WWE Rumors: Reason why Bray Wyatt missed Raw and SmackDown Live

After featuring in one of the most talked-about WWE matches of 2019 so far at SummerSlam, Bray Wyatt did not appear on either Raw or SmackDown Live after the PPV.

The reason why, according to Pro Wrestling Sheet’s Ryan Satin, is that WWE’s decision-makers want to limit Wyatt’s appearances in order to allow his new character to feel “special”.

The Fiend vs. Finn Balor

After Goldberg’s destructive victory over Dolph Ziggler, the shortest match of the night at SummerSlam came when Bray Wyatt’s new persona, “The Fiend”, defeated Finn Balor on his in-ring debut.

Prior to the match, which only lasted 3 minutes and 25 seconds, “The Fiend” used a remix of Wyatt’s “Live In Fear” as his music and carried a severed head down to ringside as a lantern during his entrance.

Almost every aspect of Wyatt’s alter-ego was widely praised by fans, including his Mandible Claw finishing move, and his next target was expected to be revealed on Raw or SmackDown Live after SummerSlam.

However, WWE focused on the other big stories coming out of the PPV – Seth Rollins’ Universal Championship victory, Sasha Banks’ return and Roman Reigns’ attacker – and there was no sign of Wyatt’s ‘Firefly Fun House’ or “The Fiend” on either episode.

From what I’ve heard, Bray Wyatt wasn’t shown on WWE TV this week to follow up on “The Fiend” debuting at SummerSlam because they want his character to be special and for it to feel like you’ll never know when he’s going to strike next.

— Ryan Satin (@ryansatin) August 14, 2019

What's next for Bray Wyatt in 2019?

Moving forward, it is unclear who Bray Wyatt will feud with ahead of the Clash of Champions pay-per-view on September 15, as Finn Balor has reportedly taken a two-month sabbatical after SummerSlam.

Any hopes of “The Fiend” immediately entering the world title picture appear to be over, with Braun Strowman and AJ Styles seemingly eyeing Seth Rollins’ Universal Championship on Raw and the Kofi Kingston vs. Randy Orton WWE Championship storyline continuing on SmackDown Live.