Why WWE Is Bringing Matt Hardy Back For Monday's RAW Match, Matt Has Words For Randy Orton

By Marc Middleton

As noted, Monday's WWE RAW from Everett, WA will feature Randy Orton vs. Matt Hardy in a No Holds Barred match.

It was originally believed that Orton's RKO and chair shot to Matt on last Monday's RAW was done to write Matt out of WWE as his contract expires on Sunday, March 1 and the two sides haven't agreed on a new deal, with creative issues being the major problem. F4Wonline.com reports that last Monday was to be Matt's farewell, but he was brought back for this week because of two reasons. The first reason is that there are several injuries and unavailable talent that plans were changed, which is also why Big Show is being brought back this coming Monday in Everett.

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The other reason for Matt returning on Monday is that last week's Orton – Hardy segment did strong in the ratings. The Wrestling Observer reports that the segment was a major winner of last week's quarter breakdown, gaining 221,000 viewers. This was the biggest gain of the show. The next biggest gain of last Monday's RAW was RAW Women's Champion Becky Lynch retaining over WWE Women's Tag Team Champion Asuka, and the post-match angle with Shayna Baszler attacking. That segment gained 95,000 viewers for the quarter. The third highest gain of the show was Angel Garza's win over Cedric Alexander, which gained 74,000 viewers. Despite the strong gains for those two segments, the Orton – Hardy segment that did so well more than doubled them.

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Matt took to Twitter after the No Holds Barred match was announced and played up the storyline by saying he suffered head & neck trauma in Monday's attack, but also commented on how his career is up in the air.

"3 days ago, I suffered the worst head & neck trauma possible. A normal man would be out for months-I'm fighting Randy Orton on #RAW. My life & career are both currently in limbo. I also have a powerful, ancient spirit trying to possess me. I AM UNKILLABLE," Matt wrote.

Matt made another tweet in response to the announcement on Monday's match and appeared to be sending an explicit message to The Viper.

"FYR," Matt tweeted.

There's no word yet on if WWE plans on using Matt up until his contract expires, or if he will finally be written off for good with Monday's match. Some fans in the replies to Matt's tweets seem to think that Monday's No Holds Barred match is a sign that he has re-signed with the company. That is just speculation at this point. There's also speculation on WWE Hall of Famer Edge being brought back this Monday to continue the WrestleMania 36 feud with Orton, as he was the reason Matt confronted Orton in the first place.

Stay tuned for updates on Matt's WWE future. Below are his full tweets:

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