Welcome to the ramblings of a fan of one of the most complex characters in the history of professional wrestling - Bray Wyatt. Be it as The Fiend, The Head of The Wyatt Family, or just as a maniac designed to irritate the stars of WWE, Wyatt has been one of the most intriguing and captivating stars of WWE. But should he be seen as more than just a sideshow attraction?
IS BRAY WYATT DESTINED TO BE THE FACE OF WWE?
PART 1: THE HUMBLING BEGINNINGS OF A FUTURE STAR
Husky Harris is a name which may spark derision from fans who experienced the poor start to the WWE career of Windham Rotunda, the son of IRS himself. Mike Rotunda was certainly a solid wrestler, with his IRS gimmick lasting long in the memories of fans from the 1980's and 1990's. That is, if you forget Michael Wallstreet! This meant much was expected from Rotunda Jr, but it was unclear initially how he would be able to use the Husky Harris gimmick to propel himself into the main event scene.
Simply put, Husky Harris was a failure. He was often viewed as the weak point of The Nexus, a stable designed to highlight the promise in the next generation of WWE wrestlers, having previously appeared on the original iteration of NXT. Thankfully, Harris was put to bed in an attack by Randy Orton, becoming yet another victim of the infamous Punt Kick. This may have signaled the end of his WWE career, but thanks to Triple H and the renewed interest in Florida Championship Wrestling, Harris would become a starlet of WWE's development brand, honing his in-ring craft and promo skills to eventually create a tribute to Waylon Mercy and Cape Fear - the mysterious and unnerving Bray Wyatt.
VERDICT: Bray Wyatt was destined for infamy as a charcter, which was evident since day one. Not only was it a much better character than Husky Harris, but it was clear the man behind the character was determined to make it work.
PART 2: THE BIRTH OF THE FAMILY
Bray Wyatt was exactly the character that Windham Rotunda needed. Creating an unimitable sense of unease and distress, his character took members of the developmental roster under his wing, creating The Wyatt Family. In Luke Harper and Erick Rowan, he essentially had two disciples who would do anything he said, which was a deadly combination on NXT, a brand truly renewed like a phoenix rising from the ashes. It was NXT where Wyatt honed his sermon-esque promos, captivating and compelling fans of NXT to sit up and take notice, but most importantly, Triple H and Vince McMahon felt Wyatt was ready for a promotion to the main roster. As July 2013 approached, The Wyatt Family finally made their debut following weeks of intense and spooky promos in which Wyatt made it clear that he meant business. The intelligence and tone of his promo work was already evident in these vignettes, which lead to perhaps one of the most anticipated debuts in WWE for a number of years. The Wyatt family were here, and they meant business.
The Wyatt Family quickly ran through the WWE roster, defeating some of the biggest names in the company, whilst engaging in captivating storylines against Daniel Bryan and The Shield, culminating in one of the best tag team matches of all time as The Wyatt Family defeated The Shield at Elimination Chamber 2014. This led to Wyatt himself taking on John Cena in a match at WrestleMania 30, with the concept of Cena's legacy as a 'good guy' pulled into focus. Eminem's 'Legacy' was the background to the WrestleMania vignette in which Cena was adamant he would not compromise himself, but Wyatt insisted that he would destroy the legacy of Cena and help him embrace the darker side of his psyche. Unfortunately, Wyatt was unable to win, which started a trend of dominating feuds from a promo point of view, but he could not seem to win matches when it truly mattered. Wyatt was lost in a figurative sense, but soon enough, he would be lost on the roster.
VERDICT: After a promising start, Bray Wyatt was unable to capitalise on his success to truly ingratiate himself within the upper echelon of WWE superstars. It felt as though winning 'the big one' would always elude him.
PART 3: THE SOLO STRUGGLES IN LIMBO
It almost felt as though Bray Wyatt was being lost in the shuffle, no longer being considered for the biggest feuds. His ludicrous tag team with Matt Hardy as The Deleter of Worlds was poor, leading to a severe reduction in his credibility. Even when he dominated feuds in the build up to a pay-per-view, there was no real faith he would succeed and come away with the spoils. To have a noose around his neck in every feud meant Wyatt posed no real threat, possessed no real mystique, and most importantly and critically, held no credibility.
Thankfully, he created a strong storyline with Randy Orton, culminating in his first WWE Championship victory at Elimination Chamber 2017, before losing to Orton in a pretty piss poor match at WrestleMania 33, with some pathetic maggot imagery on the ringmat endemic of how dour the feud was. As soon as Wyatt ascended to the top of WWE, he was never seen as anything more than a transitional Champion. Something needed to change, and change fast. Even a fantastically camp and silly House of Horrors match at Payback 2017 failed to create much of a buzz around the remnants of the Wyatt character. For such a promising start on the main roster, it truly felt as though the opportunity to succeed had been lost to the sands of time.
VERDICT: Bray Wyatt in his current guise on the main roster was no longer effective, therefore quick and swift change was needed. I never once felt that he would ever recover from his malaise.
PART 4: THE RISE OF THE FIEND
For weeks, promos and vignettes aired in 2019 for Bray Wyatt's return, hinting at a split personality gimmick. Not only was this true to an extent, but his refreshed character was better than anyone could have ever invisaged. A creepy vibe was one thing, but the creation of the Firefly Fun House was downright unsettling - and I loved it! It was obvious Wyatt was here to make a mark on WWE, with multiple reports highlighting Wyatt was the purported creator of the gimmick, being afforded a sense of creative freedom and liberty that is rarely shared and entrusted in modern WWE.
The so called 'evil' side of Wyatt was revealed to be an entity known as The Fiend, a monster who was impervious to pain and possessed a ghoulish mask that instantly gave the character validity. It wasn't long before he became WWE Universal Champion by defeating Seth Rollins, albeit after one of the most insulting Hell in a Cell matches of all time. The Fiend and Wyatt were a duality, representing the light and darkness of a tortured soul, which was compelling to watch week in and week out. Easily the best promo in WWE, Wyatt was able to captivate fans in a way not seen for years. This was as the crazy and unpredictable Firefly Fun House leader, as evident in his memorable skits and segments, but the swift descent into his dark alter ego was a transition that grabbed your attention. The Fiend's signature 'Let Me In' was as entrancing as it was unsettling, a very stunning and desirable quality in professional wrestling.
However, the decline of The Fiend was clearly upon us as he easily lost his WWE Universal Championship to an insultingly expired Goldberg, before being neutered in a poor storyline with Alexa Bliss and Randy Orton. Once again, the mystique that surround an Undertaker-esque character was gone, culminating in a shocking decision to release Wyatt from WWE. Although he never appeared in another promotion in the interim, the future for both Wyatt and Rotunda as a person was worryingly unclear, especially as the death of Brodie Lee hit Rotunda hard. Would we ever see Wyatt in a wrestling ring again?
VERDICT: Despite being a huge mover of merchandise, it was immensely disappointing to see The Fiend bastardised as a character. Bray Wyatt and his fans deserved so much better!
PART 5: THE HERO RETURNS HOME
Roll onto 2022, a year in which professional wrestling was irreversibly affected, primarily by the departure of Vince McMahon from WWE due to unsavoury actions outside of the ring. Enter Triple H to steady the WWE ship, a man who was not only a solid booker, but had clear and unwavering faith in his former NXT products to lead the way in WWE. This led to Bray Wyatt returning at Extreme Rules 2022, receiving one of the most rapturous pops I have heard in many a year. This felt like the return of a legend, and a man who had returned home with a score to settle.
It took 5 days for Wyatt to produce a sizzling promo, one which made this humble writer choke up. Not only was Wyatt addressing the fans as Windham Rotunda, he was addressing the very real nature of wrestling fans choosing who they follow. He had returned to WWE to an ovation, one which he and the fans were entwined with in clear and very real hope. The anticipation for the future was here, solidified by the twist that an evil side of Wyatt that was NOT The Fiend was determined to end him before he began his journey back to the top. AS I write this article, the current angle is being slow played expertly, creating a sense of unmatched intrigue.
Overall, WWE is in a strong position at the moment, with a booker in Triple H that inspires confidence in both wrestlers and fans, whilst the product seems to be at an all time high for the 'WWE Universe' era in terms of interest and in ring performances. The sticking issue for many fans is the fact Roman Reigns is the Undisputed WWE Universal Champion, defeating each and every opponent who has dared to face him. This may be a deserved run at the top, but it has created a void at the very top of the card, a void that could (and perhaps should) be addressed by Wyatt defeating Reigns for one, if not both, World Championships.
But why this character? Why now? To say that people in 2022 are aware of mental health challenges is an understatement, and there is something within Wyatt's character that speaks to people. I myself am Bi-Polar, therefore I unwittingly gravitated towards The Fiend upon his inception, and I continue to gravitate towards my favourite character in all of professional wrestling. Yes, Wyatt's in-ring ability has never been the best, but his character inspires me. He inspires many fans, and even if you cannot feel that connection with him, you want to view his journey. It is this very quality that needs to be highlighted by WWE, and used to draw in fans for many years to come. Is he the saviour of WWE? No, as WWE needs no saviour at the moment. However, Wyatt as a character and a focal point for the company would be akin to having John Cena lead WWE through the 'Ruthless Aggression' era. It is something that needs to happen, and in my opinion, to do anything other than glorify Wyatt is a mistake.
VERDICT: I personally think Bray Wyatt should be WWE Champion, sooner rather than later. I would keep the WWE Universal Championship on Roman Reigns, as that title reign woulld still feel valid and important. But in order to grow the company in 2023, the focal point of SmackDown at least needs to be Wyatt, using a character that feels very much current, inspirational, and mysterious.
That's my rationale for how Bray Wyatt is, in my mind at least, the true saviour of the WWE, perhaps even the future of professional wrestling. He is a tortured, yet beautiful soul, and through his very real connection with fans, he is destined to be the face that WWE needs.
Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
Do you agree that Bray Wyatt is the face of WWE?
Or is this just another false dawn in a storied but disappointing career?
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