10 Times WrestleMania Genuinely Surprised Us
2. The Hardy Boyz Return
If you’re ever in need of a dopamine rush, just watch the clip of the Hardyz returning to WWE after eight years away. The execution is perfect, with the New Day looking ready to insert themselves into the ladder match before that famous music starts.
The joy on the faces of Matt and Jeff is glorious, but even better than that is the reaction of the fans. Eyes widen, hands clasp heads, strangers high five strangers in sheer jubilation. Grown men blubber to see their childhood heroes return; meanwhile, kids who’ve only ever seen the Hardyz in historical footage bounce with excitement.
This packs so much more of a punch for the effort put into making this a genuine surprise. They had dropped the Ring Of Honor tag titles just one night prior, and made a point to gently squash any rumours of a WWE return. Then, they snuck out of their hotel mid-Mania and snuck to the Camping World Stadium to deliver one of the high points of the entire evening.
While the run itself didn’t set the world alight, this is one of the all time great returns to a wrestling company, thanks to all parties doing what they can to make it a real surprise.