The Hardys to Headline Battle for the Brave: Wrestling Showcase for Heroes (Exclusive)

The Hardys are heading to New Jersey this June for Battle For The Brave: Showcase for Heroes, a charity wrestling event promoted by AEW and TNA stars.

Steve Maclin and Deonna Purrazzo are putting on a charity wrestling event at the Rahway Rec Center in New Jersey on June 6 in partnership with Tunnels to Towers to raise money for first responders and veterans.

The Takedown on SI has learned that current TNA World Tag Team Champions Matt and Jeff Hardy will headline the event. When reached out to for comment about the important event, Matt Hardy stated:

"With both myself and Jeff being proud Americans, we're extremely excited to be participating in 'Battle For The Brave' on June 6th to support the men and women who are willing to sacrifice everything to keep us safe and free."

Battle For The Brave Deonna Purrazzo and Steve Maclin — Deonna Purrazzo and Steve Maclin to host Battle For The Brave | Battle For The Brave

Deonna Purrazzo reveals how Battle Of The Brave came to be

AEW's Deonna Purrazzo and TNA's Steve Maclin spoke with The Takedown on SI regarding the Battle Of The Brave and the surprising way this show came together.

"Honestly, I think Steve and I can both agree we never thought we'd actually be co-hosting a wrestling show or wrestling promoters," Deonna Purrazzo admitted. "We've been partnered with Tunnel to Towers for about two years now, and before Heroes Hockey, which was a separate event that benefits T2T.

"Last summer, I got a random DM in my requests from a guy, Josh Linton, who, along with his dad, runs Heroes Hockey, and they are huge hockey fans, and they wanted to incorporate local first responder teams all throughout the Northeast, as well as NHL legends. And they were wondering if there was anything we could help with if we want to be part of the event, because Josh is also a huge wrestling fan.

"So of course, we were like, Oh my gosh. Anyway, we can give back to T2T. We'd love to be a part of the event, and it's in New Jersey, where we're both from, so it's perfect, right? The combination of all our worlds. And after that event happened, Josh was like, so what if we were in a wrestling show? And we were like, Oh my gosh. Yeah, maybe. Let's take a few weeks, and like, settle down from Heroes Hockey, and we'll reconvene in a few weeks, right?"

"And then it just kind of took off from there. Immediately, we were like, we have this idea, and this idea, and what if this person was involved? And naming venues, dream scenarios, and dream matches. So it really just took a life of its own, all from a random idea over drinks after hockey."

Steve Maclin officially announces The Hardys and teases future event announcements

As far as the announcement that The Hardys would be headlining the event, that honor would go to former TNA World Champion Steve Maclin.

"Like my wife was saying before, we never thought in a million years we'd be running a wrestling show," Steve Maclin said. "Let alone booking talent and the ones that have become our friends who are co-workers from different companies. And it's really cool.

Steve Maclin Deonna Purrazzo — Steve Maclin and Deonna Purrazzo | Deonna Purrazzo

"It was an awesome moment to just be sitting there on the phone with said person of this tag team that we're about to announce. But never in a million years would I think we would be booking the Hardys. So to everybody out there, Battle Of The Brave: Wrestling Showcase for Heroes, the headliner is the Hardy Boys."

When pressed for a tease regarding who Matt and Jeff will be facing at the event, Maclin noted there would be future announcements and to stay tuned.

"You might have to stay tuned on that," Steve Maclin said. "There's more announcements to come, but obviously, with tickets going on sale today and The Hardys now announced, we expect this to just be one of the bigger events. And we kind of went all in on this with just, alright, we have to, as talent, how would we want to be booked on a show? And that's how we booked this as well."

Pre-sale tickets for the event go on sale this morning, February 19, at 10 AM ET. Tickets to the general public will go on sale on Friday, February 20.

For pre-sale information, email wrestling@t2t.org to sign up for insider access.

About the Tunnel to Towers Foundation

Born from the tragedy of 9/11, the Tunnel to Towers Foundation carries out its mission to "do good" by providing mortgage-free homes to Gold Star and fallen first responder families with young children and by building specially-adapted smart homes for catastrophically injured veterans and first responders.

The Foundation is also committed to eradicating veteran homelessness and helping America to Never Forget September 11, 2001.

Visit T2T.org to learn more and follow Tunnel to Towers on Facebook, X, and Instagram.

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