Veteran wrestler Matt Hardy has weighed in on the AEW World Championship landscape, sharing his belief that the company needs a change at the top and a fresh narrative direction moving forward.
Hardy made the comments in early April 2025—prior to AEW Dynasty, where Jon Moxley retained the AEW World Title against Swerve Strickland, thanks to interference from the returning Young Bucks. While the events at Dynasty reshaped the main event scene, Hardy’s remarks still reflect growing sentiment about the need for change.
“I think AEW needs a new champion,” Hardy stated. “I think they need to have a fresh start in going in a new direction.”
Hardy singled out Swerve Strickland as a strong candidate to take the reins as world champion, citing the need for decisive long-term storytelling.
“So, yeah, I would be okay with Swerve winning the title. I just think they need to make a decision, and I think they need someone to win the title soon and have something in mind for what sort of story they want to tell around whoever it is, and have something to run with for a few months.”
Hardy also offered a critique of the current top-tier angle, particularly the involvement of Moxley’s faction.
“I just feel like the Death Riders thing has almost run its course,” he said, implying the storyline has reached a natural endpoint and that it’s time to evolve the main event picture.
As AEW moves beyond Dynasty, it remains to be seen whether Hardy’s call for change will echo through the company’s creative direction—or whether Moxley’s reign will continue to be defined by faction warfare and chaos.
