Two Years In, Has Bray Wyatt Been A Success?

[The Brain]

It has been two years since Bray Wyatt came to the WWE from NXT. His was one of the more anticipated call ups in recent years as many people were intrigued by the unique character. There was some concern that creative team would make some changes to the Bray Wyatt character upon his arrival but to the delight of many he was able to stick with what made him stand out. Wyatt had the rare gimmick that captured the imagination of the fans. We weren't quite sure what to expect but the potential and possibilities were fun to think about.

Two years later and a lot of people seem to be getting bored with Bray. Some are turned off by his repetitive promos where he talks a lot but doesn't really say anything. Others are frustrated by his lack of success when it comes to his win/loss record. Bray is getting the reputation for a guy that talks a big game but is rarely able to back it up in the ring. Two years into his WWE career would you consider Bray Wyatt to be a success of a failure?

I'd say he's been a success for the most part. It would be nice if he had more big wins under his belt but for two years now Bray has been constantly relevant and involved in some big feuds. It's hard for a lot of guys to get a one on one match at WrestleMania these days. Bray Wyatt has managed to go one on one against John Cena and The Undertaker at his first two manias. He lost them both but I'd say losses to those two guys in one on one matches is substantially better than being thrown into a battle royal or ladder match even if he were to win those. Besides, losing to two of the best wrestlers ever is nothing to be ashamed of. Wyatt has had better luck against other popular stars such as Daniel Bryan, Chris Jericho, and Dean Ambrose. Now Wyatt finds himself in a program with the next chosen one, Roman Reigns. Although some think his promos have become long winded and pointless Wyatt still seems to create a buzz whenever he appears on screen. I think most people still pay attention to him and wonder what he's going to do next. I still think there is a different energy when Wyatt is in the arena.

Hopefully he has even better days ahead of him but even if he were to suddenly retire tomorrow I'd say Bray Wyatt has been a success. What say you?

 

[Jeff Deliverer of Mail]

In terms of the creation of an interesting character - Yes. Bray Wyatt is one of the more interesting wrestling characters on the roster. I think he'd be better off going back to The Wyatt Family though, maybe have a new family with Harper and _______ somebody else. Or bring back the old gang. He was more of a menace with his family backing him up.

I'd like to see better direction of his character though, involve vicious attacks to main event stars or even the authority. His storylines end up having zero impact because they are usually mid to lower card deals, with a title never in the picture.

GIVE THE GUY A TITLE ALREADY. Any title, please.

Final judgement, success as a character - grey area for in ring success.

 

[pipebomber]

In terms of the creation of an interesting character - Yes. Bray Wyatt is one of the more interesting wrestling characters on the roster. I think he'd be better off going back to The Wyatt Family though, maybe have a new family with Harper and _______ somebody else. Or bring back the old gang. He was more of a menace with his family backing him up.

I'd like to see better direction of his character though, involve vicious attacks to main event stars or even the authority. His storylines end up having zero impact because they are usually mid to lower card deals, with a title never in the picture.

GIVE THE GUY A TITLE ALREADY. Any title, please.

Final judgement, success as a character - grey area for in ring success.

this. I want them to give some serious focus to the bray wyatt character. I don't mean find something on TV to keep him busy, I mean I want some well thought out storyline and direction for his character. Im so bored with Bray Wyatt.

 

[ccotreau1]

For me, I look at him as a success, but it also depends on how one looks at success.

One one hand, he has remained relevant in two years, feuding with some top talent in John Cena, Jericho and Taker, as well as fellow up and comers in the members of the Shield.

On the other hand, he lacks a title reign of any sort, which in my eyes, doesn't bother me as much as others because of fact he has remained relevant and keeps me intrigued when he shows up.

 

[kadroan]

I say he has been a success. He wasn't overpushed like Swagger and Sheamus yet he got big wins over former world champions like Kane, Jericho and Ziggler and put on good matches on the big stage - vs. Bryan (Royal Rumble 2014), Cena (WM 30), Taker (WM 31).

I would have thought he would have been in a world title match by now or capture the IC title/US title atleast.

I think he peaked as a heel and needs to turn face if they aren't going to have him feud with Orton (one former world champion he's yet to feud with) or put him in the world title scene.

 

[Jack-Hammer]

I agree that it's a bit of a mixed bag in that he's successful as a character while his success in terms of feuds overall is more of a gray area. Probably Wyatt's most successful feud has been against Dean Ambrose and it was done in an ideal way, at least in my eyes, that ultimately caused both guys to come out looking good. He also looked strong against Jericho but, at the same time, going over Jericho doesn't have the same oomph it once had.

I do think that Wyatt suffers from the mind set of a lot of modern fans in that they want pretty much everything to happen and they want it as quickly as possible. Wyatt hasn't had a title reign and title reigns are pretty much the measuring stick for success but, at the same time, I don't think Wyatt is one of these guys who'll be defined by title runs. Wyatt's quasi-supernatural character puts me more in mind of The Undertaker in that Wyatt's character and persona is what will make him stand out the most, though Taker's path to greatness was most certainly helped along by epic feuds and 7 World Championship runs. A big difference is that Taker looked strong in his feuds, though one big reason for that is that he spent a majority of his time as a babyface, which I think will happen with Wyatt at some point. Wyatt's also just 28 years old and I'm of the opinion that no damage done to him is irreversible; I think the opinions of some will change if Wyatt starts winning big matches and comes off as a guy who makes cryptic proclamations and delivers on them.

 

[Bernkastel]

Overall I'd say Bray has been a success. Maybe not necessarily a huge success, but a decent success nonetheless. He's already feuded with most of the big stars on the roster, and is continuously presented as a main event treat. He even had a match with Undertaker at Wrestlemania, where he basically carried the whole feud. I know he has his detractors, mostly those that claim he does the same types of promos over and over. Which is true. But at the same time I've never heard him give the same speech twice. All his promos sound different, even if all of them are presented the same way. Like Undertaker's or Kane's or Mankind's.

I think the lone blemish on his record is the loss he suffered at Mania against Taker. That would have given him all the momentum he needed to be the "new face of fear." And WWE ended up retconning the loss anyway, like it was pointless. Otherwise I think Bray Wyatt is a solid character. Very entertaining to watch from my perspective.

 

[Dagger Dias]

There isn't a clear definitive yes or no answer here as I cannot truly say he has been a success yet but he has not been a failure. I'd go with neutral leaning towards success for my answer. I like the guy. His promos are among the best right now, plus he's not bad in the ring. Bray has come a LONG way from his Husky Harris days. Facing both John Cena and The Undertaker at Wrestlemania regadless of the outcome was good for him. My main problems with him are that he needs to change the setup for his finisher to where he simply hits the swinging STO part of the maneuver without any of the theatrics he does beforehand.... and he needs to win more feuds. Calling yourself The New Face Of Fear yet you keep losing big PPV matches? Sorry, not even the Spider Crawl or a dark entrance can help you look like a legitimate threat until you win more. Making Harper and Rowan be his underlings again might help too. The future looks quite good for Bray still at least at this point. Change up a couple of things and he'll be successful.

 

[Aeon Mathix]

Certainly not a failure yet, but he definitely needs to start cranking up some wins in feuds. It would also help immensely if his feuds were actually interesting instead of "target random guy, spew bullshit, forget said bullshit, keep attacking every week, when match comes get swatted away like a fly, next night forget feud ever happened and reset to beginning." I like Wyatt, I think he could still be something but his booking is some of the most head scratching things I've ever seen done to a wrestler. Take this latest Roman feud for example. What happened with the daughter? It was completely dropped and for the past few weeks Bray has just been attacking Reigns and that's it. Hardly compelling television and not to mention when the match comes Reigns will probably win clean.

Bray isn't really a success or failure, right now he's basically a case of what could have been. I think we can all agree every single one of his feuds should have gone differently or could have at least been more interesting. That's not really on him though, more so on creative who hopefully turn their crap around before Bray is completely sabotaged beyond repair. He's kind of a joke already to be honest. What with talking a big game to Cena and Cena swatting him and his former family away like flies and calling out a 50 year old man who hadn't wrestled in a year and getting beat no sweat by that man at Wrestlemania. Not a failure yet but serious work must be done to close the wounds.

 

[BestSportsEntertainer]

Probably Wyatt's most successful feud has been against Dean Ambrose and it was done in an ideal way, at least in my eyes, that ultimately caused both guys to come out looking good.

I have to disagree. Bray Wyatt attacked Dean Ambrose, costing him his Hell in a Cell match against Seth Rollins. Why? That was never answered. If there's no story behind a feud, it can't be successful. The promos were great for the first Raw, but they quickly became redundant and pointless. Neither Wyatt nor Ambrose came out of the feud looking strong, which is unfortunate. Both are very talented and future main eventers, but when you have no direction, you can't be successful.

 

[rmp0012002]

I would say yes on being a success so far but the way story lines are booked to start and finish so fast falls on creative. It's almost comical like WCW booking got where everyone saw one thing happen and then the next week it was off in a totally different direction. WWE angles are made to happen and then quickly move to next thing instead of a long simmering feud.

 

[HBKistheHOF]

I'd say the fact that he started out as just some pudgy, 2nd generation, rookie & has now become one of the more over & pushed superstars on the roster, is pretty much proof that he has been a success. Wyatt is one of the most compelling characters on the roster today, most of his work is very entertaining & in the overall grand scheme of things in WWE, I would consider him one of the most memorable characters of the modern era.

I think the only thing really holding Wyatt back as an official success in the mass majorities eyes, is simply his lack of notable accomplishments. He hasn't won any titles, he hasn't won the Rumble, MitB, KotR, etc. His biggest accomplishment is losing to Cena & Undertaker at WM. & on top of that, a lot of his feuds in between have fallen flat. His initial feud with Kane was a little rocky starting off & the Inferno match at SSlam was a little awkward. Then he didn't really do much of anything until The Wyatt Family started feuding with Punk & Bryan, which of course led to what was probably Wyatt's best program to date with Daniel Bryan but even that wasn't about him at first & was kind of start/stop for awhile. Then after his feud with Cena, he had his feud with Jericho which was good but not great, as I think many expected it to be. Then once again left for a little while before finally coming back to attack Ambrose & start a feud with him, which I personally loved but I know many fans didn't care all that much for it. Then he kind of just floundered again until starting something with Taker & ending up where he is now.

So all in all, he's had a very solid run so far but it seems like when he isn't in a big marquee feud then he isn't being used properly or isn't being used at all. If that keeps up & he never really wins anything notable, then I could see the argument being made for him not really being a success. But until then, I would definitely consider Bray the future along with The Shield boys.

 

[jacdnwarrior]

I can't really call him a failure, so I'll say a slight success. The character is great, most intriguing one I've seen in quite some time. His promos were and are solid. His in ring work was surprising good (I never thought he would be as good as he was, can't say why). I loved his match vs Bryan, I loved the work vs the Shield, he delivered.

The way he's been used has been less stellar or at the very least uneven. The Wyatt family added depth to his character and was great for all three performers not just Bray, yet they added to his mystique and it greatly helped Rowan and Harper. It seemed as soon as he jobbed to Cena, and they split up the family, the push or his run went down hill. He'd feud with someone for no reason or a piss poorly explained one. What's really weird about it is, he is the most interesting heel they have and the main event picture needs a solid main event heel besides Rollins, Sheamus, Big Show, or whatever. The entire main event roster lacks true depth so why aren't they doing more with Bray ? It seems sad to see a character like his be wasted as he was or is, hopefully WWE creative / management will turn it around with him.

 

[MWRedskins]

i think he's been a success....now i'm not saying it's a huge success. if he was a huge success than he would've been world champion and had more high profile feuds, BUT he's a success because he has a great character has had some high profile feuds, put on great matches and his best asset.....his mic work. in my book, he's one of the best (if not the best) promo guys in the business. he knows how to say something that his character will say. his promos always keep him interesting.

 

[Navi]

The definition of success is this: the favorable or prosperous termination of attempts or endeavors; the accomplishment of one's goals.

If you look at Bray Wyatt's tenure in the WWE so far, then no he has been a failure. He has had small accomplishments here and there, but overall, everything he's set out to do has ended in failure.

He failed to bring Daniel Bryan into the family. He didn't manage to get John Cena to find his dark side. Jericho didn't need to be saved and wasn't. He didn't out crazy Ambrose, and God only knows why he was feuding with Ryback. His biggest let down was Wrestlemania. Yes he built that feud up all by himself, that being due to his fantastic promo skills. But a 50 year old man, who only wrestle's once a year, beat him clean. Wyatt can't get the job done, he seems to take 2 steps forward and 3 steps back everytime.

When he first debuted with Harper and Rowan, I was interested. Seeing him fail time and time again, put me off. Even with the great promo's he kind of reminds me of a carny operator, all smoke and mirrors, with nothing of substance to back it up.

He's not that great in the ring, Harper is clearly the standout out of the Wyatt's as a group, and Rowan, well he's just sort of there. They broke them up all too soon, and it's hurt Wyatt, he's doesn't have anything to do. His feuds all start the same way and end up the same.

He interferes in a match, does promo's for a while, attacks the intended victim when he's down, and finally gets the crap beat out of him at the next PPV. That's what's happening with Reigns right now.

Wyatt doesn't need another family, he just needs a decent feud. One where he actually gets into the ring and has a stand up match. Not one where he lurks in the shadows waiting to pounce. That has become beyond tiresome and while people still get their cell phones out, they can't be all that invested when they know the outcome of every match he's in.

 

[Prince Vee]

Its the same mistake WWE has been doing with him over the years. The excitement for his feud with Roman Reigns will be whimpered when you anticipate the outcome. Who's going to get benefited out of this feud; Certainly it's not Bray Wyatt. His feud with John Cena and Dean Ambrose were overwhelming but it hasn't shown any credibility to Bray Wyatt.

He had won every matches with Dean Ambrose but he didn't deliver what he had promised; To show the darker side of Dean. Ambrose is still being that same Lunatic Fringe who never showed any dark side of his to the world. Instead Kids love him. I don't understand why Bray calls himself the New Face of Fear when he never won that title from The Undertaker. He should probably go back to his "Follow the Buzzards" gimmick.

He just constantly fails to deliver but I've to admit that his in-ring prowess has improved way over. His in-ring skill suits his psychology but what's the credibility in always ended on the side which bites the dust?

 

[yourdamnluck]

Nobody can have an undefeated streak like Goldberg and fortunately not everybody needs them.
Bray is one of those guys who'll stay relevant no matter the Win/loss record.
He has had some great feuds specially against Bryan and Ambrose. I think he has been a success but has a long way to go. He needs a feud like Orton vs Foley or Foley vs Edge to permanently solidify his legacy.
The guy is bound to be a huge star. He's already risen above the mid card belts and I can see him winning the WHC about this time next year.

 

[MCMG]

I'd say he has been a success. He used to be Husky Harris and if he was released no-one would have cared. No-one would have thought twice. Indeed, even before he debuted on the main-roster when NXT was still a new concept (before the network) the success and career path of Bray Wyatt would have been fantasy.

His promos are of a high quality with there being very few people who can claim they can out-talk him. Sure, at times, his promos can lack direction but there have been some outstanding ones throughout. Most notably the Raw before Mania this year.

He has also delivered in the ring. The matches with The Shield were outstanding as well as a couple against Cena. His best match, however, was the one with Bryan at the Rumble which truly stole the show. His matches with Jericho, Ambrose and Taker weren't bad either. I'd bet him and Reigns put on some great matches too.

To say he is a success because he has feuded with Taker and Cena might be a little simplistic. He is a success, however, because he has held his own in those feuds and made them entertaining. Especially the one with Taker.

I do believe he could have been even more but there is still time. He is young and is already a tremendous talent. It could have gone wrong but the guy has made it work. Similar to The Undertaker in many ways. "Bray Wyatt" could have been an hilarious failed gimmick but it is so much more. Indeed, Bray is an entertaining main-event level superstar and that shows a tremendous success.

 

[RKO920]

I think it's too early to determine this, and yes I get it 2 years is a long time to be around. But, I think with this character in particular, the idea isn't for short term it's for a long term goal. Undertaker maybe has one match left in him, and there has been/will be a huge void that his type of character left. Enter Bray Wyatt. He will take over as the mythical, super natural-type character that the Undertaker was.

Yes, the Undertaker won a WWE championship very early on in his career, Bray has not. But with me suggesting that Bray is the modern version of the Undertaker, then Bray should not go after a mid card title ever. Correct me if I'm wrong but I don't ever remember the Undertaker going after the IC title, or any other mid card titles, he was a world title contender practically his whole career, and if he wasn't he was in a feud that demanded attention. That's where we are and will be with Bray Wyatt. Look at the 2 years he's been on the main roster: John Cena, Chris Jericho, Undertaker, and now Roman Reigns. He is remaining relevant without having to go after the title. He will one day but now is not that time. When he's still around in 5-7 years we can have this same conversation again about how good he's been.

I just hope he doesn't change up his character and come out riding a motorcycle and his entrance music being Kid Rock.

 

[t2ne]

There not many that come in and win a world title within two years. He should've had a US or if belt by now at least once though. I think he's been a success due in part to the fact they've booked him horribly and he's still over and is someone people wanna see. Yes he fought cena and taker back to back at mania but outside of Daniel Bryan nothing has been booked well with him. With a better creative team he at least would've had a title shot if not a run with the title.

 

[CrucifiedRaven]

They've created a solid upper mid card character who can feud up and down the card. He isn't out of place vs The Undertaker or John Cena. Nor is he out of place feuding with someone like Ambrose or Ryback. He does seem to be stagnate though. He is stuck in that Dolph Ziggler/Ryback/Sheamus level of upper midcard who either just can't get over the hump or booking doesn't allow him to get over it. He needs some big wins for sure - and who knows maybe even a face turn?

 

[Loveless]

The WWE's treatment of Bray has been really odd. Here arrives a character, fully formed, able to carry a promo or a match on his own and what do they do with him? Nothing. Absolutely nothing. The guy cuts endless mystical rambling promos that amount to absolutely fuck all, no story, no plan, no progression or development.
It seems like the writers haven't a clue what to do with him.

Seriously, if Bray had an Austin t-shirt it'd say

Arrive
Talk Shit
Lose

 

[LBGetBack]

I have long said that the thing holding Bray back is the lack of violence. For his gimmick, he should be doing some INSANE things in the ring to make it fully click on occasion. At least once in a great while, he should be making people bleed, stabbing them with forks or something.....just barbaric, brutal, ridiculous stuff. His normal matches should frequently turn into wild brawls. It's the only thing that would fit the gimmick.

As it stands, he's generic, tame, and bland as hell in the ring. It leaves the gimmick and promos feeling pointless.

 

[Kodo Sawaki]

Again, guy won almost every feud he has been it except John Cena and Taker at Mania. He has beaten The Shield in their prime, he beaten Bryan when he was red hot with "Yes movement" and he beaten Ambrose when he was red hot after he chased Rollins like crazy. Its pretty ridiculous to even mention win/loss record when he is basically somebody who lost just 2 legit feuds in his whole career and that with face of the company and other guy who is sinonimous at Mania and who will probably lose cleanly if it was any other PPV. Can be better booked maybe, but booked as loser, please, Wyatt is booked stronger then 90% of roster WWE has.

As for weather he is success or not I would say neither. He is vastly overated and boring. You cant say he is a failure because he still somehow garners reaction with those cell phones but you cant say he is some huge success because he is still not that over inspite of his strong booking. So he is somewhere in beetween.

 

[Reflection]

In terms of accomplishments and attaining his objectives, I would say he has mostly been a failure. He has beaten Daniel Bryan and Dean Ambrose, but failed to turn them into his disciples, at the end of the day. Daniel turned for a while, but the fans' support erased Bray's manipulations right away. He beat John Cena, but John Cena defeated him more times and also won the feud. He faced the streak-less Undertaker, but lost. His biggest achievements, according to me, are his first feud against Kane, and his family's feud against The Shield. As a character, he has been successful in engaging the audience with the whole mobile phone-flashing thing. Engaging the audience in one trademark act (like making them chant Yes! Yes! Yes!) is tough and uncommon in this era, but Bray managed it well. But his main failures have been in not recruiting new followers (something that I feel his character is primarily based on) and winning championship titles- the main accomplishment for wrestlers in the kayfabe world.