Leon Slater has already assembled the kind of résumé that would stand out for any wrestler still early in his career, including a run as TNA X-Division Champion. Yet when asked to identify the biggest “I did that” or pinch-me moment he has experienced so far, Slater did not point to a title victory, a signature athletic feat, or a major singles match.
Instead, Slater named the first time he teamed with Matt and Jeff Hardy.
Speaking during an appearance on Unlikely with Adrian Hernandez, Slater looked back on the February 6, 2025 edition of Impact, when he joined The Hardys in a six-man tag team contest against The System in San Antonio. For Slater, the match represented a rare collision between the fandom that helped shape his interest in wrestling and the reality of becoming a peer of two of the business’ most recognizable performers.
The moment carried even more weight because Slater has been open about his admiration for Matt and Jeff Hardy. Their return to TNA put an eventual partnership on his personal wish list, and he said the announcement that he would be part of their team was difficult to fully process.
For more background on this topic, read TNA iMPACT! Preview: Nic Nemeth Defends Against Matt Hardy in No DQ Match.
“The first thing that came to mind when you asked is my first-ever time teaming with Matt and Jeff Hardy when we did that initial six-man in San Antonio, funnily enough,” Slater said. “Because you always dream, and you always hear about your heroes becoming your peers, becoming your friends, right? And I don’t know about you, but sometimes it’s difficult to picture yourself being in that position.”
A Dream Scenario in San Antonio
The February 6, 2025 match placed Slater directly beside two stars he had watched while growing up. In wrestling, being booked alongside a childhood favorite can be a meaningful milestone by itself. Doing so in a high-profile multi-person match, as part of a side opposed to one of TNA’s central factions at the time, gave the occasion an added sense of importance.
Slater explained that he had been hoping for the opportunity from the point The Hardys returned to TNA. The possibility was not merely a hypothetical dream; it was something he repeatedly wanted to see become real. When the trio of Slater, Matt Hardy, and Jeff Hardy was confirmed to face The System, his response was immediate disbelief.
“So when I found out that it was going to be that combination of me, Matt, and Jeff versus The System at the time, it was absolutely mind-blowing,” Slater said. “Because ever since I was in TNA and Matt and Jeff came back, I was like, ‘It has to happen, it has to happen, it has to happen.’”
That enthusiasm reflects why The Hardys remain significant figures to generations of wrestlers. Matt and Jeff Hardy built their reputations through a combination of tag team innovation, risk-taking, charisma, and longevity. Their work has influenced fans and performers across different eras, and their presence in a locker room can still make a major impression on talent who grew up watching them.
For Slater, the pairing was especially personal. He described himself as someone who believes in manifesting goals and speaking ambitions into existence. In his telling, the San Antonio six-man tag was a case of that outlook paying off. A desire he had voiced repeatedly became an actual TNA match, with Slater no longer watching The Hardys from afar but standing beside them as their partner.
From Heroes to Peers
Slater’s comments get at a defining part of a wrestler’s professional journey: the transition from fan to colleague. It is one thing to be inspired by a performer’s matches, presentation, and career. It is another to prepare for a televised bout with that same performer, receive direction in the locker room, and work together in front of a live crowd.
That shift can be difficult to absorb, particularly for a young talent who has moved rapidly from prospect status into prominent opportunities. Slater said he understood the familiar idea that heroes can become peers and friends, but admitted that imagining himself in that position had not always come easily.
The reality has apparently not become routine just because Slater has experienced it. He said that even now, seeing Matt and Jeff Hardy enter the locker room produces two simultaneous reactions. Part of him sees them in the comfortable context of colleagues he knows. Another part is still struck by the fact that they are the Hardy Boyz, the same duo who occupied such a major place in his wrestling fandom.
“Still to this day, I have to pinch myself when they walk in the locker room,” Slater said. “Like on one side of me, it goes, ‘Oh yeah, it’s Uncle Matt and Uncle Jeff.’ And then I’ll turn around and look back and I’ll go, ‘Hold up. Like, that’s Matt and Jeff Hardy.’”
Slater added that the two veterans were “1A and 1B” among his favorites while he was growing up. That phrasing makes clear that this was not simply a case of respecting two successful names from a prior generation. The Hardys were central to the wrestling experience that helped form Slater’s own ambitions.
Why the Moment Stands Above Championship Success
A former X-Division Champion selecting a tag team appearance over a championship accomplishment may seem surprising on paper. Championships are tangible career markers, and the X-Division has long served as an important platform for performers who combine speed, creativity, and a willingness to take risks. Slater’s connection to that division is a substantial achievement in its own right.
But career-defining memories are not always measured by titles. Some are defined by the emotional context surrounding a match, the people involved, or the feeling that a personal goal has become real. Slater’s first outing with Matt and Jeff Hardy appears to fit all of those categories.
The match also represents a broader measure of his standing in TNA. Being placed in a major six-man scenario with established veterans signals trust in a performer’s ability to handle a prominent environment. Slater was not simply present for a ceremonial interaction. He was included as a working partner in a match against The System, sharing responsibility for the action and the presentation of the story.
For an emerging wrestler, those opportunities can be formative. Veterans offer a different kind of education than training drills or individual showcase matches. Working alongside performers with decades of national television experience can provide insight into pacing, crowd engagement, match structure, and the less visible instincts developed over long careers. Slater did not specifically frame the experience as a lesson, but his appreciation for being close to Matt and Jeff Hardy is evident in the way he recalls it.
Slater’s Perspective on an Ongoing Journey
Slater was careful to characterize the Hardy Boyz match as the biggest pinch-me moment so far. That distinction matters. His comments are not a declaration that his career has reached its summit, but an acknowledgment of a landmark that remains meaningful as he continues moving forward.
He has already had an experience that many wrestlers who grew up inspired by The Hardys could only imagine: entering a TNA ring as their teammate. The memory has retained its impact beyond the night in San Antonio, extending to the simple everyday sight of Matt and Jeff in the same locker room.
That ability to retain a sense of wonder can be valuable for a wrestler whose career is still developing. Slater’s reflection combines ambition with gratitude. He wanted the opportunity, pushed the idea in his own mind, and embraced it when it arrived. Now, rather than treating the match as just another entry on a record, he recognizes it as a personal marker of how far he has come.
“That is probably the biggest like, ‘I can’t believe I did that,’ ‘pinch me’ moment of my career so far, for sure,” Slater said.
For Slater, the first Hardy Boyz team-up was more than a six-man tag against The System. It was the point where a longtime fan’s vision of wrestling alongside his idols stopped being a dream and became part of his own story in TNA.
Darryl Polo
Darryl Polo is a passionate wrestling fan covering WWE, AEW, TNA and beyond. He loves great rivalries, breakout stars and the moments that keep fans talking long after the bell. How we work.