10 Surprise WWE Returns That Immediately Transformed Title Matches

2. The Hardy Boyz

Sasha Banks Alexa Blis Bayley
WWE.com

TNA. Impact Wrestling. GFW. Impact Wrestling again. When a company struggles even to make a coherent name for itself, it's incredibly tough for a wrestler to attempt to do so too.

However, that's what Matt Hardy finally did after years of failed experiments attempting to reimagine the dated Hardy persona he emotionally detached himself from following a 2010 WWE departure.

The #BROKEN universe he crafted in 2016 not only clicked with the last remaining TNA devotees, but also drew in the wrestling audience at large and even a section of the mainstream that looked on curiously as he engaged in end-of-the-world wars with his brother Jeff from his fabled 'Compound'.

Starting as a feud after a particularly aggressive Hardy vs Hardy match sent him off the deep end, the two's maniacal battles eventually resulted in them forming a union as the Broken Hardyz after Jeff's defeat in the 'Final Deletion' rendered him 'obsolete'.

The duo astonishingly became the most relevant act in wrestling over 15 years after getting their big break at 1999's No Mercy supershow. A WWE comeback seemed inevitable, but their incredible redebut at WrestleMania 33 just 24 hours after losing the Ring Of Honour Tag Team Titles to The Young Bucks left even hardened observers awestruck.

Inserted into the Raw Tag Team Title match, the pair scooped the straps, completing a monumental WWE comeback and even concluding their storyline 'Expedition Of Gold' that had began whilst still employed by TNA.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation nearly 8 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 62,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett