The Problem With Bray Wyatt That No One Wants To Talk About

New Japan Pro Wrestling isn't New Japan Pro Wrestling anymore. The golden era is over, brought down by Dick Togo's increased influence in the creative room, Gedo's overreliance on tedious western tropes, misguided main event pushes (hello, EVIL), and the recent cannibalisation of the IWGP Heavyweight Title's legacy. Regardless, it remains the most reality-driven of wrestling's three biggest promotions. It's hard to see a character in the vein of those typically concocted by Wyatt fitting in.

It would break NJPW's universe.

And with all due respect to Bray, for all his positive attributes as a performer, he doesn't exactly have a long list of traditionally great singles matches to use as evidence when making a case for a New Japan run. Come G1 season, he would likely be a fish out of water. That's a problem - and NJPW would risk alienating much of its core fanbase by booking Wyatt in the heavily-gimmicked stipulations that sustained Bray for much of his WWE run.

Which leaves us with IMPACT Wrestling: another imperfect choice, given the promotion's low viewership and unknown financial situation. Signing Wyatt, who is coming off a big-money contract, could be a stretch too far for that company's accountants.

But through gimmicks like the Undead Realm and characters like Decay, IMPACT has shown its willingness to dabble in the supernatural. There's reason to believe that Wyatt would have freer rein there than anywhere else. He'd likely be happier, more fulfilled, and at home on this smaller platform, as imperfect as it is.

Really, though, the saddest part of all this isn't that Wyatt was jettisoned from the one company best suited to his abilities.

It's that the perfect wrestling promotion for him and his characters isn't around anymore.

CONT'd...