The debut of the Wyatt Family introduced second-generation star Bray Wyatt to a fan base desperately seeking a bright young star that was different from the rest, that stood out and gave them hope that the monotony that had encapsulated World Wrestling Entertainment would be broken. He was believable, thanks largely to the fact that he completely immersed himself in his character. The entrances were cool, the video packages revolutionary and the promo work far superior to that of anyone else on the roster. That he and followers Luke Harper and Erick Rowan targeted Kane ensured that the Wyatt Family's first feud would take on dark overtones. At SummerSlam, Wyatt would wrestle his first singles match, an Inferno match against Kane. The match type piqued fan interest but the story behind it was jumbled and nonsensical mess. WWE Creative clearly did not have the grasp of the Wyatt character like they would later on and as a result, his motivations were unclear and his reasons for targeting the Big Red Monster undefined. When the match turned out to be as bad as it ultimately was, the entire feud was deemed a tremendous flop, to the point that some questioned the long-term success of a performer such as Wyatt, who looked as bad as he did in his first pay-per-view bout.
Erik Beaston is a freelance pro wrestling writer who likes long walks in the park, dandelions and has not quite figured out that this introduction is not for Match.com. He resides in Parts Unknown, where he hosts weekly cookouts with Kane, The Ultimate Warrior, Papa Shango and The Boogeyman. Be jealous.
