Bray Wyatt came out of the Elimination Chamber as the new WWE Champion. He has now pinned both John Cena and AJ Styles clean and has come away with the richest prize on SmackDown.
Though his win was predicted by those familiar with how WWE works, you still had to see it to believe it and there was always the chance that it would not be a convincing win for the Eater of Worlds.
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Nevertheless, WWE creative did the right thing to set up the redemption of Randy Orton at WrestleMania.
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Orton joined the Wyatt family in October 2016 in a storyline that looked like it would last a couple of weeks, Randy has remained loyal to the Wyatt family and the self-proclaimed God Bray Wyatt ever since.
Luke Harper has been very wary of the Viper, given his snake-like tendencies. As Bray said himself, snakes are known for their treachery.
At last month’s Royal Rumble, Randy Orton outlasted and outsmarted 29 other competitors to win the annual event and book his place in the main event of WrestleMania. With the stage now set for Wyatt vs. Orton, it will be interesting to see how the family dynamic works out.
Randy beat Luke Harper at the Elimination Chamber and he has not taken it well. I figured they may well come together for the first few weeks as their leader is now WWE Champion but it has quickly deteriorated as Luke Harper attacked Bray Wyatt before his first title defence on SmackDown.
Meanwhile, the threat of follower Randy Orton winning the championship at WrestleMania becomes real. However, with him having pledged his loyalty to Bray Wyatt on SmackDown Live, you could say my prediction was half right… for now.
Currently, I would assume that the following will happen: Bray Wyatt will be beaten by Orton at WrestleMania and this will set up the 1 millionth Cena / Orton feud so that Cena can beat Ric Flair’s record and become 17-time world champion.
It would be a shame if this was the case as Cena does not need to be near the championship scene again for a long time now that he has tied the record with the Nature Boy. It would also mean that Bray Wyatt is a transitional champion and having waited for this opportunity for 3 years, I think he deserves a lot more than that.
Even if the feud with Cena doesn’t follow WrestleMania and it is simply the end of Orton’s affiliation with the Wyatt family, the fact that he’s going to win on the biggest stage in the wrestling calendar is pretty much guaranteed.
However, I don’t believe he should walk away with the win this year. Bray Wyatt needs to retain his title. In the last 3 WrestleMania events, he’s lost to John Cena, The Undertaker, and has also been involved in an embarrassing segment with The Rock.
Despite all the losses he’s endured in his WWE tenure, Bray Wyatt has managed to maintain an eerie, scary figure that you would not want to meet down a dark alley.
It has been a long road for the Eater of Worlds but he is now at the top of the mountain and it is time to build on this so that his character can continue to develop and flourish. He needs to start racking up a few wins as champion or this was all for nothing and the win at the Elimination Chamber will look like a fluke.
If Bray Wyatt were to win at WrestleMania, it would solidify him as a true main eventer and a real threat to anyone on the roster.
Furthermore, it would embarrass Raw, as SmackDown will have created a new top guy for their brand whereas Raw will have two part-timers fighting for their richest prize and probably won’t see it again until SummerSlam.
Entering the new wrestling year with a win at WrestleMania could result in a great Wyatt Era and some extremely interesting programming on SmackDown.
It’s no secret that SmackDown is short of talent at the moment and is utilising everyone they have for maximum effect. So, to create another bona fide main eventer is in their best interest.
Bray Wyatt is the most interesting character of the modern era. In a roster that is filled with ‘real’ superstars that are constantly blurring the lines between kayfabe and reality, Bray Wyatt is getting away with a supernatural aura and a gimmick that is supernatural.
People say that The Undertaker, as a gimmick, would never have gotten over had it been introduced to today’s audience, but Bray has put those opinions to bed as he has ensured his gimmick is completely over despite the unrealistic powers.
People are happy to suspend their disbelief as the character is so captivating.
Randy Orton is still in the prime of his career. We forget as fans that Orton started his career so long ago. He is a long-time veteran but he is still young at the age of 36. Does he deserve another title run? Definitely! However, it should not come at the expense of Bray Wyatt.
Orton still has years left as an active member of the roster and his time will most definitely come in the future. I wouldn’t even mind if he did beat Wyatt for the title eventually, just as long as it wasn’t at WrestleMania.
I take nothing away from Orton’s ability or his character, I just don’t think it would be a good decision for him to sit at the top of the mountain when there is a severe lack of opponents for Orton following this.
With Wyatt though, every feud would feel fresh as he has not been WWE Champion before and we could witness more supernatural happenings during matches.
We also have the return of Erick Rowan to look forward too. Easily my favourite member of the Wyatt family, he has been out of action for a few months nursing an injury. He has kept himself relevant by posting creepy, cryptic videos online.
When he returns to the fold and the Wyatt family is back at full strength, (with or without Luke Harper) I have no doubt that the Era of Wyatt will last for a long time. I’d be happy to predict that he will keep the title until SummerSlam should he beat Randy Orton at WrestleMania.
To keep SmackDown entertaining, to keep Wyatt as a realistic threat and to satisfy what fans have waited three years for, Bray Wyatt must retain his Championship at WrestleMania 33 and I have faith that he will.
He’s got the whole world in his hands…
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