What’s the story?
Bray Wyatt has given his opinion on who he should face at WrestleMania 33 later this year, and it’s a matchup many would love to see.
In a conference call promoting the upcoming Royal Rumble, Wyatt pointed out current WWE Champion AJ Styles as his ideal target for the company’s biggest show, set to take place in San Antonio, Texas, on April 2.
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“This year, though, I plan to beat AJ Styles – if he is still the champion – and it would be good if it was a Last Man Standing Match,” he said, according to a report from IWNerd.com.
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He also pointed out Daniel Bryan, with whom he had a lengthy feud, as another person he’d like to face at WrestleMania if injury hadn’t shortened Bryan’s career.
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Despite overcoming his heel status to become a fan favorite, Wyatt has really not spent much time in the world title picture. In fact, his involvement in a ladder match at Money in the Bank 2014 for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship vacated by Bryan, Wyatt has really never been in the mix for a singles title at all.
Late last year, Wyatt and his Family – Luke Harper and Randy Orton – captured the Smackdown Tag Team titles for a brief run. As such, any sort of match for a major title would be a much-needed change for “The Eater of Worlds.”
The heart of the matter
Wyatt saying this as part what is presumably a WWE-sanctioned interview could be a very good sign for him and his fans. This was perhaps just a character move, illustrating that he does, in fact, care about championships, but it could also mean he’s set for a major push later.
It’s also interesting that he would specify the match having an extreme stipulation. Both he and Styles have turned in great work in recent months and years in other extreme matches against the likes of Roman Reigns and Dean Ambrose, so fans could expect great things if Styles and Wyatt got together in a Last Man Standing match.
What’s next
As usual when a superstar speaks out about his desired booking, the ball is in the WWE creative team’s court. There’s no question that the fans would be interested in a match between Styles and Wyatt, especially for the blue brand’s top belt.
What remains to be seen is if Wyatt truly just wants a match with Styles, or if he’s speaking specifically toward the championship. With the way he worded his comments, it could be that he’s ready for gold. If that’s the case, we may be pulling for a matchup with John Cena or whoever comes out on top in February’s Elimination Chamber match.
Sportskeeda’s take
It’s hard to think of something from the Smackdown roster that would excite the fanbase like a matchup between Styles and Wyatt for the belt. Add in the element of a Last Man Standing match with two men who have shown to be willing to give whatever it takes in such bouts, and it’s hard not to get giddy thinking about the potential.
Plain and simple, Bray Wyatt deserves a world title run, and his character demands a more dominant push than he’s ever been given before. Perhaps the Royal Rumble is the time to do it, but whatever it takes, the WWE needs to pull the trigger.
