Matt Hardy describes how Orange Cassidy, like The Undertaker, is someone the boss can count on to deliver.
Cassidy has become one of AEW's top stars in recent years. He won the AEW All-Atlantic Championship in October 2022, and he has continued to defend the title (now known as the AEW International Championship) on a regular basis. Cassidy has proven himself as a fighting champion, and his matches are often viewed as the match of the night. At the very least, they're almost always in that conversation.
Speaking on The Extreme Life of Matt Hardy, Matt was asked to share his thoughts on where Cassidy sits in the grand scheme of things as a wrestler in 2023. Hardy praised Cassidy's abilities and highlighted the way he is committed to his character. He also noted that Cassidy can have amazing wrestling matches, though many fans are drawn to his persona. Hardy then called him one of the best wrestlers in the business right now.
“I think Orange Cassidy is tremendous. I think he’s at the top of that list when it comes to performers in AEW. He’s out there and he’s playing a character that is not easy to do, but he’s very committed to the bit, he’s committed to the gig. Once again, I can tell you how I respect someone who does that because I did that as ‘Broken’ Matt Hardy. But if he was just to go out and just be a normal, typical, regular wrestler, he’d be having amazing wrestling matches. He can go in there night in and night out and have this incredible wrestling match. But I feel like the thing that attracts him to so many fans is the persona, the whole Orange Cassidy shtick. So I greatly applaud him for doing that. I think he is one of the best wrestlers in AEW. I think he’s one of the best wrestlers in the industry right now. I think he has a really, really great confidence in knowing what he needs to do to make the character excel and continue to grow and connect with people," Hardy said.
The veteran then compared Cassidy to The Undertaker in the way that he's someone that Tony Khan can count on. He compared their relationship to that of Vince McMahon and The Undertaker, as "The Phenom" was McMahon's "go-to guy." Hardy also drew a link between the way both Cassidy and The Undertaker are very good wrestlers who have outlandish gimmicks.
"On top of that, man, I’m going to make a very strange connection, but I do think there’s some truth to this. In some ways, right now, if you notice this, Orange Cassidy opens up Dynamite all the time. I feel like Orange Cassidy to Tony, at this stage, right now, where they’re currently at, these last few months, in some ways reminds me of the relationship between Vince McMahon and The Undertaker. He was his go-to guy, a guy that he knew could go out and get the job he wanted done, done. On top of that, those guys were both really good wrestlers, but they played these outlandish and outrageous over-the-top gimmicks. So there’s a crazy similarity there. Imagine that, hearing Orange Cassidy compared to The Undertaker," Hardy said.
Hardy continued by noting that the way Khan had Cassidy retain his title in the battle royale at AEW Double or Nothing spoke volumes. He pointed out that Cassidy often kicks off episodes of AEW Dynamite, and that shows Khan's trust in him. Hardy stated he feels like Khan believes that Cassidy does numbers, and he's running with him.
“Just think about this. Tony put him in that battle royale where he was going to go in as the champion and retain the title. That speaks volumes right there. Then how many times on Dynamite do you see him kick off the show, to have a great match? That shows Tony has great faith in him. Not only does he enjoy and like him as a person, but he is a big fan of his wrestling style, and he also feels like he does numbers. He feels like he retains an audience. So he’s a young guy, it’s his first ever being a national, global star. Tony’s running with him, and I respect him for that," Hardy said.
During the podcast, Hardy also shared his thoughts on CM Punk's looming return. Check out his comments here.
Click here to see what Hardy had to say about his match at AEW Double or Nothing.
Click here to check out the card for the June 7 episode of AEW Dynamite. Fightful will have live coverage of the show as it airs.
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