10 WWE Moments That Destroyed The 'Fiend' Character
Only WWE could take 'The Fiend' from infallible to laughable.
Back in the summer of 2019, fans eagerly awaited the arrival of Bray Wyatt's new character in hopes that it would not only entertain but also give the performer a second life in WWE. After the debut of 'The Fiend' at SummerSlam, it appeared the sports entertainment company had finally found its next hit, and Wyatt was destined to conquer the top of the card.
WWE's new homicidal clown intrigued fans with his edgier themes and more vicious presentation. For a moment, everything felt like it was going to be perfect. However, naysayers were still quick to suggest the company would fumble its hottest act, and they were quick to be correct.
Only two matches in and many fans had already given up on 'The Fiend.' All he had to be was a disturbed masked man who plowed through credible talent. Instead, WWE subjected Wyatt to turbulent booking that often tarnished his gimmick's appeal.
Even so, there have been many entertaining spots involving Wyatt since he reared his head again around 16 months ago. Unfortunately, there were also many more moments that risked completely destroying 'The Fiend' for good.
10. Acme, Inc Finish - Hell In A Cell 2019
On paper, a Hell in a Cell match between 'The Fiend' and Seth Rollins didn't sound so bad. All the company had to do was let the evil clown be an evil clown. However, the Universal Championship quickly became an albatross for Bray Wyatt.
WWE wasn't quite ready to put the strap on Wyatt, but it also knew he couldn't afford the loss so early into his return. As expected, the company tried to play things down the middle, resulting in a total dumpster fire.
Not to mention the awful red lighting, the bout was sluggish and often included goofier spots like 'The Friend' retrieving a cartoonishly large mallet and Rollins dogpiling Wyatt with every weapon he could find ringside.
Wyatt was said to suffer a concussion early on, which changed the ending. Either way, the finish was always going to be an over-the-top series of shenanigans to keep the belt on Rollins while attempting to spare 'The Fiend' a definitive loss. Ironically, the fans didn't want 'The Architect' to be champ after the match, and Wyatt's reputation still took a hit.