Matt Hardy Thinks John Laurinaitis Enjoyed Firing Him From WWE

Matt Hardy believes that former WWE talent relations head John Laurinaitis got a kick out of informing him of his WWE release in April of 2005.

Hardy was let go after making public (via his website) the affair between Edge and his then-girlfriend Lita. Matt was preparing for his comeback following ACL surgery when he got the call wishing him the best in his future endeavours.

Speaking about his relationship with Laurinaitis during a recent edition of his The Extreme Life of Matt Hardy podcast, the former ECW Champion said:

"John Laurinaitis and I, we had a lot of issues. I felt like whenever he called to release me in 2005, I felt like he was getting a little bit of enjoyment out of it because he's like, 'this guy clashed with me and he questioned my judgment'". 

Matt went on to say that he and Laurinaitis butted heads about how he should be portrayed as a heel after he and brother Jeff split up in 2002.

Hardy was rehired in the summer of 2005 and engaged in an on-screen feud with Edge and Lita.

Though the two men had their issues, Matt made clear that he ultimately had respect for Laurinaitis, saying:

"He was ultimately the bad guy for Vince McMahon. Vince McMahon doesn't need to give people bad news...that's John Laurinaitis' job. So that's a tough job. It's a very thankless job in many ways, too. So at the end of the day, I've had my issues with John Laurinaitis, but I'm okay with John Laurinaitis now, and I'm fine with him. I have respect for him".

Laurinaitis himself was let go from WWE last August after his name was tied into the allegations of sexual misconduct and non-disclosure payments surrounding Vince McMahon.

H/T eWrestlingNews.com