Earlier this month, AEW Grand Slam Australia took place as a special episode of "AEW Collision," with every match featuring at least one participant from Australia or New Zealand. Coming out of the show, a great deal of discussion online centered on the size of the ring AEW used, with some incorrectly claiming that the company only realized they needed to rent a ring at the last minute.
Most within the industry itself pushed back on the narrative that the ring was too small, including former AEW star Matt Hardy. Speaking on "The Extreme Life of Matt Hardy," the wrestler shared his thoughts on the online reaction to the ring.
"That's very typical," Hardy said of the ring size. "With AEW going to Australia for the first time, I totally get them getting someone else's ring and using it. And whether it is 16 feet, or 18 feet, or 20 feet I mean, who cares?"
Hardy stated that the people who fixated on the size of the ring are too invested in the inner workings of the wrestling industry, and that these individuals tend to take miniscule details about an event and blow it up into a major issue. Even more ridiculous for Hardy is the fact that the ring used was 18 feet by 18, making it a "standard" size for promotions outside of WWE, though AEW does also typically use a 20 by 20 ring.
"It's very weird that the conversation took this turn," Hardy continued. "I think it was an absurd, preposterous talking point."
If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit "The Extreme Life of Matt Hardy" with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.
