UPDATE: In an update of the situation, Matt Hardy has posted a "BROKEN" video to his Youtube.
On Monday Night's edition of WWE Raw, we saw the beginning of "Broken" Matt Hardy in WWE.
Just a few days later, Impact Wrestling has issued a statement saying that they'll not only allow the Hardys to utilize the gimmick, but will restructure their contracts with talent to allow them to use their IMPACT characters if they choose to leave.
“We have seen the character development and will be interested to see where they take the concept. Our new talent agreements all incorporate language that allow talent to continue to use their IMPACT persona after they leave the company. We are working with our legal team to amend our existing agreements to extend this to all of our current and former talent.”
Several of the mannerisms and terms around the "Broken" Matt Hardy character have been restricted, which had developed into a major issue between himself and his former employers.
The issues between Impact and the Hardys have also involved Shane Helms, Reby Sky, Jeff Jarrett, Ed Nordholm and several others.
Hardy and his brother Jeff received cease and desist letters from Anthem Entertainment, parent company of TNA and now Impact Wrestling, earlier this year. Since then, the Hardys found ways around the legal blocks without using the mannerisms in a way that caused legal action. Jeff Hardy has been dealing with an injury while Matt struggled to find his footing as a singles competitor. Neither had been embracing their once-successful "broken" gimmick much on TV.
When the situation first arose in March of this year, Fightful.com's Jimmy Van stated on "The List and Ya Boy" Podcast to expect the situation to be resolved in WWE's favor by the end of the 2017 year.
