PW Awards 2016: Best Gimmick

Winner: Matt Hardy

“I cannot stand Matt Hardy, but I would be both foolish and lying if I said couldn’t understand why the Broken Matt Hardy gimmick has gotten over in such a monumental way. Broken Matt Hardy and the whole Delete story is a classic case of over-the-top wrestling characters and storytelling at its finest. It’s ridiculous, hilarious, and fun to watch, easy to mimic, and the character is so simple when you think about it that Hardy can (and does) take it anywhere. For those of us who have been watching the Hardy Boys for nearly two decades now, it’s absolutely no surprise that the thing that got them (and the promotion they are currently signed to, TNA) over in 2016 is just them wrestling in Matt’s backyard. Duh.” – Lady J

“I voted for something in TNA. Lord, help me. When I first saw the Broken Matt Hardy gimmick, I rolled my eyes. I thought it was lame and just did not understand the concept at all. Then it really grew on me. When they did the video of Jeff going to the compound to see Broken Matt, I lost it. I was laughing so hard, and enjoying it so much. It was a damn classic. Kudos to Matt for reinventing himself after all these years, and making it so damn enjoyable.” – Chris Langevin

“Who would have thought that the answer to TNA’s problems would be to completely let Matt Hardy off the leash?” –  Aaron Oster

“This gimmick came out of left field, and is now the talk on the town. With the frayed hair, and gothic look, the ‘Broken’ Matt Hardy has shaken up the business. Of course, you have people who love it and people who hate it. However, everyone is talking about him.” – Canadace Kidd

“I watched more Impact Wrestling programming this year than I felt comfortable with and I blame it all on ‘Broken’ Matt Hardy. His ‘Broken’ brilliance showed us that there are no limits in the world of professional wrestling. The things that he accomplished with Final Deletion, Delete or Decay and Total NonStop Deletion will start a whole different kind of revolution in the world of Sports Entertainment that we’ll be celebrating for years to come.” – Dave Reno

“Nothing else even was close to me. I get a kick out of Dalton Castle on ROH, but Broken Matt Hardy is unbelievable. Matt was able to completely recreate himself, and make his character must see TV.” – Dan Rose

“The wrestling community is talking about Matt Hardy again.” – Matt Addie

Runner Up: Tetsuya Naito

Honorable Mention: Dalton Castle

Next: Promotion of the Year