"It's crazy how that became like a big meme" - AEW's Matt Hardy on the origins of famous catchphrase
AEW star Matt Hardy has gone into detail about his now-iconic "Broken Matt" character, particularly the catchphrase that caught fire in 2016: "Brother Nero, I knew you'd come!"
The Broken Universe began during Matt and Jeff Hardy's tenure in TNA (now IMPACT Wrestling) in 2016. The two were embroiled in an intense blood feud that eventually saw Matt become "Broken" and attempt to "delete" his younger brother.
Despite the gimmick drawing a lot of detractors in its infancy, The Hardy Boyz eventually became the most talked about act in professional wrestling. Fans were drawn to the insane creativity of Matt Hardy's "Broken Brilliance" as well as the stunts the two performed at the Hardy Compound.
So how did the iconic line, "Brother Nero, I knew you'd come," come to be? Speaking with Jon Alba on the "Extreme Life of Matt Hardy" podcast, Matt took a deep dive into the "Broken" character and explained where the line came from.
"It happened accidentally. I mean, I obviously meant to say it, but I didn't realize it was going to get over the way it did, and it's crazy how that became like a big meme. People were making different versions of that music. I mean, it was crazy how viral that that went in. Obviously, we know when so many people were hitting that, ‘Brother Nero, I knew you'd come,’ we had something to work with," said Matt. (H/T Fightful).
Every single Broken Matt Hardy moment is available now at GlobalWrestlingNetwork.com and the GWN App.
You can revisit all the aftermath from The Final Deletion including the birth of Skarsgård the dilapidated boat (IMPACT Wrestling - July 12, 2016) and SO much more. https://t.co/NYl71n1Tsk
Matt Hardy and Brother Nero were reunited this past week on AEW Dynamite
It had been rumored for weeks. Everyone in attendance knew it was coming. Fans even chanted Jeff Hardy's name minutes before he appeared. Yet they reacted to his AEW debut like it was the biggest shocker in the world.
The Charismatic Enigma appeared on this week's edition of Dynamite to save his brother Matt, Sting, and Darby Allin from a beatdown by the Andrade Family Office. Fans exploded with excitement as the brothers happily embraced in the ring.
I keep watching Jeff Hardy debut, this was just great 🔥 https://t.co/Kj8tMGpUHe
It was the first time in three years that Matt and Jeff have been in the ring together. The two were brought into WWE as a team in 2017, but Jeff suffered an injury in 2019, and by the time he came back, his brother had been released.
What do you think The Hardy Boyz will do in AEW? Let us know in the comments section down below!