Matt Hardy shuts down viral Facebook death hoax after TNA main event
matt hardy publicly dismissed a viral Facebook post that falsely announced his death, then turned the moment into promotion for a TNA IMPACT! main event he and his brother Jeff were scheduled to appear in at 9 p. m. ET on AMC.
Fake Bill Goldberg page pushed a bogus obituary
A fake Facebook page under the name Bill Goldberg posted a phony obituary that opened, “Gone but never forgotten. Matt Hardy (1972-2026). ” The post also carried an effusive tribute about Hardy’s career and legacy. The account is known for using AI-generated images to spark engagement, and the hoax drew widespread attention online, with different outlets recording varying engagement figures for the same post.
Matt Hardy took to Instagram to shut it down
Matt Hardy posted a video on Instagram to correct the record, saying, “Ladies and gentleman, the rumours are not true. The Hardy Boyz are not dead because Matt and Jeff Hardy will not die! We are both alive and well and we will be featured tonight in the main event of TNA IMPACT that starts at 9 pm ET on AMC. ” He warned The Righteous not to betray the Hardy brothers and leaned into his “Broken” persona while addressing followers.
Different tallies of comments and shares
Engagement numbers for the fake post diverge in published accounts: one source put the post’s comments at over 2, 000 with more than 1, 600 shares, another recorded over 1, 800 comments and 1, 000 shares, and a third said it had been shared more than 1, 000 times. The differing figures reflect how the hoax spread across social platforms.
Hardy and Jeff teamed with The Righteous on TNA IMPACT!
The Hardys—Matt, 51, and Jeff, 48—teamed reluctantly with The Righteous duo Vincent and Dutch for an eight-man tag in the main event of the February 26 episode of TNA IMPACT! from Nashville. Their opponents were The System: Brian Myers, Eddie Edwards, Cedric Alexander, and Bear Bronson.
Finish handed The System the win after a Boston Knee Party
The match ended when Vincent shoved Matt out of harm’s way and absorbed a Boston Knee Party from Eddie Edwards, allowing The System to secure the pinfall victory. Matt had earlier told followers in the Instagram clip that he had been sent the false obituary dozens of times and wanted to set the record straight; he apologised if he frightened anyone and wrote that it had been sent to him roughly 100 times that day.
Hardys, The Righteous and ties to Bray Wyatt
Matt said he is enjoying working with Vincent and Dutch, praising their commitment to character work. He noted that The Righteous were once slated to be paired with Bray Wyatt in WWE before those plans changed months before the legendary wrestler’s death at age 32 in August 2023. Matt said Windham would have relished the pairing and that the Righteous are dedicated to their roles.
The hoax and its fallout put a spotlight on how AI-driven impersonation and fake accounts can amplify false claims, but Matt and Jeff Hardy made clear they were alive and performing. It is unclear in the provided context whether the duo have further confirmed appearances beyond the February 26 TNA IMPACT! main event at 9 p. m. ET on AMC.
