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

Fiend Belt
WWE.com

It was thought that the mystery would be revealed then and there. What actually happened is that Braun Strowman defeated Otis. This was clever. Strowman is being pushed as a major act, and Triple H put him in an optimal slot.

Wyatt was always a phenomenal merch-shifter, but never, despite many an opportunity, an undisputed TV draw. Of course, Bray Wyatt was botched to oblivion on television, so there's likely a strong correlation there. What accounts for the discrepancy?

It might be that Wyatt's supporters are an extremely, even obnoxiously loud subculture. Or, it might be that people gravitate towards the idea of the Wyatt character but were ultimately lost by the laughably sh*tty execution of it - so what if Triple H gets it right? What if he successfully manifests the compelling idea of the mythical "New Undertaker"?

At the very least, without his name being explicitly mentioned, Bray Wyatt has emerged as a strong candidate for WWE's next biggest full-time star - and if that scans as ridiculous, fickle and impulsive hyperbole, a rating like that warrants it. TV ratings are pivotal to WWE's success. Internally, if WWE can even remotely approach it over the long-term, Triple H will change the game.

At last, there are options to end an Undisputed WWE Universal title reign that might well have dragged on indefinitely, were Vince McMahon not exposed. He lacked the patience and nous to craft such a monumental babyface push.

CONT'D...(3 of 6)

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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!