On the latest episode of The Extreme Life of Matt Hardy, the TNA star delved into the recent incident involving Chris Bey, who suffered a serious injury during the post-TNA Bound for Glory TV tapings. Hardy shared details about the circumstances surrounding Bey’s injury, including the subsequent surgery he underwent and the impact it has had on the wrestling community.
In addition to discussing Bey’s situation, Hardy also addressed the current state of TNA and its evolution in the wrestling landscape. His insights reflect both the challenges and the resilience of the promotion as it navigates through difficult times. Below are some highlights from the episode (via Wrestling Inc):
Matt Hardy on the injury Chris Bey suffered at the TV tapings:
It was a very difficult experience. And without going into too much detail or — you know, not getting into people’s personal business — I mean, it was a very freak accident. It happened the night after (Bound for Glory), and it just happened in a way that it was something very standard. There was nothing crazy, there was nothing outlandish or outrageous. There was no high level of risk involved in what was going on. It was just a very simple thing. And it’s, once again, a very scary and stark reminder about how dangerous it is what we do, pro wrestling just in general. And there was a point where Chris was just lying there. Once we understood he was in that condition, the match came to an end. And we tried our best to take care of him. He ended up having some emergency surgery that night. And it ended up being productive. People think it came out well. He’s on the path to recovery, but it’s gonna be a slow process.
“I would love for everyone to please keep Chris Bey — who is just an amazing guy, such a positive, optimistic, kind human being. The quality of optimism that he has reminds me of myself in many, many ways. And I felt very fortunate last night, I got to speak to him. His partner, Ace Austin, obviously has been with him for the whole while. We’ve been staying in contact every single day, and I’ve been getting updates. I actually got to speak with Chris last night. We FaceTimed for a few minutes. I saw he was doing better. He’s improving slowly but surely, and he has an amazing attitude. He has the attitude you need to recover from an injury like this. So send all your thoughts and prayers. If you’re a big pray-er, put a prayer out for Chris, and just keep him in your thoughts. There have been people who have been donating and giving him money, just for his life, in the weeks or months or whatever, however long it takes him to recuperate from this so that he doesn’t have to worry about where his income comes from. Yes, TNA has taken care of the expenses, but it’s just to make sure that he is safe and he focuses on himself. And the wrestling community has been so selfless and so great about it. It’s been amazing.”
Matt Hardy on TNA trying to find a bigger platform:
I feel like there’s a lot of people that, just because they don’t have a channel that particularly gets TNA, they don’t see it, and they don’t realize how good it is. But I think once you sit down and you watch it, you realize it’s really, really good. If they can find a bigger platform, which is something they’re actively working on than AXS TV, I think that would be a game changer. Because the product is really, really strong right now. It also has a ton of compelling moments and stories.”
Matt Hardy on the TNA locker room:
It’s just a tremendous locker room, it’s a tremendous environment. Obviously TNA, we did over 3,100 people at Bound for Glory. So they’re doing something, right? Something is happening there, and it’s exciting. And it’s one of those things where everyone right now on the roster is super positive, super optimistic about the future. And everybody just wants to see the company grow, and that’s what everybody’s working hard for, for the greater good.”