Ed Nordholm, the Executive Vice President of Anthem Sports & Entertainment, was interviewed by Sports Illustrated. He talked in-depth about the Broken Universe ownership controversy. Here are some of the highlights:
Why he thinks Anthem/GFW is in the right over the Broken Universe gimmick:
“Because Matt Hardy, his brother [Jeff Hardy], and his wife [Reby Hardy] have all signed contracts that sign over all rights to the IP. That is the fundamental term of every term for every wrestler on our show, that’s a fundamental term for every wrestler with WWE, and that is the same contract that Ring of Honor has. It’s not really up for debate.”
If the fact that the Hardys spent money on the Broken Universe changes the dynamic of ownership:
“No. The company spent millions of dollars producing television last year, including all of the shows that incorporate the various aspects of the ‘Broken Brilliance.’ I don’t know whether Jeff and Matt had some out-of-pocket expenses that they might have had on the volcano and the like, but that would not change, in any way, shape, or form, what their contracts say about who owns the IP. If they had some out-of-pocket expenses, they certainly never brought them to my attention. To suggest that they somehow funded the show is absurd.”
If he’ll ever sell the Broken Universe property:
“I’ve stopped thinking about this. We have a show to put on, and a company and a brand. We’ve got things on our plate that are more important than sorting out the “Broken Brilliance.” I made a genuine effort to resolve something to benefit the Hardys as a goodwill gesture to Matt. It didn’t reach a conclusion and we’re moving on. We’re not going back to it, I’m not interested in opening a new dialogue, I’m not interested in opening another conversation about it. We made our best effort, it didn’t happen, and I’m not going to negotiate all over again.”
For the full interview with Ed Nordholm, check out Sports Illustrated.
(Soucek’s Analysis: If Ed is firm on his stance, this is a big blow to The Hardys. The brothers have been teasing their “Broken” mannerisms for months now on TV, which have received big pops from the crowd. Hopefully WWE creative has something new in mind for them so they don’t merely become a nostalgia act. However, considering the crazy amount of turns this story has taken, perhaps it’s best not to rule out that this is the real final chapter.)
Be the first to comment