Has Bray Wyatt Peaked in the WWE?

Bray Wyatt is one of WWE’s most talented superstars, but for some reason he’s not moving up the ladder. Has he done all he will ever do in WWE?

For someone referred to as the “Eater of Worlds”, Bray Wyatt has been awfully hungry lately; hungry for a win. The leader of the dangerous, cultish Wyatt Family is undeniably one of the WWE’s best workers. He has unprecedented athletic ability for a big man, and phenomenal mic skills that captivate audiences, referred to as his “fireflies”. But there’s one thing Wyatt can’t do, apparently, and that’s win an important feud.

Much has been made about the unfocused manner in which Wyatt has been used creatively, but as he embarks on what is sure to be another losing battle at Survivor Series against the Undertaker and Kane, the question has to be asked whether he’s done all he will ever do in the WWE? Even with Seth Rollins’ injury shaking up long-term plans and leading to the current World Title tournament, Wyatt’s place has remained incredibly stable. To put it bluntly: there’s zero talk of Wyatt being anywhere near the championship or ANY championship, for that matter.

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In a way, Wyatt is the victim of his own success. Last year he basically carried the entire WrestleMania feud with the Undertaker by himself in a series of promos, since his opponent hardly ever appeared on TV. That got recognized backstage and now Wyatt is thrown wherever he seems to be needed. After a largely successful but underwhelming run against Ryback, Wyatt has again become the WWE’s resident deux ex machina. His “Anyone but you” rivalry against Roman Reigns came out of nowhere and never made any sense, but people will remember it because Wyatt lost in spectacular fashion despite reforming an all-new version of his “Family”.

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Heels lose; that’s part of what wrestling is all about, but the best heels can lose and still climb the ladder upward. Wyatt doesn’t seem to do that. He sticks on a lateral course, jumping from one losing rivalry to the next. When the character first debuted in WWE I noted to some of my friends and colleagues that Wyatt would never be WWE champion, no matter how good of a talker he was. The problem is limitations in the character; not necessarily because of limitations in Wyatt himself, but in WWE’s willingness to push the boundaries.

Wyatt’s character by nature is one that entices followers to go against societal norms; he wants his flock to stand opposed to pretty much everything that’s good and decent. Imagine Wyatt as WWE Champion, carrying around the company’s greatest symbol while basically spitting on everything it stands for. There’s great creative potential in that, but WWE would rather have a champion who is more easily marketable and to center storyline around. That said, Wyatt’s shaggy-bearded swamp rat look doesn’t help, either. These are all limitations the WWE has run across already, which is why the Wyatt Family unceremoniously split up the first time.

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So what can be done to fix this? It all starts with Survivor Series, which unfortunately is being billed as a celebration of the Undertaker’s 25 years in the WWE. Wyatt’s not coming out of that one unscathed; period. But perhaps the beating he took this past Monday on Raw indicates the WWE will protect him at the PPV. It would be a smart move, and after that maybe they can start looking at ways to put some gold around his waist. Wyatt could be an important piece in the WWE’s future, but not if they keep him running in place for too much longer.