Bray Wyatt will be in action at the Royal Rumble when he takes on LA Knight in WWE’s first-ever Pitch Black Match.
The bout will be Wyatt’s first televised match since he returned to the company in October 2022 following his release back in July 2021. At the time of his exit, Wyatt had been performing as his polarising ‘Fiend’ character. However, since returning Wyatt’s character has shifted again, moving away from all of his previous gimmicks. Although there have been occasional teases on television that they remain part of him.
The third-generation star first made a real impression on WWE audiences when he dropped his ‘Husky Harris’ name and became Bray Wyatt. During this run, he starred as a cult leader-type figure, flanked by the Wyatt Family, made up of Luke Harper (Brodie Lee) and Erick Rowan. This persona continued to evolve and eventually gave way to his run as ‘The Fiend’ years many years later.
Bray Wyatt States Previous Gimmicks Won’t Return
Speaking during a new interview with Ryan Satin on the Out of Character podcast, Wyatt said that neither “cult-Bray” or “The Fiend.” will be returning. The former World Champion stated that it would be disrespectful to bring back his initial gimmick without his late friend Brodie Lee.
“For me, the Hawaiian shirt, cult Bray, he can’t be without Brodie [Lee], to me, you know? So I can’t be that without Brodie. It’s just not the same. It’s disrespectful to my best friend. It just can’t be without him but, The Fiend died that day in Tampa, Florida at WrestleMania to me, you know? And again, The Fiend is not just a goof in a mask like people think. That’s just ridiculous (Wyatt laughed).
To me, it’s so much more and what you see, where all these things come from, you know, or how they sculpt me or how they molded me as a human being. But he died that day to me and it could never be again. It’s gone.”
Jon Huber, better known to wrestling fans as Brodie Lee, sadly passed away in December 2020. Bray Wyatt paid tribute to Lee during his match at WrestleMania 37 and has sprinkled in further tributes since returning to the company.
H/t to POST Wrestling