3 fiendish theories for 'The Fiend' Bray Wyatt vs. Braun Strowman feud

Over a year ago, Bray Wyatt introduced us to his sinister and powerful alter ego, The Fiend. Since then, the popularity and mystique of the character has grown immensely and gives the WWE Universe a lot to ponder every time he's on screen. Now, we are seeing Bray Wyatt go up against former Wyatt Family member Braun Strowman.

The two have been battling back and forth for months now, providing a story that is filled with mystery and intrigue. This matchup, along with the events surrounding it, has led many wrestling fans to offer theories and ponder what's next as Bray Wyatt and Braun Strowman are set to battle at SummerSlam this Sunday.

'The Fiend' Bray Wyatt path of destruction is evidenced on WWE Raw, NXT & WWE SmackDown.

In this article, we will offer three theories leading into Sunday that we could see play out before our eyes. And, shameless plug since I'm a part of the show, if you enjoy Bray Wyatt and the theories surrounding his character, check out The Insiders Wrestling Podcast and the weekly show dedicated to Bray Wyatt, Abby's Window.

'The Fiend' Bray Wyatt is in full control of Braun Strowman

Has The Fiend' Bray Wyatt been in control this entire time?

Since the inception of The Fiend character, Bray Wyatt has seemingly been in control of everyone he's faced or come into contact with. Dating back to The Fiend's first match against Finn Balor, we've seen every opponent change in some way. Balor has gone back to his Prince Devitt days, Seth Rollins has become the Monday Night Messiah and Daniel Bryan brought back the YES movement, just to name a few.

With this being the case, Braun Strowman is no different. Prior to their encounter in the Wyatt Swamp Match at The Horror Show at Extreme Rules, Strowman alluded to the fact that he knew the match would bring about changes in him and he would never be the same. That has now played out on our television screens on WWE SmackDown as we saw Braun Strowman sporting a slightly new look and an evil intensity.

Before you pulled me into that swamp, I might have been a little naughty, but after i crawled out, I became something much, much worse. The stuff nightmares are made of!!!!!!

— Braun Strowman (@BraunStrowman) August 15, 2020

Bray Wyatt made it very clear at the beginning of this feud that he wanted to see Braun Strowman become the indestructible monster that laid dormant within the current WWE Universal Champion. At the end of SmackDown, we saw Braun Strowman display some supernatural powers of his own, disappearing after he tossed Alexa Bliss into the air.

This was the plan from the very start for Bray Wyatt's sinister Fiend. Create an evil monster that can wreak havoc on the WWE roster while The Fiend acts as the puppet master. Despite Braun Strowman's newly realized powers, he's ultimately not in control of them.

Bray Wyatt is creating new monsters, not a new family

Since his encounter with 'The Fiend' Bray Wyatt, Seth Rollins hasn't been the same.

For those hoping that a new Wyatt Family joins Bray Wyatt and his many faces, don't get your hopes up just yet. Right now, the impact of The Fiend's ability to change opponents is being felt on all three of WWE's television shows.

Bray Wyatt, through The Fiend, has managed to bring back certain characters from the dead. While some would think that this is leading to a big family reunion of all of The Fiend's opponents, this could be a way to intertwine all of the changed WWE Superstars and their changes. The Fiend connects them all and it's an opportunity to offer explanations as to why characters are behaving the way they are.

The damage Seth Rollins just did to Dominik Mysterio 😳(via @WWE) pic.twitter.com/BYmuhmjw1D

— B/R Wrestling (@BRWrestling) August 11, 2020

If we've learned anything from Bray Wyatt's impeccable ability to create long-term stories, this connection would make a lot of sense. The Fiend doesn't need an army or a family to do his bidding; he's perfectly capable of causing destruction on his own. Having more evil characters spread throughout the roster, however, shows the ultimate power that The Fiend possesses, leaving a greater mark on the landscape of WWE.

Look for Braun Strowman to be the latest example of The Fiend creating another changed WWE Superstar and then sending him out into the WWE like a proud, evil father.

Braun Strowman and Alexa Bliss are attempting to play Bray Wyatt

Has Team Little Big been consumed by 'The Fiend' Bray Wyatt?

We've seen Alexa Bliss and Braun Strowman change over the last several weeks. While real changes are occurring in these characters, there's a chance that the two are plotting against The Fiend.

While Braun Strowman has repeatedly denounced his friendship and love for his partner in Team Little Big, this could all be a ploy to attempt to confuse The Fiend and make him think that his capture of Alexa Bliss was futile. Bliss' admission that she is drawn to The Fiend like a "moth to a flame" could also be a distraction technique as an attempt to play to any humanity left within Bray Wyatt's alter ego.

It's very unlikely that this will work. Bray Wyatt's Fiend has facilitated these changes, so the idea that he would be fooled by trickery is far-fetched. Look for this to be revealed during the WWE Universal Championship match at SummerSlam.