THE WAY FOR THE WYATT'S

In the absence of review discs of Payback 2014 and OMG Volume 2, which I was meant to receive weeks ago but the post where I live has suddenly become unreliable now I have moved house and I am still waiting for them to arrive so they’ll appear here when I do receive them, which means the entire schedule I had set out for Review Corner will be put back at least two weeks, we now instead have a blog I have been thinking about writing for some time and one which I know will intrigue a lot of people as it contains what could be done with The Wyatt Family to make the faction better and restore some of that lost oomph they once had.

It’s been a widespread source of frustration with WWE fans since The Wyatt Family made their debut in 2013. When the group came to the company before last year’s SummerSlam they had the opportunity to be revolutionary. The way WWE packaged them in videos and promos was just eerie and it was certainly nothing like any other WWE star who had passed through the doors in the last ten years. I think it’s a fair statement to say that once Bray Wyatt, Luke Harper and Eric Rowan made their WWE debut, fans rejoiced at the thought of something different to John Cena, Randy Orton and other clean cuts acts which had graced the WWE’s main stage.

It should have been enough for WWE to really get behind the trio and push them to the hilt with gripping storylines. Certainly, the material was there and the WWE writers wouldn’t have had to come up with the same, dull stuff they conjure for every wrestler on the roster. The Wyatt Family gave the booking committee and the writing team a chance to spread their wings and fly; no longer would they have to hold back. Amazingly, with that in mind, it took the booking committee almost six months to really kick The Wyatt Family into gear as it wasn’t until the Royal Rumble when Bray Wyatt was allowed to come into his own. Before that, with opponents such as Kane and Kofi Kingston, Wyatt was reigned in and halted from standing out amongst the rest, which should have been number one priority.

The WWE booking and writing committee should be given credit and praise for finally taking a chance on Bray Wyatt by having him go over Daniel Bryan. There was a small chance the loss for Bryan at the Royal Rumble could have hindered fan support at WrestleMania XXX, but ably handled, it was pulled off with aplomb and the Royal Rumble was the first real time we got a taste of what Bray Wyatt could do in the ring. And then came the crux, what we’d all been waiting for as The Wyatt Family stormed the ring and Bray dropped John Cena with Sister Abigail to cost him the WWE World Heavyweight Championship on the very same night.

From the moment Bray Wyatt drove John Cena into the canvas and allowed Randy Orton to cover him to retain the title, it was clear WWE had finally come up with something that the audience wanted to see. And that brings us to our first state of address, as to what could and could have been done with the trio to make them uber stars. Something which should have happened already, but still sees them teetering on the verge of the wrestling abyss.

What Should Have Been

‘Thank You Wyatt’s’ was the chant that went up when the lights went out at Elimination Chamber and Bray Wyatt along with Luke Harper and Eric Rowan appeared in the centre of the ring to stop John Cena claiming the WWE World Heavyweight Championship on the final stop on the Road to WrestleMania. The chant was a clear message to Vince McMahon and everyone who works within the company who believes that even in 2014; John Cena has to be protected no matter what. Fans were bored to tears of seeing John Cena come out on top and began to believe that maybe he’d met his match in The Wyatt Family. Could things have turned out different? Hell yes, but for that to have happened, WWE needed a bigger pair of balls than it currently owns.

The build-up to WrestleMania XXX was surprisingly rather good. John Cena was almost flawless as he sold for The Wyatt Family week in and week out. To your Wrestling God’s amazement, his selling of everything which came his way was superb. The man who previously couldn’t get through a segment without smirking and ruining the atmosphere suddenly appeared scared and apprehensive to climb in the ring with the Wyatt’s for fear he may not come out the same man. Okay, the storyline that Bray Wyatt wanted to bring out the monster inside Cena was bordering on 1994 but the rest of it was first class. Even John Cena’s admission that he’s scared because people were beginning to listen to Bray Wyatt’s message; had John Cena put in this level of acting in any or all of his movies, they may have been bearable to watch.

There were a few discrepancies with the storyline of course and these proved to highlight WWE’s beliefs and in some mangled way explain why John Cena won out at the grandest stage of them all. For those who purchased the WrestleMania XXX release, you will have watched the extras where John Cena admits to Michael Cole that should he lose to Wyatt at Mania then he’d be back at square one. This came straight from WWE who truly believed, or were just trying to justify their booking decision on the night, that John Cena would fall back down the totem pole should he lose to a new talent. I’ve said this before and I’ll have to say it again to make my point. John Cena is the modern day Hulk Hogan and Stone Cold Steve Austin. It doesn’t matter what happens to him now or how many matches he loses, John Cena’s image will never be diminished. He could lose every match for two years and still win the WWE World Heavyweight Championship upon his first victory in 24 months and no one would bat an eyelid. That is how strong his character now is.

In truth, there was no reason for Bray Wyatt to lose at WrestleMania XXX other than to massage the ego of John Cena. As a rising talent, Bray Wyatt should have been the number one priority on WWE’s agenda and not the preservation of John Cena’s image, which, as stated, wouldn’t have been damaged. Daniel Bryan was overtly willing to put a new face over and fans still backed the ‘Yes’ man to go over in the Mania main event. It should have told Vince McMahon everything he needed to know. But once again, McMahon refused to listen to us and went with what he believed to be the correct course of action. It wasn’t.

Booked strongly in the run-up, Bray Wyatt would have been propelled into the stratosphere had he been allowed to pin John Cena cleanly in the middle of the ring without interference from Harper or Rowan. It was the right course of action but one WWE refused to believe in. WWE bleated on about having no new main event stars ready to step into the breach, yet they wouldn’t pull the trigger on Wyatt’s push when it mattered. Had WWE believed in Bray Wyatt enough to put him over John Cena, then this would have been the perfect beginning on which to build Wyatt’s future.

This didn’t happen, but it should have. Before the opening bell rang, with John Cena in the ring, the lights should have gone out on WrestleMania and Bray Wyatt, flanked by Harper and Rowan should have appeared on the titan tron with a promo similar to this:

“He’s got the whole world in his hands; he’s got the whole world, in his hands...isn’t that what they used to say about you John? And I say used to because when the curtain falls on your performance on the grandest stage of them all you will be left on your knees, empty handed. When everything you once loved has deserted you John, when the world you once carried on your shoulders is in pieces around your broken body, as you feel Sister Abigail’s kiss and you’re descending into the canvas for the final time only one thought will be running through your head, John. ‘It’s over!’ I am walking that aisle not for me but for every person sitting in that audience and watching at home that is sick and tired of you making a mockery of this industry. Tonight I fight a war which others have lost in the name of all those people who do not have a voice, for the children brainwashed by your promised, for those who choose to follow the buzzards I step up and lead our invasion on your Cenation. Oh John Cena, change is in the air but you were right about one thing. Your time is indeed now, to give back everything you took from this business, to send these people home happy and for once in your life do the right thing. There are no storylines to help you anymore John and as for Vince McMahon...well daddy isn’t here to protect you no more. John Cena, tremble in your sneakers, hug your Cenation and kiss everything you worked so hard for goodbye...we’re here!”

After that stunner, Bray Wyatt would have blown out his lantern and made his way to the ring. Even though the WWE booking committee weren’t clever enough to do this or even think of it in five minutes, which is how long it took me, that isn’t what annoys me the most. What really gets on my tits is the fact that the match wouldn’t even have had to be a gripping contest because for once it wasn’t the performance which mattered, it was the outcome. As mentioned, had John Cena sold for his life and put Bray Wyatt over in the middle of the ring, clean, he would have been credited for making a new star. Something John Cena has never done.

Though the finale to their Extreme Rules cage match was eerie and very well done as was their Payback 2014 Last Man Standing bout, it really wouldn’t have mattered had Bray Wyatt won both of those. Only the WrestleMania result mattered in this feud and WWE weren’t brave enough to pull that trigger. Shame on them! Had WWE been brave enough to put Bray Wyatt over John Cena at WrestleMania and Extreme Rules then Cena could have had his final victory at Payback without any trouble. Hell, WWE could have even made Cena’s Payback victory look like a complete fluke by having Bray Wyatt appear to have the Last Man Standing match won only for Chris Jericho’s music to hit, distracting Wyatt which would allow John Cena to AA his foe through the table for the victory. It would have made Bray Wyatt look ultra strong and eased him into his next feud with Chris Jericho. Though saying all that, maybe Bray Wyatt would have been in a position to lift the WWE World Heavyweight Championship at Money in the Bank had been placed in a strong position in his feud with John Cena, meaning there would have been no need for the feud with Jericho to transpire. Though because WWE needed to sell the network hard, I have a niggling feeling John Cena was always going to come out on top in the ladder spectacular.

Part of the reason Bray Wyatt is not in the position he should be in is because lack of courage from WWE. It needs to be sorted out pronto. Luckily for WWE, Bray Wyatt has enough of a connection with the fans to overcome his series with John Cena. Others won’t be so lucky.

Sister Abigail

Regular readers of this blog will have heard me say time and time again, that the key to unlocking The Wyatt Family and the potential they possess to rocket to the top of WWE could be introducing a new element into their act. Since their 2013 debut, Bray Wyatt, Luke Harper and Eric Rowan have been flying alone and even though their characters are somewhat creepy, though the fear factor has been diminished which you can read about below, no longer is it enough. WWE need to take the faction darker and with that could come a debut for Sister Abigail.

Sister Abigail hasn’t actually been pronounced dead or a fictional character yet, which means WWE could easily write her into storylines without much forewarning. At the end of Bray Wyatt’s feud with Chris Jericho would be the perfect moment for her to appear and in the weeks leading up to the debut WWE could begin airing vignettes of empty rocking chairs with a veil draped over the back amongst other things. The possibilities are endless. Bray Wyatt, Luke Harper and Eric Rowan could all act scared at the vignettes with the story being Sister Abigail has been watching from the shadows and she is not pleased at the lack of success the trio have been having. So she’s emerging from the shadows to lead them to glory.

Come the end of the Chris Jericho vs Bray Wyatt feud, the lights would go out in traditional Wyatt Family manner as maniacal laughing could be heard from backstage. The camera could cut to the top of the aisle where a mass of cockroaches would crawl out followed by a horror movie style distorted figure until Sister Abigail was unveiled. Her presence could unlock a nastier and more violent side to The Wyatt Family who would obliterate Chris Jericho and drag him to the locker room where his absence would be explained with the simple lie that he’s being held captive. Amongst other things, if Sister Abigail could unlock that side of The Wyatt Family, then the kidnap angle which is also mentioned elsewhere here could be green lit. There would be a reason behind the madness.

If WWE didn’t want to go down the route of a horror montage, thanks to the bloody PG rating on their product and the amount of children which attend pay-per view, television and house show events then the other avenue WWE could open up for her introduction would be for Bray Wyatt to come out on television and announce that Sister Abigail is amongst us and has been in the WWE midst for a while, biding her time. That way Paige could be unveiled as Sister Abigail somewhere down the line once her heel character has expired and there’s literally nowhere else her feud with A.J Lee can carry on under that guise. Because WWE have nothing else for her afterwards and A.J would have to move on, Paige could continue the war with A.J under the Sister Abigail name which would give it new life.

As everyone knows, NXT has a wealth of female talent who could play this part without a problem if WWE don’t want to put Paige in the role, which they should before she becomes just another face on the roster which she’s way too good for. I did voice my opinion that A.J could be considered for the role but upon reflection of her successful career and amount of time she’s been with the company, many would find it hard to believe that Sister Abigail has been here that long without revealing herself. Though A.J has the first letter in ‘A’ for Abigail which WWE could work into the story or unveiling.

In short, the appearance of Sister Abigail would be a great idea for WWE uptake even if the faction is due for a face turn. Right now, with The Wyatt Family, WWE need options even if they can’t take them all at once. At least there’d be a myriad of doors open to the company once whatever storyline The Wyatt Family were contesting was over and the group wouldn’t be treading water until the next light bulb went off in Titan Towers.

An Extended Family

From those I have talked to on Twitter, this next suggestion seems to be one of the most popular. With just Harper, Rowan and Bray Wyatt in the ranks, it would be a great idea for WWE to add to the number with wrestlers who fit the bill. Anyone who is anyone will know that recently, the company have signed Kevin Steen and should announce by the end of the year they have also acquired The Brisco Brothers from Ring of Honor. If you’ve seen these wrestlers then you’ll know they have the look of Wyatt Family members and they can wrestle with the best of them.

Should WWE decide to add members to Bray Wyatt’s following, I don’t expect any of them to achieve major success within the company. We all know Vince’s loathing for anyone who comes through the independent circuit and this suggestion will more than likely fall on deaf ears as WWE pushes Steen as a singles competitor who will only reach the mid-card before being cast adrift thanks to lack of interest. But surely its work thinking about. As with Sister Abigail, who could bring the new recruits with her under the guise of cousins, more members will open up avenues especially with Bray Wyatt pencilled in to battle Triple H at WrestleMania XXXI for control of the company which could or could not be scrapped if the company find something more pressing to book.

Triple H could gather a band of heels to battle the face Wyatt Family who would ideally have six men and one woman in their ranks. It would be a momentous storyline not just for Bray Wyatt but also any new NXT member the company were to add to his side. Something like this could shoot every member of the group into the stratosphere especially if Bray Wyatt gained control of the company and they won every Championship the company owned. This is especially important for Harper and Rowan who need championship gold to stop the rot of losses setting in under them.

I’m not quite sure what titles The Briscoe Brothers could hold as there aren’t that many in the company, but maybe WWE would be willing to add a six man tag title to their ranks, or on second thought, maybe that isn’t such a good idea. With Bray Wyatt the WWE World Heavyweight Champion, Kevin Steen Intercontinental Champion, Sister Abigail Divas Champion, Harper and Rowan Tag Team Champions and maybe The Briscoe Brothers sharing the United States Championship The Wyatt Family rule the WWE before some of them went their separate ways.

If WWE didn’t want to add those mentioned to The Wyatt Family ranks, then they could introduce them as a rival family or a family feud and have, as someone on Twitter called it, a ‘Hillbilly War’.

The Fear Factor

The final suggestion is maybe the most popular. WWE must restore the fear factor to The Wyatt Family regardless of whether the trio remain heel or turn face. What had made them so successful was that all three were so scary. The vignettes before their debut were unsettling as was their presence right up until the beginning of 2014. Bray Wyatt’s Buzzard Walk was horrifying the first time he brought it out and got a reaction every time he used it. Some of their promos were suitably dark; especially their Elimination Chamber effort and fans believed the trio could change the company.

And then look what happened. John Cena took some of that away when he fought all three them off after WrestleMania. They didn’t seem so frightening after that. WWE made them visit children’s charities and worse took pictures of them there which zapped their fear factor to zero. And then the biggest mistake which could have been made, the company included Bray Wyatt as a talking head on the Paul Heyman release. On that, Wyatt seemed normal and nice and not at all freaky like the character we’ve been buying into. I think you can agree, that was a ridiculous mistake to make.

Numerous times now I have mentioned the kidnap angle which WWE could have implemented by now, but won’t thanks to the hindrance which is the PG era. I don’t condone the usage of bloody for safety reasons but think how much more fearsome the trio would look if they left someone a bloody mess in the middle of the ring and then dragged them away without a word and you didn’t see them for months. This is what WWE have to do with Triple H should the power struggle storyline take place. As babyfaces, fans would love to see the smug Triple H, Vince McMahon and / or Stephanie McMahon abducted and held hostage. It would make headlines in some circles and the sight of Triple H, beaten, bruised and with a massive beard to make it seem as if he’s been in their trap for months would be massive.

You can bet fans would buy into the storyline hook, line and sinker and depending on whether The Wyatt Family are faces or heels depends on which route the company could take. This is a perfect plan, otherwise WWE have to come up with something great to restore the fear factor. Without it, The Wyatt Family are going to lose more ground and let’s be honest, much more and they won’t be able to regain it.

Onwards and upwards...