The following announcement is posted on Matt’s WWE Universe blog:

As you all should know by now, I demanded to be released from ECW by General Manager Theodore Long last week. I had decided to jump to Smackdown to deal with my issues with Jeff Hardy. In an idiotic decision, Theodore Long granted me my request. Although I wanted out, I honestly couldn’t believe he let me go they easy. I thought I was gonna have to put up a fight to get out of my ECW contract. But no, I was allowed to leave the brand at the mere mention of “I want my contractual release.”

This incident reinforces how bad of a G.M. Teddy Long is. I was the ECW Heavyweight Champion for nearly 5 months and I carried his company on my back. I was undoubtedly the greatest WWE ECW Champion there has been. I made the Sci-Fi program of ECW a must-see event if I was on it. The show will be severely damaged without my presence. Teddy Long made a terrible business decision-no if, ands, or buts about it. Teddy Long may have actually made a good personal decision though. If he had reservations about granting me my release, he may have found a “Black Cloud” over his life. Maybe he learned from Jeff Hardy’s mistakes.

I led several of Theodore Long’s ECW roster members to the best matches of their careers. Mark Henry, John Morrison, The Miz, Evan Bourne, Fit Finlay, and Jack Swagger all had one common denominator in their best ever ECW performances-Matt Hardy. I made all these guys into bigger stars than they were before wrestling me. That’s what I do, I make people stars. I get more out of human beings than they’ve ever known their capable of. I’ve done it my entire career. I’ve done it with Jeff Hardy, Lita, Shannon Moore, Joey Abs, Joey Mercury, Shane Helms, and even Edge. Edge didn’t become the superstar he is today until I created the “Rated R Superstar”-through our personal issues. Whether you want to accept it or not, it is the absolute truth-I am “The Starmaker” Matt Hardy.

I will be on the February 6th episode of Friday Night Smackdown. I understand that “Hurricane” Helms will voice his opinion on my situation with Jeff Hardy on Smackdown. I’ll be watching and listening close Shane. I predict your comments will predict your immediate forecast for the future.

“Cold Blood” Matt Hardy