A victim of WWE’s stop-start pushes, Bray Wyatt has often featured in storylines which have done more harm than good to his career.
While Bray started his main roster career in a dominating fashion, picking up wins against the likes of Kane, Daniel Bryan, and the Shield, the hype around him started to die out soon after his feud with John Cena ended. Since then, he has not won a single feud against a major WWE superstar.
The problem was never about the 'Eater of Worlds' not getting the spotlight, but it was about how he was presented under that spotlight. He talked the talk, to his opponents, but did not walk the walk.
The mysterious wrestler's career defines what 'inconsistent booking' really means. Take this for instance, last year, he was defending the WWE Championship in one of the main events at WrestleMania, whereas this year, he didn't even find a place on the main matchcard and was relegated to the pre-show.
WWE has kept Bray off the TV tapings since Matt Hardy's retirement announcement and, now, there are plans to relaunch him with a new purpose on the red brand.
Let's take a look at the '6 ways Bray Wyatt could return on Raw'.
#5 With Sister Abigail as his manager
Sister Abigail has always been a key figure in Bray Wyatt’s career without even being present in person. The charismatic wrestler has always mentioned her in his promos; not to ignore the fact he has also named his finisher after her.
After Randy Orton burnt the compound where Abigail was supposedly buried, Bray came out dressed in a drag claiming Sister Abigail was still alive. Since then, the idea of a creepy-looking woman managing Bray has been circulating the online wrestling forums and has also been liked by many readers.
Over past few years, there have been countless speculations about the prospect of the demonic character appearing on TV, with reports of several female wrestlers being considered to slot in the uncanny role.
When Wyatt returns to Raw tapings, he may choose to do so with a resurrected Sister Abigail accompanying him to the ring. Abigail's identity has always been a well-debated mystery, WWE can use this to their advantage and freely cast an appropriate person in this role.
Even though there seems to be no good logic in continuing the 'Sister Abigail' story, it is still an idea worth exploring. Having a charismatic figure as his manager could give Bray Wyatt the momentum he needs right now.
#4 As a manager himself
Bray Wyatt is one of the best talkers in the WWE; his promos have always been excellent, though much of what he claims backfires on him when it comes to execution.
When Bray first debuted as the patriarch of the Wyatt Family, he did not compete very often, instead his fellow Wyatt Family members did the dirty job while he did the talking.
With WWE’s recently revived interest in managers, Bray could use the opportunity to thrive as a hypnotic manager. Keeping in mind his commendable oratory skills, he could one day be counted among great managers like Paul Heyman, Paul Bearer, Bobby Heenan, etc.
As for whom the former WWE Champion would manage, the most interesting candidate is the gargantuan specimen called Braun Strowman. Moreover, these two are good friends in real life, so there are no qualms about the chemistry between them.
With all the success Strowman has had for the past year and all the attention he is getting at the moment, it would be an incredible boost for Bray's career if he gets to manage the 'monster among men'.
#3 As a completely new character
Bray Wyatt knows a thing or two about character changes as he used to wrestle under the moniker of Husky Harris in WWE before taking a break and returning as Bray Wyatt--a gimmick which was fresh and, thus, appealing to the fans.
Ever since Bray Wyatt started to lose the original buzz around him, fans started suggesting he should change his character, pointing out that they have grown tired of the same kind of promos and of seeing the same loony, bearded person every week.
Earlier this year, after losing the 'Ultimate Deletion' match against Matt Hardy and being thrown into the 'Lake of Reincarnation', Bray Wyatt returned to WWE at Wrestlemania aligning with his erstwhile foe and becoming a babyface for the first time in his career. Though it was not a groundbreaking change, it still qualified as a fascinating take on his character--the kind we had not seen before.
Now that his partner Matt Hardy's wrestling career is over, the creative team have an opportunity to repackage him in a way that draws the interest of the WWE Universe.
#2 As a part of the Wyatt Family
Strowman was recently paired with Dolph Ziggler and Drew Mcintyre, collectively known as the 'Dogs of War'. However, the breakup of the stable has already been teased several times as WWE prepares plans for McIntyre's singles run. That means Braun would be left alone when the breakup happens and could do with a new team to have his back.
With the Shield working together again and fighting beside Strowman's current rival Roman Reigns, it makes sense for Braun to reunite with the Wyatts in order to even the odds. The Wyatt Family making a shocking appearance to confront the Shield would bring back old memories and would, thus, generate a huge pop from the crowd.
With Rowan out injured, Harper and Bray both off the TV, it would be a wise move to reintroduce them together as the Wyatt Family, who would help Strowman fend off the 'Hounds of Justice'.
#1 As a metamorphosed 'Eater of Worlds'
Bray Wyatt could join the list of superstars who left and came back looking bigger and better.
History is evidence that acquiring a 'buffed' physique has actually proven career-changing for stars like Jinder Mahal who enjoyed a world title run last year, and Drew McIntyre who is slated for a huge push after returning to the company with a reinvented version of himself.
Bray already has an infectious aura that is unique to him, working on his fitness by putting in some extra hours in the gym would definitely make his case stronger and may even put him back into the world title picture.