At the tail end of 2008, TNA wrote Christian off TV by using his impending WWE return as the incentive for a beatdown at the hands of the Main Event Mafia. This meant that heading into 2009, everyone knew that Christian was returning, but no-one knew exactly when. With the Royal Rumble approaching, it leaked that Christian was due to interfere in the Edge v Jeff Hardy match to help his former partner win the WWE Championship. This would have led to Christian feuding with Jeff into WrestleMania XXV, and Edge would presumably carry onto lose the title to John Cena as planned. However, when the news got out that Christian was scheduled to return at the Royal Rumble, it got switched around the last minute and the role went to Matt Hardy instead, who turned heel to betray his brother. The two Hardy Boyz would go to face each other at WrestleMania XXV, which in hindsight is a match more suitable to The Grandest Stage of Them All Christian would instead return in February, essentially taking Matt Hardys place as the top babyface in ECW. He would eventually capture the ECW Championship in April, and would be the backbone of WWEs third brand until its eventual demise a year later
