Bray Wyatt doesn't work because his in-ring style isn't violent enough

[LBGetBack]

For his gimmick, he should be completely unhinged in the ring. His matches should have a wild brawl, anything can happen feel. Like WCW Cactus Jack or WWF Mankind. Just wild, crazy brawls.

As it stands, his matches are usually tame, boring, and underwhelming. They don't match his gimmick. His finished is lame, he never uses weapons or does anything particularly crazy or violent. I ALWAYS feel let down after his matches, and I think this is the problem. He's presented as this complete psychopath cult leader who plays mind games, etc......but there's never any real payoff. Hitting Sister Abagail and that stupid spider walk don't quite cut it.

 

[peepshow]

Absolutely agree. His style needs to be less gimmick and more substance. The creepy laughing and upside-down walking thing is all well and good, but he needs to cause some intense physical pain to go along with the psychological antagonizing. Seems like he definitely needs some kind of signature weapon to help "put over" his heel-ness, if you will. As of right now, like the OP said, you really don't feel a sense of danger during Bray's matches. The whole run and land ass-first on a fallen opponent move just looks silly every time it's done. Bray Wyatt should be a supernatural "destroyer of worlds," not a chunky guy running around and throwing his butt on you.

 

[Soulblazed]

For his gimmick, he should be completely unhinged in the ring. His matches should have a wild brawl, anything can happen feel. Like WCW Cactus Jack or WWF Mankind. Just wild, crazy brawls.

As it stands, his matches are usually tame, boring, and underwhelming. They don't match his gimmick. His finished is lame, he never uses weapons or does anything particularly crazy or violent. I ALWAYS feel let down after his matches, and I think this is the problem. He's presented as this complete psychopath cult leader who plays mind games, etc......but there's never any real payoff. Hitting Sister Abagail and that stupid spider walk don't quite cut it.

I see your point when it comes to Bray. Though at the same time, with WWE being Disneyfied, I don't see Bray changing up his wrestling style to become extremely violent, even though I'd like to see that. Bray making his opponents bleed, throwing them off the stage, etc would be great but since that's too violent for WWE's current Disneyfied standards, I don't see that happening, despite the fact that it makes sense.

As far as Bray having a signature weapon, that's another good idea. Hypothetically, I'd like to see Bray use a big crescent wrench, clocking his victim in the head with it and then grating the front of the wrench across his victim's face, making him bleed, while laughing maniacally.

 

[LBGetBack]

I see your point when it comes to Bray. Though at the same time, with WWE being Disneyfied, I don't see Bray changing up his wrestling style to become extremely violent, even though I'd like to see that. Bray making his opponents bleed, throwing them off the stage, etc would be great but since that's too violent for WWE's current Disneyfied standards, I don't see that happening, despite the fact that it makes sense.

As far as Bray having a signature weapon, that's another good idea. Hypothetically, I'd like to see Bray use a big crescent wrench, clocking his victim in the head with it and then grating the front of the wrench across his victim's face, making him bleed, while laughing maniacally.

Yeah, I'm with your ideas. I mean, how can you make someone's character a psycho if they never actually do anything crazy but just talk shit? At some point, it loses steam.

 

[achromat666]

Part of it is I still feel like they're lost with what to do with Bray. It's been awhile since he's had a long time feud, and I don't know what they'll do with him when this current feud is done.

Ambrose is already playing the crazy person that likes the weapons, highlighted by this SS match. As weapons in general are underplayed unless it for a given big match it would be nice to perhaps see more of an aggressive Wyatt, a more viscous performer to match the twisted demeanor.

I just feel bad I'm never certain WWE knows what to do with Wyatt.

 

[Soulblazed]

Yeah, I'm with your ideas. I mean, how can you make someone's character a psycho if they never actually do anything crazy but just talk shit? At some point, it loses steam.

Yea, you're right on that..As much as I iike Wyatt, his character has to be more violent, it's just obvious. I really don't want Bray's character to stagnate after this Ambrose feud's over..I'm glad he's at least in a feud with a CZW veteran in Dean Ambrose, so at least he's forced to be as violent as he can be under WWE's bullshit PG rules.

 

[Hollywood Naitch]

I agree. The toned down PG-era product definitely limits Wyatt's in-ring style as you'd expect his crazy persona to lead to wild, hardcore brawls which unfortunately we aren't going to see. I like the OP's suggestion of a kind of "Cactus Jack" in-ring style where his matches become wild brawls.

Wyatt shouldn't just have "regular" wrestling matches. Perhaps they could look at introducing a kind of "Raven's Rules" match for him, or his refuses to wrestle unless its under "his" rules- meaning NO RULES. I think that would certainly add an interesting element to the Wyatt character, as when he wrestles now he can be quite underwhelming. He certainly needs to modify his style slightly, but it will always be difficult with the restrictions placed on talent now.

 

[OYDK]

I feel like Bray just has to show his strengths in the ring which oddly, he actually did better as Husky Harris. Believe it or not, Bray Wyatt is a great athlete; he was a state wrestling champion and All American offensive guard before becoming a wrestler and he is crazy strong, agile, and has great endurance. I think Bray should add a top rope move to his arsenal like a flying clothesline or splash and add more moves that show how strong he actually is.

Being more violent would add another layer to Wyatt's character and I agree that he needs a better identity in the ring, but I think first and foremost he needs to show people that he is a legitimate beast in the ring. Right now, his matches are relatively even with much smaller guys whooping his ass at times and that shouldn't be happening to a man as big as Wyatt.

 

[L@RISANO]

He does need to be more prone to sickening acts than he has shown thus far, but I really think that apart from obvious restrictions on his character due to the rating, I feel Creative are confused as to how to write a storyline which can properly explore the golden gimmick of Bray Wyatt.


The gimmick itself with the family and all, had Top Heel written all over it, but due to misuse this feud is almost a last-chance saloon for the character,lMO.