Why WWE Released Bray Wyatt (& What Comes Next?)
WWE has officially announced the release of Bray Wyatt, otherwise known as The Fiend. But why let such a talent go, and what comes next?
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Why on Earth would WWE release Bray Wyatt, and what might the future hold for the artist formerly known as The Fiend? Over the past 16 months, “WWE” and “release” have combined to make a formidable, if not entirely welcome, tag team. When AEW first emerged as competition to Vince McMahon’s house of harm in 2019, WWE’s policy was clear – tie down existing employees to big contracts, and recruit fresh blood from the wider world of wrestling. Beginning April 2020, however, WWE began releasing wrestlers (and backstage employees) with alarming regularity. Past victims include Rusev (now Miro), Braun Strowman, Gallows & Anderson, The IIconics, Aleister Black (now Malakai Black), Mickie James, and Deonna Purrazzo. So erratic is the current WWE landscape, several talents (Zelina Vega and Samoa Joe) have been let go and rehired within months.
But WWE’s latest release is by far the most shocking. Bray Wyatt debuted on Raw’s main roster in 2013, immediately making a splash as the creepy cult leader of the Wyatt Family before finally landing a world championship in 2017. Wyatt would reinvent himself as children’s TV presenter/dimension-hopping murderer The Fiend in 2019, scooping another pair of major title wins and renewing his popularity. Wyatt’s last match saw him lose to Randy Orton at Wrestlemania 37, and his final WWE appearance came the following night on Raw during a “Firefly Funhouse” segment. A 4-month hiatus later, Wyatt is officially out of the promotion.
According to the Wrestling Observer’s Dave Meltzer, the company line on Wyatt is identical to many other 2021 releases – budget cuts. Triple H claimed previously that COVID-19 is forcing every business, WWE included, to tighten their belts, and as a three-time world champion and star attraction, one would imagine Wyatt’s contract would be fairly lucrative. But while sparing dollars is the official reason, it’s worth noting that WWE recorded record profits for 2020. Wyatt was also a strong merchandise-shifter, triggering speculation that “budget cuts” may not tell the whole story.
Though Bray Wyatt is the most high-profile WWE release over the past 16 months, he, like every other departure, has always remained on the periphery of Vince McMahon’s good graces. However popular they became and whatever achievements they might’ve had, Rusev, Aleister Black, Samoa Joe, The IIconics, and even Braun Strowman all hit ceilings in WWE, enduring periods where company faith had obviously been lost. Though he might’ve been a regular pay-per-view main event name, WWE happily fed Wyatt to John Cena, Randy Orton, The Undertaker and, worst of all, a well-past-his-prime Goldberg, while The Rock embarrassed the entire Wyatt Family stable at Wrestlemania 32. Even with The Fiend, WWE made numerous baffling creative missteps, the infamous Hell in a Cell match with Seth Rollins chief among them. “Budget cuts” may be why WWE is currently releasing staff en masse, but the reason for axing Bray Wyatt specifically is more likely WWE’s continued lack of understanding as to how the character should be used, and the company’s evident perception that Wyatt is not among its top stars
With so many exits across the entire promotion, many are suggesting that Vince McMahon could be preparing to sell WWE – stripping the business back to make it more attractive for potential buyers (kind of like removing your own furniture when trying to sell a house). Though only a rumor for now, releasing big names such as Bray Wyatt is sure to intensify that theory.
Wyatt will almost certainly be subject to WWE’s standard 90-day no compete clause, but is already teasing the “Kult of Windham” under his real name, Windham Rotunda. While this could be a new wrestling gimmick, it’s easy to imagine the former Bray Wyatt evolving into his own multimedia horror brand, encompassing social media, short films and wrestling appearances, and affording total freedom over the development of his next character. Of course, AEW is social media’s favorite option, and despite being both predictable and obvious, it’s predictable and obvious for a reason. AEW has been sponging up ex-WWE talent for fun, and Tony Khan would be remiss not to at least consider Bray Wyatt as an addition.
Link Source : https://screenrant.com/wwe-bray-wyatt-fiend-release-reason-future-explained/