The Hardy Boyz have declared 21-year-old Leon Slater the "future of the business," with Matt Hardy praising the TNA X-Division Champion's mental maturity as what impresses him most about the rising star.
Speaking exclusively to Metro, Matt said Slater thinks and carries himself well beyond his years. The TNA World Tag Team Champions have worked closely with the Bradford, England native throughout his rapid rise in TNA and across WWE programming.
Leon is the future of the business. He's 21, but mentally, he acts and thinks like a 30-year-old," Matt said. "He's way ahead mentally, which is one thing that I probably respect the most about him. We have lots of love for Leon, man.
Slater's Meteoric Rise Across TNA and WWE
Slater became the youngest X-Division Champion in TNA history when he defeated Moose at Slammiversary in July 2025, continuing a legacy built by icons like AJ Styles and Samoa Joe. He has since defended the title against a parade of challengers including Rich Swann, Cedric Alexander, and A.J. Francis.
The TNA-WWE partnership has given Slater a massive platform. He was hand-picked by John Cena for Saturday Night's Main Event in December, teaming with fellow 21-year-old Je'Von Evans against AJ Styles and Dragon Lee. Slater also challenged Oba Femi for the NXT Championship at New Year's Evil and answered Carmelo Hayes' United States Championship Open Challenge on SmackDown in January.
Most recently, Slater main-evented TNA No Surrender alongside TNA World Champion Mike Santana, picking up the pinfall victory over Nic Nemeth.
Hardy Boyz Tease More WWE Appearances in 2026
While Slater's trajectory was the headline, Matt also confirmed that the re-signed Hardy Boyz are in ongoing discussions with WWE about future appearances.
We're in constant negotiations with WWE about doing some more stuff. We will do more with them," Matt said. "I think you're going to see some more cool Hardy Boyz moments in WWE before it's all said and done in 2026.
The legendary tag team, who made history by holding the TNA and NXT Tag Team Championships simultaneously last October, stressed that TNA remains their priority.
Matt emphasized that staying with TNA was a deliberate choice because the promotion puts them in a position to succeed and allows them to help grow the company during its new AMC era.
The Hardy Girlz Could Be Next
Jeff Hardy revealed that his daughters may carry on the family legacy, with his eldest already showing natural talent for performing.
She's asked me about it several times recently, like, 'Dad, you still think about maybe getting that ring one day?'" Jeff said. "So it's maybe not too late, and the Hardy Girlz may very well be a thing in the future!
Matt's children are also showing interest, with his middle child taking a more creative approach.
He's like, 'I don't know if I wanna get beat up like that, Dad, but can you insult people and make money in wrestling? You can? That's awesome!'" Matt laughed.
Working With The Righteous and Honoring Bray Wyatt
The Hardys are currently embroiled in a feud with The Righteous (Vincent and Dutch), who debuted in TNA at Final Resolution in December. Matt noted the late Bray Wyatt (Windham Rotunda) had pushed for WWE to sign Vincent and Dutch following their 2022 tryout, and believes Wyatt would have loved working with the pair.
"Windham would have loved to have been able to sink his teeth into Vinnie and Dutch, no doubt," Matt said, praising the duo's commitment to their characters.
With the TNA World Tag Team Championships still around their waists and more WWE crossover appearances on the horizon, the Hardy Boyz show no signs of slowing down heading further into 2026.
