Matt Hardy says pro wrestling success requires living the lifestyle

Matt Hardy has been in pro wrestling for nearly 35 years, and when young talent who are trying to make it in the sport ask for his advice, they’ll usually listen.

Hardy shared the advice he tells others in a recent interview with Fox News Digital. He said those who are trying to make it big have to live the lifestyle of a professional wrestler.

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Matt Hardy and Jeff Hardy celebrate during “NXT” at Andrew J. Brady Center in Cincinnati, Ohio, on Feb. 25, 2025. (WWE via Getty Images)

“The main piece of advice I always share with people, if you really want to make a career out of wrestling, you have to make it a lifestyle,” he said. “You have to do something every single day that kind of will help assist your journey and in your whole goal of being a pro wrestler.

“You have to exercise a certain way, try and eat a certain way, try and sleep a certain way, get in the habit of working out, get in the habit of knowing everyone and everything that’s going on at every promotion because you never know where you’ll get an opportunity.”

Pro wrestling promotions, especially the ones featuring former stars from WWE, All Elite Wrestling and Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA), sometimes have scouts watching closely. Being able to be on your game is crucial.

Matt Hardy and Jeff Hardy sit in the audience during SummerSlam at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., on Aug. 3, 2025. (Rich Freeda/WWE)

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“And that’s what’s key because timing is everything in pro wrestling,” Hardy explained. “You never know, you might get an opportunity to go somewhere at a promotion you’re not familiar with, and if you don’t know, then maybe they feel disrespected and they’re not as interested in you. But you just need to be as much on the pulse of pro wrestling as you possibly can be and make it a lifestyle.”

The current TNA star also added that buying into your own character is another part that a pro wrestler should focus on.

“And authenticity is real important, too,” he told Fox News Digital. “If you can find something that you’re doing as a character, as a performer, which seems authentic, which seems something that is relatable to you, you feel comfortable doing, that’ll usually come off the best.”

Matt Hardy participates in the U.S. vs. Canada Border Brawl in Niagara Falls, Ontario, on May 25, 2025. (Robert Okine/Getty Images for Zone-ify)

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Hardy, and his brother Jeff, will defend the TNA World Tag Team Championship at Lockdown on Sunday against Nic and Ryan Nemeth. The pay-per-view will take place at the Credit Union 1 Arena in Chicago. Each match will be inside a steel cage.