Following his apparent breakdown following his loss to Bray Wyatt on this past Monday Night Raw, many wondered if this was simply another tease from the WWE at the potential of a return to the Broken Brilliance of Matt Hardy or if they were finally pulling the trigger on the beloved cult favourite character that dominated pro wrestling for most of 2016. Well, last night at a Raw Live Event in Salt Lake City, Matt Hardy made his return to the ring for the first time since Monday and by all indications, he is indeed now full “Broken” – although the WWE will be referring to him as Woken instead (most likely so they can have some trademark on the character going forward).
https://www.instagram.com/p/BcOYzsIA4gQ/?hl=en&taken-by=wwe
Twitter was abuzz last night as people around the world were waiting for news and photos of whether or not Matt Hardy would be appearing as the Team Extreme nostalgia act again or fully committing to the Broken character as teased Monday. People in attendance confirmed what the WWE’s video also showed. Matt Hardy was indeed Broken upon his entrance (well, Woken).
Matt Hardy vs Bray Wyatt #WWESaltLakeCity pic.twitter.com/5oVNUJ2SMZ
— Amanda Stan Account (@RomanMoxFan2010) December 3, 2017
https://twitter.com/bigdogs23/status/937168365910740994
Just prior to the event, Matt himself tweeted the following:
The #7Deities have EMPOWERED & #WOKEN my VESSEL's #BROKENBrilliance to DELETE the rubbish away from the plane identified as WWE.
It COMMENCES tonight at #WWESaltLakeCity. pic.twitter.com/nc2s19xcf8
— MATT HARDY (@MATTHARDYBRAND) December 2, 2017
While Matt Hardy lost the match to Bray Wyatt, it’s most likely because the WWE is saving the grandiose return of Woken Matt Hardy for Monday Night Raw, where he’s expected to continue his feud with Bray Wyatt (who would represent “the darkness” that Hardy claimed to be waging his Great War against).
For those who are new to the Broken/Woken Hardy saga, we compiled a chronological narrative, from his first “break” in Impact Wrestling in late 2015, through the Final Deletion series, to their appearances in Ring of Honor, up to the re-breaking this past Monday, in order to catch up (or if you’re already a fan, a refresher as the new Woken era begins).
