Bray Wyatt: A character with consequences

When Bray Wyatt resurfaced after WrestleMania this year with ‘bizarre’ yet creative pre-recorded segments in the Firefly Funhouse, it would have been a bold prediction to state that he would be Universal Champion as 2019 came to a close.

His booking over the previous five years has been questionable, to say the least, with Wyatt losing almost every major feud and this not being reflected in his character work. I could write extensively about how well WWE has handled the current Universal Champion since his return this year. The Firefly Funhouse segments are, without a doubt, marvellous creations that the majority of wrestling fans find amusing and intriguing. The demonic side of Wyatt, known as The Fiend has also been handled well, if you ignore the Hell in a Cell PPV (I know it’s been erased from many people’s memories).

But what has stuck out to me isn’t just the presentation or the over the top segments, it’s the consequences that Wyatt’s feuds have had since returning.

Follow the leader

His first feud as his new character was with the inaugural Universal Champion, Finn Balor. These two have previously locked horns in 2017, in a feud that seemingly never ended. There was a lot of pressure on The Fiend’s debut match as it had to be presented correctly and it certainly was. The music, the atmosphere and the selling from Balor was appropriate to the narrative WWE had created.

In turn, a fantastic first outing was presented for The Fiend, but it was what came after that made the feud and the initial match more impactful. Balor would take time off following SummerSlam 2019, he would return in October to NXT, sporting a new, fresh trim and a well-needed heel turn to go alongside with it.

This was an interesting twist. The consequences of facing Wyatt was that Balor’s entire character was turned on its head. You could argue he lost himself, but did he? I would strongly argue that Balor reinvented himself. It took him being destroyed mentally and physically by Wyatt for Balor to realise what he needed to do to get back on top, to find his solace in both his life and his wrestling career.

Wyatt would then transition into feuding with Seth Rollins. These two Superstars also had a brief feud before, that didn’t exactly light the world on fire. The feud this time around had the advantage of being for the Universal Championship, meaning added stakes should have given the feud a greater weight.

Hell in a Cell came and went and it was without a doubt one of the most controversial match finishes of all time with many attacks coming from all angles. Despite this, WWE made amends with Wyatt winning the aforementioned title at the Crown Jewel PPV in Saudi Arabia.

Just three matches into Wyatt’s run as The Fiend and he was already a World Champion, a rather momentous and crazy ascension to the top of the card.

I acknowledge that Rollins' character was somewhat stale before this feud, notwithstanding this - The Beastslayer just like Balor would turn heel shortly after feuding with Wyatt. He would turn against the fans and the locker room following the Survivor Series PPV, blaming them respectively for his issues within the narrative of the show. It took facing and losing his prized possession to The Fiend for Rollins to finally snap and acknowledge how he didn’t need the locker room and as a consequence, the fans in general.

Wyatt was drafted to SmackDown as a part of the 2019 WWE Draft. His first feud on the show as Universal Champion would be with former rival, Daniel Bryan. The prior feud of the two took place in 2014 and it was very well received by fans, with their blow off at the Royal Rumble 2014 being one of Wyatt’s best matches of his entire career.

Bryan’s character completely shifted during the feud. It was The Miz, Bryan’s arch-rival, who got in the former WWE Champion's head and informed him that he had an ‘identity crisis’ and how he wasn’t aware of who he was and unless he found himself again, The Fiend would eat him alive.

This was a right usage of The Miz and was a great use of established continuity of The Miz and Bryan saga which fans are extremely fond of.

Wyatt and Bryan would wrestle at the Survivor Series PPV and the match was satisfying and fit perfectly into the narrative they were telling on TV. On the following SmackDown, The Fiend surfaced during a passionate Bryan promo, dragged him into the depths of hell and ripped out his hair.

Many missed the symbolism of this moment. Bryan’s established look of the long hair and beard was an accurate depiction of who he was with the entire Yes Movement featured merchandise revolving around his appearance (respect the beard).

The Fiend ripping out Bryan's hair was his way of telling the audience and the WWE Champion himself that he needed to change if he was to stand a chance against him.

Following this, Bryan would be off TV for several weeks whilst the Universal Champion shifted his attention towards The Miz in an on-going feud that has produced great TV for both talents respectively.

Bryan would return at the TLC PPV, sporting the look of his previous 2011/2012 self or moreover, The American Dragon look. Bryan would layout the Universal Champion following his victory over The Miz and once again showed us how Wyatt changes people and helps them find their true selves.

The entire saga with Bryan and Wyatt has been wonderful. The consequences of Bryan interacting with Wyatt are that Bryan has found himself and he has realised that the fans getting behind him are his keys to his success.

WWE is in such a great place with the new character of Bray Wyatt. They are setting a precedent that characters change for better or for worse following feuding with the current Universal Champion.

This brings so much intrigue and value to the feuds and characters in question. Fans will know first hand that the feud they are investing in will remain relevant for many months to come.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in the article belong to the writer and doesn't necessarily represent Sportskeeda's stand.