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The WWE Universe is firmly on the Road to WrestleMania 37. One match that is rumored to take place on the Grandest Stage of Them All is Randy Orton vs. "The Fiend" Bray Wyatt.
The Fiend has not appeared on WWE television since being "burnt alive" by The Viper in a Firefly Inferno match at WWE Tables, Ladders, and Chairs in December 2020. Since then, Randy Orton has continued to be tormented by Bray Wyatt through his partner-in-crime, Alexa Bliss, on Monday Night RAW.
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Despite The Fiend's absence from WWE television, many expect the former Universal Champion to reappear soon and officially set up a showdown with Randy Orton at WrestleMania 37. It is widely expected that the showdown between Orton and Wyatt will be a cinematic presentation as opposed to a traditional wrestling match.
But, is a cinematic match really the best way forward for The Fiend vs. Randy Orton at WrestleMania 37? Let's take a closer look at five reasons why these two stars shouldn't have a cinematic match at WWE WrestleMania 37.
#5 Cinematic matches have been overdone in WWE during the past 12 months
The worldwide COVID-19 pandemic forced WWE to change many things in 2020. The global pandemic pressured WWE to postpone their live event schedule and prevented live fans from attending WWE shows.
To overcome some of these problems, WWE began thinking outside of the box when it came to the way that the company produced and shot their television shows and pay-per-view events. One such resolution to WWE's issues was cinematic wrestling matches.
Instead of the traditional wrestling matches taking place in the ring, matches were shot in the same vein as television or film productions. Multiple takes, stunts, and scripted dialogs were utilized, often in locations outside the traditional WWE arena.
Initially, these cinematic matches were universally praised by fans within the WWE Universe. The Firefly Fun House match between John Cena and Bray Wyatt at WrestleMania 36 and The Boneyard Match between The Undertaker and AJ Styles at the same event were huge hits. However, after a few months, the cinematic format became stale and no longer felt special or unique.
The Wyatt Swamp Fight at The Horror Show at Extreme Rules was critically panned by fans on social media.
Since the inception of the WWE ThunderDome in August 2020, WWE has scaled back in terms of cinematic matches. However, it still feels as if the concept has been played out due to the match type's overexposure in 2020.
WWE is no longer forced to do these cinematic matches. Therefore, WWE should only utilize these productions when necessary.
Another Bray Wyatt cinematic match at WrestleMania 37 would be a repeat of what Wyatt did in 2020 several times. The cinematic format should not be utilized for a significant period to keep the presentation fresh for the future.
#4 The Fiend hasn't competed in an "in-ring" match at WWE WrestleMania
Last year at WWE WrestleMania 36, "The Fiend" Bray Wyatt was scheduled to face 16-time WWE World Heavyweight Champion John Cena at Raymond James Stadium. The match itself was set to be a traditional wrestling match and it would have marked John Cena's first bout inside a WWE ring in over 12 months. It would have also been The Fiend's first WrestleMania match inside the squared circle.
Unfortunately, due to the global pandemic, WWE was forced to move WrestleMania 36 from Raymond James Stadium to the WWE Performance Center in front of zero fans. Therefore, the scheduled match between Cena and Wyatt was changed to a Firefly Fun House match and shot cinematically.
While the match between Bray Wyatt and John Cena was widely praised, there has been a lot of discussion as to if it was really a match at all. The end of the Firefly Fun House match did take place in the ring, but the spectacle certainly wasn't a professional wrestling match by any of the traditional standards fans have come to love and know.
So, The Fiend is yet to have a "traditional" professional wrestling match at WrestleMania. Since debuting The Fiend character, Bray Wyatt has competed in excellent regular wrestling matches against the likes of Daniel Bryan, Seth Rollins, Braun Strowman, and Roman Reigns.
While Bray Wyatt's alter-ego is supernatural in its presentation, The Fiend is such a strong character that he deserves an opportunity to have a regular wrestling match at WrestleMania, as opposed to yet another cinematic presentation.
#3 Randy Orton and Bray Wyatt can improve on their poor in-ring match from WWE WrestleMania 33
Many within the WWE Universe often forget Bray Wyatt and Randy Orton's WrestleMania history. At WrestleMania 33, Orton defeated Wyatt to become the WWE Champion once more in 2017.
But one can't blame fans for forgetting their previous match at the Showcase of the Immortals, as it really wasn't anything to write home about.
In 2016, Randy Orton surprised the WWE Universe when he joined Bray Wyatt and The Wyatt Family on SmackDown Live. In the ensuing months, The Viper was paired with Wyatt and Harper on the blue brand, even winning the SmackDown Tag Team Championships in the process.
It was eventually revealed that Orton had joined The Wyatt Family to infiltrate the group and destroy the faction from within. During an episode of SmackDown Live in 2017, he burnt down The Wyatt Family compound, something which Wyatt remembers vividly even to this day.
The feud would eventually be settled at WrestleMania 33 when then-WWE Champion Bray Wyatt defended the title against Randy Orton. Despite a lot of hype heading into the match, it was a dud that featured bizarre images of insects, cockroaches, and worms during the contest being projected onto the ring.
Fans in the stadium and watching at home were unanimous in their displeasure at the match, which only got worse during the following month's "House of Horrors" match at Extreme Rules.
If The Fiend and Randy Orton get the opportunity to have a regular in-ring match, as opposed to a cinematic production at WrestleMania 37, both WWE Superstars would have the chance to improve on their WrestleMania 33 clash. Orton and Wyatt could prove their critics wrong and show just what they're capable of inside the ring if the opportunity is given to them.
#2 Fans have yet to see Randy Orton face The Fiend in a traditional wrestling match in WWE
The WWE Universe witnessed a fiery spectacle at WWE TLC 2020. In the main event of the pay-per-view, Randy Orton defeated The Fiend in a Firefly Inferno Match by setting Bray Wyatt on fire in the middle of the ring.
This match was the first time that The Fiend and Orton had competed against each other inside of a WWE ring. However, it was far from a traditional wrestling match. Instead of pinfalls and submissions, the only way to defeat your opponent and win the match was by setting your opponent on fire.
While Orton and Wyatt have had regular matches before, there is certainly still a degree of curiosity when it comes to seeing Randy Orton and The Fiend face-off in a traditional wrestling match. WrestleMania is the biggest show of the year for WWE and is also the perfect event for "first-time-ever" matches.
Whilst it can be argued there has been nothing traditional at all about this feud with Randy Orton, The Fiend, and Alexa Bliss, perhaps a regular wrestling match is the perfect way to end this storyline at WrestleMania.
The obvious outcome for this story is to do an over-the-top, supernatural cinematic presentation.
But the best outcome for Randy Orton and The Fiend's feud is to go with a less obvious decision and make their WrestleMania match a standard singles clash.
#1 Live fans will return at WWE WrestleMania 37
WWE WrestleMania 37 marks the return of live fans in attendance for the first time in over 12 months. Due to the global COVID-19 pandemic, fans have been unable to attend WWE events and television tapings since March 2020.
It has been announced that there will be 25,000 fans in attendance for each night of WrestleMania 37 from Raymond James Stadium. Therefore, as was the case previously at the Showcase of the Immortals, it is critical that the fans inside the stadium are being entertained at all times.
While many expect The Fiend and Randy Orton to square off in a cinematic presentation at WrestleMania 37, one must wonder how WWE could pull this off with a live crowd in attendance? The cinematic presentation would be played on monitors throughout the stadium, but will the crowd of 25,000 fans be willing to sit through the match?
There is a possibility that fans could react negatively to not watching The Fiend and Orton compete live at WrestleMania 37. This could upset the crowd or cause the fans in attendance to become quiet or tired, which would affect the energy for the remainder of the show.
For the show to run smoothly, it is perhaps a better option to have Orton and The Fiend compete in a gimmick match in front of the live audience as opposed to being featured in a cinematic presentation.
After waiting over a year to compete in front of the WWE Universe in-person, Bray Wyatt and Randy Orton must once again be chomping at the bit to perform in front of a live crowd.
