Why Bray Wyatt's WWE Return Is Bigger Than You Think

The Fiend, the White Rabbit - or the next big thing?

WWE White Rabbit
WWE

Bray Wyatt's return is more likely than not imminent - and if it isn't, Triple H might want to give the guy a call, since WWE's base is deeply invested in the comeback and the inspired marketing campaign that is presumably behind it. Good job he knows how to pick up a phone.

The 'White Rabbit' teases represent a departure from WWE's usual way of introducing or re-introducing a new supernaturally-tinted character. You know the sort of thing: dark and spooky imagery, rapid-fire edits, jarring loud noises clashing against an unsettling, ambient hum. It's trite and clichéd, but that was Vince McMahon's WWE for you. This time, Triple H has taken a different approach, seeking to emulate, in an indirect way, AEW's vision of CM Punk's return.

Maintaining an element of doubt is important here because it doubles as hope, which is itself asterisked and cruel and thus elusive - to fans of Wyatt's schtick, anyway - and enables WWE to draw out the level of interest and the Nielsens in the meantime. Credited with an actual degree of intelligence for once, the sleuths within the WWE audience have delighted in decoding the mystery. WWE have included several red herrings. Most recently, copy related to the Aleister Black persona - "No man is ever truly good / No man is ever truly evil" - was burrowed into some HTML code.

This was inspired, given recent rumours, as indeed is the whole thing.

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Contributor
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Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!