WWE Gimmicks That FAILED The HARDEST Every Year (1985-2025)
3. ‘Pitch Black’ Bray Wyatt (2023)
The wrestling world mourned the loss of Bray Wyatt in August 2023. His death was shocking and came amidst reports that he was readying a return to WWE TV. That'd never happen, unfortunately. Separating Bray the man from the various versions of his onscreen character between 2019-2023 is important. This is not meant to be a cruel takedown of him.
Wyatt remains one of the most creative souls to ever grace the industry. That'll never change.
WWE mixing a newer incarnation of his 'Fiend' gimmick with a soft drink though? That's fair game. Bray returned to huge fanfare at Extreme Rules 2022, then brought a neon-soaked persona to the 2023 Royal Rumble for a match opposite LA Knight. Regrettably, it was woeful - the Mountain Dew crossover was corporate mush.
Wyatt's neon 'Fiend' challenged Knight to a 'Pitch Black' match at the Rumble. It turned out to be an excuse to shill Mountain Dew's new product and show off Bray's Jeff Hardy-ish paints. That was it. The actual match itself was useless, and it did nothing for either party involved. Hey, so long as the folks at Dew were happy with their advertising dollars right?!
Sorry, but matches on the Rumble card shouldn't be doled out to soft drinks. That's preposterous.
Wyatt was supposed to go on to feud with Bobby Lashley in time for 'Mania 39, but he was off TV by that point and missed the event. His demise was truly sad. What occurred off screen doesn't soften what happened on it. 'Pitch Black Fiend' was bad and failed to capitalise on the buzz surrounding Bray's long-awaited comeback.