TNA star Matt Hardy shared his thoughts on Leon Slater’s daring Swanton 450 splash from the top of the Ultimate X structure at TNA Rebellion, a high-risk moment that immediately made headlines — and drew concern — across the wrestling world.
Speaking on the latest episode of The Extreme Life of Matt Hardy podcast, Hardy praised Slater’s fearlessness while offering insight into how such stunts could be made safer in the future.
“He’s our guy,” Hardy said. “He told me afterwards, ‘I’m a Hardy Boy now.’”
The moment in question saw Slater leap from a truss roughly 15 feet high onto a group of wrestlers below. However, the landing appeared rough, with Slater hitting hard and awkwardly, prompting fans and veterans alike to question the execution and risk level.
“That thing was so high; it was outrageously high… for him to go down and hit as hard as he did, it really was a miracle that he didn’t get injured,” Hardy explained. “I know he was beat up, he was super sore.”
Hardy went on to describe how difficult it is to execute a catch in such multi-person spots — particularly when spacing, timing, and hesitation can result in poor impact absorption.
“Sometimes when a guy’s coming, people don’t want to hit someone else… That is tricky… those things are just tough because guys are trying not to run into each other, and you don’t really designate who is going to spot the person.”
From a veteran’s perspective, Hardy outlined how he might have structured the spot to prioritize safety without diminishing spectacle.
“If I would have been in that scenario, I would have probably suggested, ‘Look, two strongest guys here are AJ Francis and Moose. Let’s put these guys down… aim towards them. Everybody else kind of be around… let those two be together as a wall and stop his momentum…’”
He also suggested the setup was perhaps too telegraphed, affecting the visual impact for fans.
Still, Hardy ultimately praised Slater and recognized the star-making nature of the moment:
“But at the end of the day, I’m just happy that no one got hurt. And that spot made Leon a bigger star because everybody was talking about it… Even though it wasn’t picture perfect… still that spot resonated… Leon Slater’s name is going to be on the tips of many more people’s tongues because the spot and this insanity happened.”
Slater has since confirmed he avoided serious injury, and the buzz around the high-flying newcomer continues to grow.
Stay tuned to PWMania.com for continued coverage of TNA, Matt Hardy, and rising stars like Leon Slater.
(h/t to WrestlingNews.co for the transcription)
