Source: Pwinsider
As reported last Friday here on eWrestlingNews.com, Anthem sent cease and desist orders to The Hardys, Ring of Honor and several pay-per-view distributors over Matt and Jeff appearing at the ROH 15th Anniversary PPV as their “broken” characters. The legal letters wound up leading to the DISH Network pulling the 15th Anniversary PPV and The Hardys toning down their act for the pay-per-view itself. As noted, Reby “Sky” Hardy has been blasting both Anthem and iMPACT! Wrestling on Twitter as of late while Hardy still uses parts of the character. Reby is claiming that The Hardys have full ownership of the gimmick.
For what it’s worth, a reliable source claims Matt Hardy filing a trademark for “Broken Matt Hardy” is what led to Anthem Media taking action. Anthem believes that since Hardy wasn’t the only person to create the character (Dave Lagana, Matt Conway, Billy Corgan and others were reportedly involved), others deserve part of the credit and revenue. It’s possible this is Anthem’s way of getting money if the act is taken to other promotions, including WWE. They want to pressure Hardy into signing a deal that gives Anthem a percentage of profits made from the gimmick.
