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When Bray Wyatt debuted on the main roster in 2013, he was one of the most captivating characters WWE had seen in a long time.
Throughout his feuds with Daniel Bryan, The Shield and John Cena, it was quite clear that WWE had huge plans for “The Eater of Worlds” and he was going to be one of the company's top stars for many years to come.
But that was then and this is now, and even the biggest Bray fan would agree that his believability as a character has been severely damaged over the last three years by major losses, particularly at WrestleMania, and underwhelming storylines.
In this article, we put forward five ideas that would help revive the career of the former WWE champion.
#1 Championship reign
Bray Wyatt’s long-awaited WWE Championship reign was, quite frankly, a farce. It lasted 49 days, he only had one successful title defence, he didn’t get a televised rematch, and he was one of five people to hold the title within the space of four months.
His run with the SmackDown Live Tag Team titles a few weeks earlier wasn’t much better. Teaming with Randy Orton, they won the championships from Heath Slater & Rhyno at TLC 2016 but lost them to American Alpha just 23 days later.
For a character who already had a reputation as someone who wins every so often but, when it comes down to it, can’t win the big one, it was typical Bray to lose both titles shortly after winning them.
The general feeling about the former Wyatt Family leader, much like The Undertaker in years gone by, was that he didn’t need titles because his character and storylines were interesting enough that there was no reason for him to chase any gold.
But, let’s be honest, that’s no longer the case, and a lengthy run with a major title, tag title or even a secondary title would go a long way to helping Bray’s career get back on track.
#2 Reunite with Braun Strowman
You can be the most loyal Bray Wyatt supporter in the world but it cannot be denied that every one of his singles feuds since 2014 – with Chris Jericho, Dean Ambrose, The Undertaker, Ryback, Roman Reigns, Randy Orton, Seth Rollins and Finn Balor – have fallen way short of his first two singles rivalries with Daniel Bryan and John Cena.
Bray’s best days have always come when he’s had the Wyatt Family by his side, whether Luke Harper and Erick Rowan were helping fight his battles, or if Braun Strowman or Randy Orton were on board as additional members.
The only former Wyatt Family star currently on the Raw brand is Strowman, whose credibility ever since the 2016 brand split has risen to such an extent that his character is more popular and interesting now, than Bray was at his peak.
As nice as it would be to see the two guys have a one-on-one feud, it wouldn’t do much good for Bray, who would surely lose, but a reunion between “The New Face of Fear” and “The New Face of Destruction” would do wonders for the former Wyatt Family leader.
#3 Losing streak becomes a winning streak
Bray Wyatt wins more matches than people think. He’s been victorious in 21 of his 39 pay-per-view encounters throughout his career, which is a better win ratio than Roman Reigns.
Still, we all know that doesn’t count for much when “The Eater of Worlds” loses seemingly every major feud he’s in – something that goes unmentioned by WWE’s commentary team.
How about WWE changes that? Much like they did when Charlotte Flair had her PPV winning streak, they could really drive it home to viewers that Bray cannot win matches when it matters most, and then once he gets a big victory – say, at WrestleMania 34 – it can kick-start a winning streak.
Winning and losing doesn’t mean everything in the crazy world of sports entertainment but it can certainly make someone seem less believable as a character, and that’s exactly what’s happened with Bray over the last few years.
#4 Change his promo segments
Depending who you talk to, Bray Wyatt is either the most captivating person in all of WWE when it comes to promos… or he’s the most boring.
The former WWE champion is often seen sitting in his rocking chair backstage, swaying back and forth as smoke surrounds him, while he delivers a softly spoken promo to his rival, who is usually in the ring looking on in wonder.
His promo segments have followed the same pattern for so long that, after four years, it’s no surprise people tend to zone out when Bray appears on the big screen.
Instead, it would be nice to see him interact with his rival inside the squared circle for a change. He has done it on occasion, like with Seth Rollins earlier this year, but how about a contract signing once in a while? Or regular in-ring verbal confrontations?
Literally anything – anything! – other than have him continue to talk on his own in a dingy room on the titantron.
#5 Long-awaited face turn
It’s rare that a character spends their entire career as a babyface or heel. Even John Cena and Roman Reigns – the most polarising ‘babyfaces’ of their generations – played heels at the beginning of their time in WWE.
Bray Wyatt has been a heel ever since his debut on the main roster in 2013. Granted, fans have gotten behind him before, like the night after WrestleMania XXX or when he aligned with Randy Orton, but he remained a bad guy the whole time.
The only moment where it looked like WWE was potentially going to turn Bray face was after WrestleMania 32 when he teamed with long-time rival Reigns to defeat the League of Nations.
However, he suffered an injury a few days later and didn’t return to TV for another three months, so we’ll never know if he would have turned face during that run.
Bray has enough fans for a face turn to work. Will WWE do it soon? It’s doubtful. But should they? It’s worth a go!
