Matt Hardy has praised Kenny Omega‘s AEW World Championship victory over MJF at Beach Break, while admitting he would have preferred to see MJF remain champion to set up a showdown with Will Ospreay at AEW All In.
Speaking on The Extreme Life of Matt Hardy, the former 10-time WWE Tag Team Champion described Kenny Omega and MJF’s title match as one of AEW’s best in recent months, praising both the in-ring action and the crowd’s reaction.
“I actually sat back and watched them. They had a killer match, and the crowd was into it, and they went all out. They really lived up to it as far as that match goes,” Hardy said. “Huge fan of Kenny Omega. I like him personally and professionally, and it was cool that he did win the title. It was a killer match. It was awesome.”
Despite enjoying the match, Hardy admitted he had hoped AEW would instead build towards MJF defending the AEW World Championship against Will Ospreay.
“MJF, he was the guy I was hoping would go one on one with Ospreay and have a real s*itheel in there for Ospreay to climb to the top of the mountain,” Hardy said.
Hardy believes MJF versus Ospreay would have been AEW’s biggest possible match, although he acknowledged the final decision rests with AEW President Tony Khan.
“If it doesn’t, it doesn’t. It is what it is. I just feel like that is the match that would sell the most tickets. I feel like that is the match that would sell the most pay-per-views. But it is what it is. It’s Tony Khan’s company. Obviously Tony Khan’s going to do what he wants to do, and Tony Khan loves great wrestling.”
The veteran also had high praise for MJF’s current form.
“He’s killing it right now. He’s at the best he’s ever been, no doubt,” Matt Hardy said.
Matt Hardy Was Impressed With AEW Beach Break’s Presentation
Elsewhere, Matt Hardy complimented Beach Break’s outdoor presentation in Clearwater, Florida, but felt the tag team match featuring Jon Moxley and Will Ospreay against The WorkHorsemen lasted longer than it should have, arguing that two of AEW’s biggest stars should have looked more dominant.
Hardy also questioned AEW’s consistency in storytelling, citing shifting crowd reactions toward the Death Riders and what he sees as frequent shifts in character direction.
“That’s one of the things that I’d said as a criticism before. Even the thing you’d said with the Death Riders, just the consistency and the continuity of characters and their arcs in AEW. Sometimes they kind of move all over the place.”
