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Bray Wyatt has become one of WWE’s most talked-about Superstars again since he returned to our screens in April as the host of ‘Firefly Fun House’.
The weekly segments allowed the former Wyatt Family leader to show off a lighter side to his personality, while he was also able to give viewers a dark glimpse into the future with the introduction of his new ‘Fiend’ character.
Since the final ‘Firefly Fun House’ episode aired in June, four puppets from the show – Mercy the Buzzard, Huskus the Pig, Abby the Witch and Rambling Rabbit – have appeared in the background on Raw and SmackDown Live while Superstars make their way through the backstage area.
It has also been widely reported that the one-time WWE champion has been present at multiple WWE events recently, including the Stomping Grounds pay-per-view on June 23 and the most recent episode of Raw on July 8.
With Extreme Rules on the horizon on July 14, let’s take a look at five ways that Wyatt could make his presence felt on the show.
#5 Creepy vignette at the end of the PPV
Six years ago, WWE made a big statement ahead of Bray Wyatt’s main-roster debut by showing a video package at the end of the previous week’s episode of Raw to promote his upcoming arrival.
The fact that the company’s decision-makers took the rare approach of closing the show with something other than the main event made Wyatt’s debut feel like a huge deal, and the same scenario at Extreme Rules (say, if WWE promoted his return for Monday’s Raw?) would definitely ensure that fans tuned in.
This would not be ideal for a WrestleMania, SummerSlam or another major WWE event, but the headline match at Extreme Rules – Seth Rollins & Becky Lynch vs. Baron Corbin & Lacey Evans – feels somewhat underwhelming, unless Brock Lesnar shows up to cash in his Money In The Bank contract.
Either way, Lesnar or no Lesnar, Wyatt’s return would be even more must-see if WWE announced the date in advance.
#4 More puppet appearances
Granted, it might be a little disappointing if Bray Wyatt’s puppets showed up during an interview or while somebody is walking backstage before their match, but that is exactly what we have seen on each of the last three episodes of Raw and SmackDown Live.
With no obvious rival in WWE right now, it is unclear who Wyatt will target upon his return. The man himself has even been keeping fans guessing on social media by tweeting various different Superstars, from R-Truth and Roman Reigns to The New Day and Bobby Lashley, over the last few months.
It is also worth noting that the Extreme Rules card is stacked with 10 matches – and that is not including two title matches that are certain to happen in the future, Finn Balor vs. Shinsuke Nakamura and The IIconics vs. The Kabuki Warriors – so there are plenty of storylines already being featured on the PPV and heading into next week.
With so many stories to tell, maybe we will have to wait a little while longer for the return of the ‘Firefly Fun House’ host.
#3 Interference in the Bobby Lashley vs. Braun Strowman match
Looking through the match card for Extreme Rules, Bobby Lashley vs. Braun Strowman stands out as one of the few encounters that Bray Wyatt could get involved in.
Why? Because not only did Wyatt introduce Strowman to WWE’s main roster in August 2015 as a member of the Wyatt Family, but he also had a typically cryptic exchange with Lashley on social media this week.
The messages began with Lashley answering a fan who wanted to see Wyatt instead of “The All Mighty” on his television screen.
This led to Wyatt replying in a way that only he can.
Taking Wyatt’s recent actions and riddles into account, this could either mean nothing or it could be a coded message which will become a lot more meaningful further down the line.
On paper, a rivalry between Wyatt and Lashley does not appear to have much backstory to it, but the timing of the tweets is certainly intriguing!
#2 Bray Wyatt attacks Roman Reigns
Back to Bray Wyatt’s Twitter antics, he sent out another cryptic message last week following the announcement that Roman Reigns would team with an unknown partner against Shane McMahon & Drew McIntyre on Raw.
The former WWE champion simply wrote the word “Remember” in response to WWE’s tweet, which many people took as a hint that he could become Reigns’ partner, just like after WrestleMania 32 before Wyatt suffered an injury.
Although there was no sign of “The Eater of Worlds” on Raw, he has shown with his past tweets that his words carry substance and everything he writes has a meaning, even if we do not find out what the meaning is until a later date.
Now, there appears to be no reason why Wyatt would target McMahon or McIntyre, but there is plenty of history between the former Wyatt Family leader and Reigns that could be revisited.
If that is not what “Remember” means, then what does it mean?!
#1 Bray Wyatt goes face-to-face with Brock Lesnar
WWE’s next three shows – Extreme Rules, Raw and SmackDown Live – will almost certainly tell us the most high-profile matches that we can expect to see at this year’s SummerSlam on August 11.
Regular WWE viewers will know that Brock Lesnar has cemented his status as “Mr. SummerSlam” in recent years, having been involved in main events in six of the last seven years, but it is currently unclear who he could face at the upcoming show in Toronto.
Paul Heyman has teased that his client may (or may not) cash in his Money In The Bank contract on Universal champion Seth Rollins or WWE champion Kofi Kingston at Extreme Rules, which opens up the possibility of appearances from both Lesnar and Bray Wyatt on the same show.
There is a lot of unfinished business between the two men, dating back to 2016 when WWE suddenly abandoned plans to have them face off at WrestleMania 32, so perhaps we could finally see that storyline revived if Wyatt prevents Lesnar from cashing in on Sunday.
