Tell me something, my friend. Have you ever danced with the devil in the pale moonlight?
- Joker
The tale of Bray Wyatt in WWE is a wild one, both in the ring and outside of it. A man mocked for his weight, a member of The Nexus, a leader of the Wyatt Family, and a man teetering on the edge of otherworldly madness from the confines of the Firefly Funhouse and The Fiend, he was filled to the brim with creative ideas.
However, the ideas of others who want to control that creativity, they didn’t see it that way. They’d butt heads with Bray Wyatt and the plot would get lost, every time. Every time an opportunity was given, it was snatched away from him.
From late 2019 to 2021, Bray’s storyline of The Fiend was dismantled and falling off the rails, saved intermittently by the likes of Daniel Bryan and John Cena before being placed into a partnership with a newly corrupted Alexa Bliss.
Anyone who knows me personally knows I love Bray Wyatt as a talent. I love characters that bring something incredible to the table – and this comes from someone whose favorite wrestlers include Bret Hart, Kurt Angle, Mitsuharu Misawa, Bryan Danielson, and Ricky Steamboat. The overall charisma and way on the mic makes Bray something intoxicating, where you’re hooked on his every word.
That’s why the wrestling industry was set ablaze through hints of Jefferson Airplane and QR codes until he returned at Extreme Rules 2022, as his past was laid out through the crowd and on the commentary desk before he emerged through the light and mist of a doorway. He was back, and he was in control of himself – or was he?
In subsequent weeks, Wyatt delivered heartfelt promos, pouring his heart out, and always being interrupted by a mysterious entity who would come to be known as Uncle Howdy.
This is fascinating because of the fact that we are seeing more of who Windham Rotunda is beneath the spooky characters, and seeing the person that was hurt and afraid. A man who wanted to stay away and thought he was unwanted, despite the cries of many who wanted him back. All the while, he’s being haunted by the very thing he’s been known for; the enigma that is Uncle Howdy.
There’s still an unhinged tragedy welling up inside Bray, from threatening staff backstage to verbally trading barbs against the ever-so entertaining LA Knight, it’s safe to say he’s had his hands full.
Meanwhile, since his return, Alexa Bliss has been edging so dangerously close to the dark side once again. Once upon a time, her alliance with Bray, unpopular to the fans, saw her betray Bray Wyatt and adopt his eerie nature. Through backstage therapist segments and a series of breaks, Bliss seemed to be healing from the hellish depths that Bray Wyatt put her through. Her doll, Lily, began to feel like a relic of the past. More importantly, the weight of being accused by fans of stealing his gimmick before he got fired began to dissipate.
Alexa Bliss has been excelling in matches during her alliance with Asuka and Bianca Belair, going so far as to share tag team gold with Asuka and teaming with her and Bianca, as well as Becky Lynch and Mia Yim at Survivor Series: WarGames.
As time grew on, every time Bray’s insignia kept flashing on the screen, there’d be a subtle disinterest or attitude change, be it in backstage segments or her walk to the ring during the WarGames match. Like creeping death, it’s clammy and dark hands continue to wrap around her, ready to squeeze her in its sinister clutch.
On the December 12, 2022 episode of Monday Night Raw, Bliss’s victory over Bayley to challenge Belair for the Raw Women’s Championship ended with the former Goddess losing control and snarring the champ in a Sister Abigail, before she relinquished the hold in fear of who she’s about to become once more. To feel yourself return to being the person you’ve tried so far to separate yourself from, only for it to come back inevitably, it is a scary thought. One that many have to live with, and Bliss is no exception.
The turn to the dark side once more dwells within Bliss, and I think there’s a lot of potential with that storyline. There’s possible depth and story and emotion in her trying to fight these urges as Bray does the same.
Bray’s torment at the hands of LA Knight and Uncle Howdy sees the babyface seeking to overcome himself. In wrestling, that is an odd premise, but if the cards are played right, it can be a fruitful one. Alexa and Bray fighting to stay away from who they became presents so many opportunities. Will they team up for good, or will they be the bane of each other’s existence? What roles do LA Knight and Uncle Howdy play, beyond what we see?
Just who Uncle Howdy is, is yet to be seen. But once that unveiling happens, the storyline can flow forth and we can see what’s up the sleeves of WWE as they too seek to prove they are not the same company they were under a different regime – and how fitting.
The thing with storylines like these is that you run the risk of letting it build and sit for so long that fans either become disinterested or become the laughingstock. Whatever the case is with Bray and Alexa’s unholy union must reach a climax and deliver a story worth remembering, because this is the chance that Bray has been looking for.
The pieces of the past lay scattered, broken. Can it be placed back together, or will it remain shattered furthermore, irreparable?
Only time will tell, fireflies. Until then, follow the buzzards.
