tips to a few of the other wrestlers on how to utilize platforms like YouTube, TikTok, and Twitter for maximum impact. He had a strategic plan on how to achieve success on each of these platforms, which was quite insightful. I found myself agreeing with most of what he had to say.”
He continued, “He really is a master at marketing, and I am fairly certain that the ideas are his. I appreciated the fact that NXT, despite him being a contracted TNA star, dedicated three to four minutes to promote him using footage that he had sourced, such as screen grabs of signs in arenas expressing support for him. He’s due to perform live on NXT next week, which is garnering promotion. I absolutely love it.”
On the topic of TNA regaining its footing, Hardy noted, “One thing I’ve noticed is that although TNA’s television presence isn’t widespread, being aired on AXS TV, they are making strides, primarily on their TNA+ app, which has seen impressive growth over the past few years. They want to drive traffic towards the app, much like WWE did with their network, to allow fans access to all the shows and other content.”
Despite TNA’s smaller television network footprint, Hardy believes the promotion is making its mark, especially on social media. Discussing his personal experiences, he added, “I’ve noticed that my value has increased since joining TNA. My Cameo requests have increased, audience turnouts at signings are higher, and more people are saying they’ve seen me on TNA and they’re excited and happy to see me thriving – all this has resulted in overall growth. Being in a position where I feel the momentum once again? That feels amazing. We (my wife, kids, and I) are also exploring opportunities with reality TV shows, which would be something I’ll be really interested in.”