10 Biggest Shocks In WWE WrestleMania History

10. The Hardyz Return

As we’ve just seen on AEW Dynamite, there are few bigger pops than those afforded to a surprise Hardy return. OK, in the case of AEW, it wasn’t a huge surprise - Jeff’s appearance has been on the cards for a while - but it was a huge reaction, all the same.

Place the Boyz at WrestleMania, make it a genuinely unexpected bit of booking, and you’ve got a seismic response on your hands. At 33, the New Day interrupted a tag title ladder match to announce that another team would be taking part. They hinted that they’d be overstepping their position as hosts - the fans were fine with this. And then, the theme music started.

The best thing about Matt and Jeff’s return is the sweeping shot across the fans. Grown men with hands on their heads in shock, clutching each other with glee. The pair had been gone for eight years; this was the last thing anyone expected to see at WrestleMania.

The team were smuggled in mid-show to preserve the surprise, and it paid dividends. That they went on to win the belts in a pretty cool match made this all the sweeter.