Matt Hardy has named a reigning WWE Champion as the male wrestler of the year.
With 2025 coming to a close, reigning TNA World Tag Team Champion and WWE Legend Matt Hardy has announced the 2025 edition of The Hardy Awards on his The Extreme Life of Matt Hardy podcast. Announcing the best performers and moments, Hardy chose Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes as the male wrestler of the year.
“I got to go with the face of WWE, the face of the company, the guy who represented them as their baby face champion all throughout the year. Cody Rhodes,” Hardy said. “He is the guy that has to carry the weight and carry the burden of being the guy that is the face and the flagship of WWE, and if business starts sliding, he’s the guy that has to take credit for that.”
Matt Hardy’s Other Picks
Speaking further, Matt Hardy also announced AEW’s Mercedes Moné as the female performer of the year.
“I almost would just go with Mercedes, just because of all of her booking and just the way she’s been utilized this year and holding that AEW title all year long.”
For breakout star and comeback of the year, Hardy chose TNA’s Leon Slater and John Cena, respectively.
“My breakout star of 2025 is Leon Slater,” Matt Hardy stated. “I think Leon Slater is someone who was building some great momentum in 2024 and now, because of this partnership, and his appearance is on NXT, and now even Saturday night’s main event, he has become someone who the wrestling world knows.
“I think I would actually probably give him comeback of the year. Just the fact that he was willing to come back. The fact that he came back off of being gone and being a big Hollywood star, where he is not getting beat up and he’s not taking bumps and he’s not sore every morning he works at wakes up after he goes in wrestles events.”
For the match of the year, Hardy chose the triple threat match between Seth Rollins, CM Punk, and Roman Reigns. Which was the main event of WrestleMania 41 night one.
“The Seth Rollins versus CM Punk. That was my, that was my match of the year,” Matt Hardy said. “I liked the fact that they did the deal with Heyman. Hooking up with Seth Rollins in this when he betrayed both Punk and Roman. I thought that was a good story, and it was good fuel to drive through the rest of the year.” [H/T: WrestlingNews.co]
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What do you make of Matt Hardy’s overall comments? Do you basically agree with these picks? Let us know your overall thoughts by sounding off in the comments section below.
