I’ve always had a soft spot for Bray Wyatt. I think it’s because of what the character and the persona reminds me of.
Bray Wyatt’s presence harkens back to the old school, over-the-top mysterious character, with a modernized touch. It’s wonky enough for the world of “sports entertainment,” but believable enough for the current climate of kayfabe… well, at least at first.
Over time, Wyatt’s character became watered-down and not credible. The promos are long and boring, and most times, confusing. I know as wrestling fans, we’re supposed to be able to read between the lines, but with Wyatt, it isn’t always that easy.
In addition to the questionable promo material, the in-ring work is stagnant. I don’t want to accuse Wyatt of “phoning it in,” but I honestly can’t remember the last time Wyatt wowed me with a great match or even a great sequence of moves.
But to be clear, I’ve seen matches and moments where Bray has impressed me and others, so we know the tools are there to be at the top of the company from a work-rate standpoint.
Wyatt has been missing from action since September of 2018, when his tag team partner, at the time, Matt Hardy took time off to deal with serious injuries. After it became clear that Hardy and Wyatt would split, Bray was also taken off TV and hasn’t been seen since.
I, for one, really liked that the decision to remove Wyatt from TV. At the time, Wyatt would’ve been lost in the shuffle and WWE would continue to damage the character they, at one time, held in such high regard. But what now? What’s next for Bray Wyatt? Can the character evolve and make a comeback?
Yes, and at the Royal Rumble.
I think reintroducing Wyatt in the Royal Rumble match would be a great way to build fan support for a monster babyface run in 2019.
Let me explain.
First things first, it’d be a genuine surprise. Not only has Wyatt been off TV, but we’ve heard very little about a potential return timetable. What better place than the Rumble match? He’ll get a great reaction after being away for so long and have a impactful moment without getting pinned.
It should also be noted that Monday Night RAW could really use a top babyface right now and I think Bray Wyatt is the right man for the job. Although Seth Rollins is killing it on every single level and is easily RAW’s most likable character, there is a still a void.
Aside from The Architect, other babyfaces on RAW lack credibility and haven’t necessarily delivered when it comes to all facets of the game. Sure, bright spots here and there, but it’s the consistency I’m looking for. The consistency of being a likable babyface character that all fans can get behind.
Even though consistency isn’t something you can describe Wyatt’s main roster run with, I believe the opportunity is there for the taking, with some tweaks to the Wyatt persona.
It’s time for some tweaking.
The first tweak I’d like to see implemented is Wyatt becoming a man of little words. One of the biggest complaints I, and others, have been outspoken about is the lack of direction in his promos. They’re too long without ever really having a purpose.
I don’t think anyone can deny his incredible vocabulary or his way with words, but at some point, it becomes less impressive when it becomes repetitive and when those words aren’t being backed up in the ring, from a character standpoint.
Wyatt’s career so far has been riddled with missed opportunities and shortcomings, that aren’t always in his control. Yes, Wyatt carries some responsibility for the way his career has gone thus far, but he has also been hindered by injuries, bad timing and poor booking decisions.
As I said above, Wyatt has had his bright spots and moments where he’s been a convincing character. But I think his time as a heel is no longer.
WWE is already so oversaturated with heel personas, that it sometimes makes the product difficult to watch. What better way to combat that with a likable, babyface cult-like leader, with all his “fireflies” lighting up the arena whenever he enters it.
And you might be saying, “Eron, how’s that different than what he’s been doing?”
My answer is that yes, we have seen that before, but not with the WWE hype machine behind it.
Wyatt has been an afterthought from a booking perspective for quite some time now and I think if WWE really committed to Wyatt as a rogue, rebellious outlaw-type character, while also keeping the foundation of his current character intact, they’d have a recipe for success.
I always go back to a time in 2016 whenever I think about how great a babyface Wyatt character would be.
In 2016, there was a brief time period after Bray returned from an injury that he was actually being presented as a tweener and fans responded positively.
As you can hear and see in the clip above, the fan support has always been there and if WWE can present a badass, cult-following Bray Wyatt, I think people will gravitate to him.
And when I say cult-following, I mean us! This Bray Wyatt shouldn’t have a family or a stable of goons. Just a man on a mission, with his followers (us) by his side.
Being like the rest, but also being your own man.
Wyatt, since his debut, has been compared to the likes of The Undertaker, Sting, Kane and other mysterious/demonic-like characters, but the thing that all of those guys had was a connection with fans at one time or another.
The final thing I also wanted to touch on was the idea of a character makeover.
Based off his social media, Wyatt has been hinting at a return coming very soon and with that return, it appears the character will be tweaked in some form or fashion. If changes are coming, I think an aesthetic alteration would be a really beneficial idea too.
Shave his head, trim the beard, do something, anything, different. A lot of times, a simple change in appearance can mean the world.
To wrap this all up, I think it’d be hard to argue that if WWE gave us a Bray Wyatt who went after authority figures for their corrupt nature, heel champions who abuse their power and bullies who take advantage of the little guy, it’d be really difficult to not get behind that character, especially if he embraces the love he gets from the fans.
A man of little words, speaking when the time is right and being booked strong isn’t a new concept, but it can be the right concept for this character.
In closing, I expect to see Bray Wyatt this Sunday at the Royal Rumble pay-per-view or sometime shortly after and I cannot wait. Let’s hope they don’t screw it up.
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