Bray Wyatt was once the Eater of Worlds, who had the whole world in his hands as fans everywhere held their smartphones sky high in the crowds attending WWE events. Now, hes like the guy at the buffet who is deciding if he should really splurge and eat second helpings. The opposite of Jericho's issue, zero fault can be placed on the shoulders of Bray and his family. They've gone above and beyond everything they're asked to do, but the issue is they're asked to do pointless things by the writers. The Wyatt Family had the best debut vignettes in the history of wrestling. Its almost unfathomable that the people in charge of the listless product at the time were also responsible for catching lightning in a bottle with those creepy promos shot in the marshes of the American south, chopped and edited to resemble a mixture of a Japanese horror movie and your worst nightmare. His facial expressions and tone of voice solidified him forever to wrestling fans. Hes the type of talent whose character has mainstream, crossover appeal. The fact is, weve heard Bray Wyatt talk a lot lately, and hes one of the best at it. His character will never die off from the fans minds because it is not sullied the way that nearly every other persona has become on WWE television. But we hear Bray Wyatt talk so much and so frequently that the things he says never have weight behind him. The promises he makes are hollow, and rarely ever come to fruition. He is the New Face of Fear, but why? Because he said he would be after he defeated the Undertaker, even though he decisively lost? These inconsistencies damn him in the eyes of those watching around the globe. This bevy of losses has done little to dissuade Bray and Co. from their supposed dominance over the self-proclaimed WWE Universe, but the fans see right through it. Bray is a madman, and not because of his character: his countless losses do not matter to him, but they do matter to us. After all, if you're not watching to see consequences of actions, then why are you watching? He is a deranged cult leader who has managed to convert zero established wrestlers in his time on the roster. For someone as charismatic as him, this makes little sense. Wyatt and his brethren do not need a rebooted gimmick, or a different image, or anything bells and whistles. They do not need an extended break. All they need to do is win, and win often, against big opponents who rarely lose. A brief trip back home to the swamplands until SummerSlam would keep their obvious lack of WrestleMania plans out of our heads. The WWE needs World Champion heels who are not related to the Authority, and theyve got the best one staring right at them with his creepy eyes and sinister grin. Problem is, the writers in charge of him would stare a gift horse in the mouth, and do on a weekly basis.
David McCutcheon is an American freelance journalist and writing consultant. Over the course of sixteen years, he has written for the likes of IGN, Future US, GamesRadar, PlayStation Magazine, Shout! Factory, and many others in the fields of video games, movies, and more. He lives in St. Louis, Missouri with his wife. You can find him on Twitter @ZoopSoul.
