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Just over a year ago, we witnessed the in-ring debut of one of the greatest characters in modern-day WWE. Bray Wyatt's monstrous alter-ego, The Fiend wrestled for the first time, defeating Finn Balor with ease. This was the beginning of a roller-coaster of a year for The Fiend, featuring lots of ups and downs.
Wyatt quickly became the hottest act in the company as both, USA and FOX wanted to let him in on RAW and SmackDown respectively. The two-time WWE World Champion eventually joined SmackDown, where he still is. The Fiend has remained one of the most prominent figures on the Blue brand since the move to Friday nights.
Being a part of some compelling stories and questionable matches, "The Fiend" Bray Wyatt has done his fair share of hurting and healing over the past year. The moments so far range from breathtakingly awesome to nearly character-killing.
Here are four things WWE got right during Bray Wyatt's first year as The Fiend, and three things they got wrong.
#4 (Right) The entire presentation of The Fiend at SummerSlam
As just mentioned, The Fiend completely squashed Finn Balor at SummerSlam 2019. It was something unique and fresh. Something the fans could get behind, whether they were excited by Bray Wyatt's new character or terrified of it. Everything about his appearance at the 'Biggest Party of the Summer' was perfect.
The entrance was slow, eerie, and dark. The Fiend walked creepily towards the ring, with a remixed version of his original theme song played. One of the best parts of his entrance was the lantern, which was basically Wyatt's face as the 'Eater of Worlds'. And once the bell rang, Balor never stood a chance.
The match was short, sweet, and one of the best things to come out of this excellent show. The Fiend finished Balor off with the Mandible Claw, a new move in Wyatt's arsenal. This was also a great decision, particularly with the 'Hurt' and 'Heal' gloves on his hands.
This proved to be Finn Balor's final night on WWE's main roster, as he went on a short hiatus after losing to The Fiend and returned two months later on NXT.
#3 (Wrong) The Fiend's Universal Championship chases
One of the biggest mistakes WWE has made with "The Fiend" Bray Wyatt was putting him in the World title scene straight away. Following his destruction of Finn Balor, WWE's hottest new act went after Seth Rollins and the Universal Championship. The feud was average at best, nearly ruining The Fiend's mystique at one point as well.
Bray Wyatt eventually won the title in a brutal Falls Count Anywhere Match at Crown Jewel, but it wasn't the most ideal route his character should have taken. A supernatural being like The Fiend should not be concerned about belts and Championship, his main purpose should be avenging everyone who has wronged him.
This ill-advised focus led to some pretty horrible things for the character, as we will get to. But even after The Fiend's traumatic creative experiences surrounding the Universal Championship, WWE has put Wyatt right back in the mix. He has had a lengthy feud with former ally, Braun Strowman, with The Fiend even attacking Alexa Bliss recently.
The two have already had a multi-layered story, lasting since just after WrestleMania. Strowman will defend his Universal Title against The Fiend at SummerSlam, a match Bray Wyatt is likely to win. This will put him back in that predicament where he has to lose a match in the near future. WWE has booked themselves in quite a few corners with "The Fiend" Bray Wyatt so far.
#3 (Right) Enforcing change
Bray Wyatt is a character of consequences. Ever since The Fiend first appeared in WWE, every Superstar who felt his wrath has changed. The former Universal Champion has faced seven different opponents in WWE so far. Four of them have completely different characters since their encounters with The Fiend. Of the remaining three, two are part-timers, and Wyatt is not finished with one.
Finn Balor moved to NXT and turned heel there, maintaining a vicious streak. Meanwhile, Seth Rollins turned heel around a month after losing the Universal Championship to The Fiend. He is now the evil 'Monday Night Messiah', having just decimated Dominik Mysterio on RAW.
The other names who have been "hurt" or "healed" by Bray Wyatt include The Miz, who returned to his most natural role as a heel, and Daniel Bryan. The five-time WWE World Champion underwent some serious changes over the course of his interactions with Wyatt's alter-ego.
The storytelling aspect of the effect The Fiend has on others cannot be ignored, with so much more potential to follow. Hopefully, Braun Strowman also undergoes a drastic character change in the aftermath of his rivalry with Bray Wyatt. It would only make him more interesting.
#2 (Wrong) Hell in a Cell
Having previously alluded to this moment, the main event of Hell in a Cell 2019 did more damage than what meets the eye. What seemed like the perfect scary setting for The Fiend's big coronation turned into a nightmare for WWE fans. Everything about his match with Seth Rollins inside the structure was terrible.
Taking place under the restrictive red light, it was already difficult to see what was going on inside the Cell. All that happened was Rollins smashing things onto Bray Wyatt. From chairs to toolboxes, it all looked like a proper mess. But at least The Fiend did not stay down, no-selling all of the damage caused by the 'Architect'.
However, after Rollins used a sledgehammer, the referee called for the bell and just like that, this Hell in a Cell Match ended in a no contest. It was a badly booked ending to an average show. The fans viciously booed the finish, with chants of "We want refunds" and "AEW" ringing across the arena.
While Bray Wyatt was able to rescue The Fiend from being mauled in such a manner, this match damaged a whole host of other things. Seth Rollins never recovered from this as a babyface, while there might be no way back for the Hell in a Cell concept after two consecutive years of non-finishes.
WWE did salvage things, as The Fiend won the Universal Title at Crown Jewel. But that only set up the next major disappointment. Without a suitable plan in place, WWE should have never put Bray Wyatt in a Universal Championship program in the first place.
#2 (Right) Daniel Bryan being The Fiend's primary Universal Title challenger
"The Fiend" Bray Wyatt merely approaching the Universal Championship was ill-advised but once he won the title, WWE did book his title reign fairly well. His primary feud as Champion came against Daniel Bryan, who spent a few weeks as part of the Wyatt Family back at the start of 2014. The two even had a phenomenal match at that year's Royal Rumble event.
The Fiend was out to get Bryan, first attacking him in the build-up to Survivor Series. Their first match was alright, marred by the red light which was quickly becoming more and more of a hindrance to Bray Wyatt's matches. But the best was yet to come.
After being taken under the ring and having "his hair pulled out" by his monstrous rival, Bryan returned at TLC to confront Wyatt and reveal his new look. Without his long hair and beard, Daniel Bryan had brought back the 'Yes Movement'. This was a positive change to the character, who was previously in limbo.
The Fiend had used the 'Heal' glove on Bryan, leading to this glorious return. The two eventually had a blowoff match at Royal Rumble. The Strap Match stipulation certainly helped the brutality, as both men went hell for leather during their tussle at the Rumble.
It was a battle eventually won by The Fiend, but not before some excellent and brutal action between the pair. This was, by far, the greatest in-ring match of The Fiend's year-long existence. Wyatt and Bryan have some serious chemistry with each other.
#1 (Wrong) Facing Goldberg at Super ShowDown
The worst moment of The Fiend's year in WWE, Goldberg's pursuit of the Universal Championship was extremely damaging to the relatively young character. The WWE Hall of Famer did not sell any of Bray Wyatt's actions, both in the build-up and during their eventual match at Super ShowDown in Saudi Arabia.
There were ways for The Fiend to lose the Universal Title without looking too bad, but Goldberg was not the right opponent for it. The match was short and lousy, ending with a weak-looking suplex implied to be a Jackhammer. After Goldberg won, Wyatt stood up and immediately disappeared.
There have been explanations for this defeat, like Goldberg not being a figure from Bray Wyatt's past. But it does not take the sour taste off the mouth. The Fiend could have easily lost the Universal Championship to Roman Reigns at WrestleMania, with the COVID-19 pandemic suggesting that there was no use in putting the title on Goldberg in the first place.
Again, this harkens back to the issue of booking The Fiend to win the Universal Championship in the first place. The fact that WWE sacrificed their most compelling character in years in favor of a Hall of Famer stings like a bee.
Booking Goldberg against The Fiend in the first place was a huge mistake. One that nearly undid all of the good work WWE had done in rebuilding Bray Wyatt. Fortunately, his masked character was rescued by what came next.
#1 (Right) The Firefly Fun House Match
One night after that disaster against Goldberg in Saudi Arabia, "The Fiend" Bray Wyatt very calmly challenged a returning John Cena to a match at WrestleMania 36. He did not attack the WWE legend, he just stood at the top of the ramp and pointed at the sign. The Fiend was saving all of the torture for the "grandest stage".
But after the COVID-19 pandemic struck, WWE was forced to move WrestleMania to the Performance Center. As a result, the physical torture promised at WrestleMania turned into mental torture. Bray Wyatt challenged Cena to a Firefly Fun House Match, with nobody knowing what that meant.
But what we saw on Night 2 of the 'Show of Shows' was one of the greatest "non-match" productions in WWE history. The Firefly Fun House match was a deep dive through John Cena's career, with a lot of subtle Easter eggs over its 13-minute length. This showed the extent of Bray Wyatt's genius, rewarding long-time WWE viewers in the process.
He took Cena, and the fans, on a journey of some of the biggest plot points of his run in WWE. Among the highlights were a replay of his debut, with Wyatt standing in for Kurt Angle, his 'Doctor of Thuganomics' phase, the WrestleMania 30 match between the two stars, and the 16-time WWE World Champion becoming a part of the New World Order.
All of these mind games eventually led to The Fiend sneaking up behind John Cena and finishing him off, while 'Fun House' Bray counted the pinfall. Along with the Undertaker vs. AJ Styles Boneyard Match from the previous night, this cinematic masterpiece was the highlight of WrestleMania 36. Nobody knew what to make of it, they just knew it was the coolest thing they had seen all year.
The Firefly Fun House single-handedly saved Wyatt's character, as a maniacal monster whose mind games know no bounds. It ensured that The Fiend's first year in WWE ended with a net positive. Hopefully, WWE learns from the past 12 months and has an even more successful year in store for "The Fiend" Bray Wyatt.
Bayley gives us a HUGE update on a top Superstar's upcoming return RIGHT HERE.
