'Woken' Matt Hardy Given "Creative License" By Vince McMahon

claims Vince McMahon is an advocate of the 'Woken' Matt Hardy character and is even willing to give the Hardy boy creative freedom now the gimmick has debuted on WWE television.

Barrasso's report states that a contact within WWE reached out to Sports Illustrated to let them know Hardy will be "allowed a creative license by McMahon, who sees opportunity and the opportunity to cash in on a character that is already established."

The would be an unprecedented move from McMahon, who is renowned for not being a fan of gimmicks that are created outside of the WWE Universe. Then again, this particular gimmick that is coming in from elsewhere is the property of a performer Vince has known for over 20 years. It's clear that Hardy has a modicum of trust from his boss that other members of the roster may not have at this point in their careers.

It was clear to all who saw Woken Matt's promo on Monday night's Raw that it came straight from his mind alone, putting fears certain fans might have had about the gimmick being a watered down version of what we saw in Impact Wrestling to bed.

It now looks like the Woken Brilliance of Matt is going to be launched into a lengthy feud with Bray Wyatt, which should produce one the most creative and compelling storylines of recent years.

However, it's not all plain sailing for Hardy as Ed Nordholm, President of Anthem, still currently owns the "Broken Universe" intellectual property. Even though there is no dialogue between the pair at the moment, Sports Illustrated believes both parties think they are the rightful owners of the IP, but there is a chance Nordholm and Hardy will work something out down the line. This presumably explains WWE's decision to go with the 'woken' schtick rather than 'broken'.