Man, I need to figure out where to start with this column. Ok, here. Every time I have ever watched Bray Wyatt over the past ten years, I found myself sitting in front of my television—yeah, I STILL watch TV on the TV, I’m old school like that—muttering to myself, “Man . . . I WISH I could have written for that guy.”
Why? It’s really simple; a talent like Bray Wyatt comes around once every 25 years. Yeah, that’s right, I said TWENTY-FIVE. Not five, not ten, TWENTY-FIVE. And, screw even the twenty-five; Bray Wyatt is a ONE-IN-A-MILLION. Talent like him just doesn’t come around that often, ESPECIALLY in the wrestling business.
With all that being said, the question is: “WHAT’S THE PROBLEM WITH BRAY WYATT?” How can one human being, with so much GOD GIVEN TALENT, start and stammer over a ten-year period, never once even coming close to his full potential? How is this HUMANLY POSSIBLE?
From the Head of the “Wyatt Clan” to the “Fun House,” the “Fiend,” “Uncle Howdy,” all the changes, the transformations, the association with Alex Bliss, why have the last TEN YEARS been one Gargantuan FAIL? What isn’t Bray Wyatt GETTING? What doesn’t he UNDERSTAND? Why can’t he get over to the level of an Undertaker, the one character that he is most compared to? Why does every reincarnation KEEP FALLING SHORT? What is BRAY WYATT DOING WRONG?!!!
The Answer? NOTHING. Bray Wyatt is doing NOTHING WRONG. ABSOLUTELY NOTHING. Well, if it’s not Bray, then WHO IS IT? I’m GLAD you asked. It’s ironic, over the years, so many of my adversaries, who have made a career out of not giving me ANY credit for the “Attitude Era,” love to say, “Well, Vince, the success of the Attitude Era was all based on the ROSTER. Look at the ROSTER you had.
You know what? They’re absolutely right—arguably the greatest roster in the history of the business—which much credit going to Jim Ross. Now, I can sit here and name every one of them, but you know who they are—all Superstars . . . TRUE Superstars.
But guess what. SOMEBODY had to WRITE for those Superstars. Somebody had to give them MATERIAL every week. Somebody had to keep raising their bar, making them greater and greater every week. One flaw, one slip-up, and they come down a notch. And, then, another. And, another. And, if they drop enough notches . . . they become just another wrestler on the card.
As the Head Writer of the “Attitude Era,” I had to write UP to that Great Talent. I had to write to their level and even BEYOND it. I couldn’t allow “The Rock,” or Austin, or “DX” to have a “bad week,” nor could they. Each week their segment had to be better than the week before—that was the ongoing challenge. I was never going to allow myself to fail them—they had all worked so hard.
This brings us back to Bray Wyatt. Bray Wyatt is not Bray Wyatt’s problem; the problem lies with those who are being paid and paid well, I might add, to provide the material every week to exceed, or at least match, the level of greatness of Bray Wyatt. From DAY ONE, the writers have yet to have the TALENT, or the ABILITY, to write up to Bray Wyatt’s level. They don’t have the UNDERSTANDING to match his genius. Thus, when they provide him with the material he depends on from them . . . they take him down a notch. And, another. And, another. Suddenly, Bray Wyatt is just another wrestler on the card.
At this point in his career, Bray SHOULD BE at The Undertaker level. There is absolutely no doubt about that. As a performer, wrestler, and entertainer, he is every bit as good as Taker was, maybe even BETTER. He is z genius with a vision, a vision that those who are being paid to support him . . . don’t understand.
Bottom line . . . Bray Wyatt is just at a whole other level; a level that can’t be matched within the constraints of the wrestling business . . . and those working in it.
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