Matt Hardy criticizes AEW stars for excessive no-selling

Professional wrestler Matt Hardy has criticized All Elite Wrestling (AEW) for an perceived excessive use of ‘no-selling,’ a technique where performers ignore the impact of devastating moves to maintain a fast pace.

Speaking on his podcast, ‘The Extreme Life of Matt Hardy,’ he noted that while the practice can be effective in moderation, it has become too frequent within the company. Hardy specifically identified The Young Bucks, Will Ospreay, and Swerve Strickland as performers who occasionally take this approach too far. He cited a specific instance from the ‘All In’ event involving The Young Bucks, where a wrestler appeared to recover almost immediately after absorbing a high-impact 450 splash.

Hardy clarified that he is not against the technique entirely, acknowledging its historical use in professional wrestling to establish certain characters as exceptionally resilient. However, he expressed concern that when major maneuvers have ‘zero effect’ on a performer, it can undermine the credibility of the matches.