Saving Bray Wyatt...

[d-d-d-dAz]

The return of Bray Wyatt is, apparently, around the corner.

Everyone’s favourite incomprehensible disaster has been out since Brock Lesnar had a recurrence of his diverticulitis from laughing so hard at the idea of working with him.

The big lump - to be fair - does have an undeniable charisma, and a fanbase who will go further and farther than any other fanbase to justify their favourites’ worst habits. So, he *is* an asset, of sorts. He’s also paid a lot of money. Like, an absolute shit tonne of money by all accounts.

So, how do they rescue this if you accept that a) he has to come back and b) he has to be operating at a certain level to justify his pay?

I suspect what they’ll do is have him jump Cody at some point, and move into Bray/Cody upon the conclusion of Brock/Cody. That really will be some ‘adversity’ for Cody. If he survives Bray’s shower of shite, he really will deserve to win the title.

I’m not really sure what the answer is to be honest. If they get the character right, they still have time with him as he is so young.

All my ideas involve him completely stripping away the spooky bollocks. Just a creepy dude - have him wear Hawaiian shirts and speak in proverbs if you want - who is struggling to face up to his past, and how he’s blown the privileges he had by being born into the industry. Maybe that way you *can* do Cody, if it’s borne out of jealousy that Cody capitalised on daddy’s helping hand, and Bray fucked it by being a big spooky weirdo. Can even find a role for a de-spooked Howdy there, too, I guess.

I’d keep him away from Roman, just out of courtesy to Roman really. And I don’t think Seth or Judgment Day would survive a feud with him.

*Maybe* you can do Edge as a way of seeing Edge out the door, and signposting to me when I can tune out of the shows.

Thoughts? Feelings? Vibes? …Is anyone actually excited to see him?

Edited July 23 by d-d-d-dAz

[The King Of Swing]

Squashed by Roman. 

Sent packing. 

[Hannibal Scorch]

Is there anyone in the business that was pushed so hard, given that much creativity, and paid as much as Bray Wyatt to fail each time?

[WeeAl]

He doesn't have it. He's had enough chances now as it is. Bray is a liability to anyone that works with him and if they bring him back to work with Cody, and Cody agrees? Then he doesn't have the sense of self preservation that you would have been sure he'd have by now. 

We've seen what Bray Wyatt is by this point - and it's not fucking good.

[d-d-d-dAz]

8 minutes ago, WeeAl said:

He doesn't have it. He's had enough chances now as it is. Bray is a liability to anyone that works with him and if they bring him back to work with Cody, and Cody agrees? Then he doesn't have the sense of self preservation that you would have been sure he'd have by now. 

We've seen what Bray Wyatt is by this point - and it's not fucking good.

Whilst I don’t disagree, you have to assume that not everyone gets the same level of say as Brock Lesnar.

And Bray, by all accounts is coming back, and is probably going to occupy an upper-mid card or main event spot. 
 

It’s fascinating really.

WWE Collision anyone??

[Chili]

The idea of Cody pontificating for a while until Wyatt does he spooky boy bollocks. Ugh.

[Mr_Danger]

Max Cady cult leader who surrounds himself with big lads who can use the platform to launch break away singles careers. Aka the only good version of Bray. NO SPOOKY BOLLOCKS. Proof read his promos. Don’t let him watch any horror films.

[BomberPat]

If he has anything left to offer, it's in stripping him of all the fluff. No Fiend, no Firefly Funhouse, no Uncle Howdy, no spooky bollocks and special effects. Ideally, allow him to reinvent himself as a wholly different character with little to no supernatural or spooky trappings, just a violent Southern brawler or the fiery babyface that he once or twice showed he might be able to become.

I hold out no hope for any of that happening. But I'd redo the WCW angle where Raven was exposed as a fraud and a spoiled rich kid, do that to Bray and retcon the whole thing as the work of a conman paying off the production department to make him look magic. Or, if it's quicker and easier, do one last spooky angle to exorcise the Magic demony bits of the Bray Wyatt character into Uncle Howdy, then squash Howdy in such a way that it's clear he's never coming back.

I don't think you can even dial things back to the good days of the Wyatt Family without it feeling like Triple H's tired trademark "remember when this lad was good?" booking and just feels like going over old ground. But we'll likely get either that or just another Bray Wyatt spooky bollocks rambling promo equivalent of Malibu Stacy with a new hat.

[RedRooster]

As far as Bray Wyatt goes, I think I’ve landed on ‘he’s probably never going to be for me’, and I doubt I’ll shift from that. Inexplicably, a section of the audience seems really into him, so I can understand why they persist. All I can do is hope he doesn’t interfere with the stuff I enjoy too much, and that they’re able to keep what he does at least tolerable.

The early days of The Wyatt Family, when they were feuding with Daniel Bryan and The Shield, were good - but I’m not sure they are/he is capable of the subtlety that kind of gimmick requires. Even if they were, I’m not sure it’s a good idea to do a rerun of that. 

Edited July 23 by RedRooster
Autocorrect turned ‘were’ into ‘we’re’

[Loki]

I agree mainly with the opinion that he's unsalvageable.

But for the sake of discussion, I'd go right back to the only good bit of his career, the Southern Preacher and cult leader.  Finally pull the trigger on having his brother as Bo Wyatt and maybe add in two more followers.  

The Max Cady style character was ace in the early days but there is, imo, no place in wrestling now for the spoopy bollocks.  Any hint of power cuts, lightning, red lights or any of that and I'm out.

[SuperBacon]

3 minutes ago, RedRooster said:

The early days of The Wyatt Family, when they were feuding with Daniel Bryan and The Shield, we’re good

There is one moment in the 6 man against The Shield at Elimination Chamber where after the initial brawl, the Wyatts go to the outside and Bray sort of shouts at a woman on the front row and she gives this really loud, shrill scream which makes me absolutely mark out every time. It's a superb moment.

That aside, he has always been utter, utter shit.

[HarmonicGenerator]

He’s had ten years - ten years! - of being a spooky boy. Maybe it’s time for his equivalent of ‘American Badass’ to happen.

If he comes back again it’s definitely going to be more of the same though. But I won’t be watching it so he can just crack on and the people who love it will love it.

[Mr_Danger]

Given that he’s only just getting done with his nu metal phase we might have to wait a few more years before he gets to his Sons of Anarchy phase.

[DavidB6937]

Whatever he does it ends up shit.

Spooky bollocks.

Rambling promos that end up going nowhere.

There's elements here and there that work but unlike the Bloodline stuff he's absolutely incapable of putting something decent together from start to finish. And when you know it's just going to end up crap then it's very very hard to get invested in.

I've done that. I've tried that. I wanted to believe.. but no. Fuck him.

[Statto]

When he left WWE, someone on here suggested he come in to AEW as their version of Dusty, a fiery southern babyface. And I still think that could work for him (in WWE).