WrestleMania 34: Bray Wyatt Returns, Helps Matt Hardy Win Andre Memorial Battle Royal

WrestleMania 34 opened with a huge surprise on Sunday, as Bray Wyatt appeared for the first time since losing the Ultimate Deletion match weeks back.

In the final moments of the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal, the final three contenders were Matt Hardy, Baron Corbin and Mojo Rawley. Just as it looked like Hardy was about to be eliminated, the lights went out and Wyatt’s entrance music hit.

“The Eater of Worlds” suddenly appeared in the ring and began attacking Corbin and Rawley, givign Hardy the opening he needed to win the match. Then with the two left standing in the ring, Wyatt opted to shake his former foe’s hand, showing the two had formed an alliance.

Hardy now joins Rawley, Corbin Big Show and Cesaro as the fifth man to win the annual battle royal.

The two first began feuding in November when Wyatt defeated Hardy on an episode of Monday Night Raw, sending Hardy into a fit of rage as he chanted “Delete!” over and over. In the following weeks Hardy debuted his “Woken” persona, a gimmick similar to one he made famous in Impact Wrestling back in 2016. The two clashed once again inside the Manhattan Center in New York City during Raw 25, where Wyatt won in quick fashion. They faced off a third time at Elimination Chamber, with Hardy finally getting a win.

Weeks before WrestleMania, the two wrestled in one finally confrontation at Hardy’s compound in Cameron, North Carolina. With the help of his father in-law Senor Benjamin and brother Jeff Hardy (who has recently been medically cleared to return to action), Hardy won with a Twist of Fate. He then tossed Wyatt into the Lake of Reincarnation, and Wyatt was nowhere to be found when Benjamin went into the lake to retrieve him.

Based on storylines from his time in Impact Wrestling, Hardy’s Lake of Reincarnation has the ability to change a person’s persona once they fall in. Rumors of Wyatt having his character repackaged have been spreading ever since the match.

Other matches scheduled for WrestleMania 34 include Roman Reigns vs. Brock Lesnar, AJ Styles vs. Shinsuke Nakamura, Charlotte Flair vs. Asuka, Braun Strowman and a mystery partner against The Bar, Nia Jax vs. Alexa Bliss and Ronda Rousey making her WWE debut in a mixed-tag match alongside Kurt Angle against Triple H and Stephanie McMahon.