5 Things WWE Must Do With Bray Wyatt (And 5 They Mustn't)
Potentials and pitfalls for the returning monster.
Wrestling’s worst kept surprise since CodyMania has come to pass; Bray Wyatt is back in WWE.
Churlishness aside, the return of the Eater Of Worlds at Extreme Rules could hardly have been handled better, from the thoroughly modern, multimedia build to the reveal itself. But now, as the dust has settled, the question must be raised: what next?
Bray Wyatt has been a wrestler of immense highs and lows. For every unique moment and sparkling vignette, there has been a harmful loss or a stinking story. To that end, the new incarnation of Wyatt can inspire equal parts excitement and concern in the minds of any switched-on WWE fan.
This is the Triple H era we’re talking about, though, and the post-McMahon landscape of WWE has, across the board, looked pretty promising thus far. As such, there are reasons to be cheerful when it comes to Windham Rotunda’s WWE rebirth - but there are opportunities to be taken, and pitfalls to be avoided.
These are, as we see it, the basic building blocks to a Bray Wyatt run that actually lives up to the man’s undeniable potential, things we need to see, and errors to be avoided this time around.
10. Must - Keep Up The Interactive Involvement
From its aesthetics to its patient build and, most importantly, its interactive elements, the White Rabbit tease has been one of WWE’s best ideas in years.
Starting off with blasts of the Jefferson Airplane track off-camera, then building up with QR codes dotted increasingly obviously around WWE TV and finally interrupting proceedings with retro gaming-influenced vignettes, this could hardly have gone better. It garnered mainstream attention, got people talking, and paid off.
This is something creative needs to keep up when developing Wyatt further. In placing hints and riddles around WWE content, not only does it promote attentive watching, it fosters a connection between the fan and the superstar.
Whether he’s a cult leader or The Fiend, Wyatt’s character has always revolved around drawing people under his spell. We’ve seen him influence and corrupt many of his colleagues; he could do the same to the WWE universe at large. Having him operate in the shadows would also allay another fear…