The story arc of Bray Wyatt has made for intriguing television over the past few weeks, stemming from his Extreme Rules comeback. Friday Night SmackDown’s October 28 broadcast, for example, featured the former Fiend interrupted by Uncle Howdy, a mysterious figure who has some uncanny resemblances to Wyatt’s uncle Barry Windham.
More recently, on the blue brand’s Crown Jewel go-home episode on November 4, Bray Wyatt got into it with an apparent backstage employee. The employee told Bray to relax, resulting in the two-time Universal Champion threatening to smash their head against a wall.
A mysterious woman’s face was also shown briefly, causing speculation on social media as to who, exactly, is behind the identity. Alexa Bliss and Liv Morgan have both been rumoured to be aligned with Bray Wyatt following his return but instead, it’s merely from a stock video. The clip, available to download from Storyblocks, was shot by Sergey Gribanov.
A quick glance shows that this particular actress has actually been in a number of promotional material for Bray Wyatt, also available for download on Gribanov’s Storyblocks account.
Did that just happen?#SmackDownpic.twitter.com/FmiyMoXnVN
— WWE (@WWE) November 5, 2022
WWE Management Is High On Bray Wyatt
Bray Wyatt’s Extreme Rules return on October 8 was met with a monumental ovation, marking Wyatt’s first appearance since the post-WrestleMania 37 Monday Night Raw. His comeback was the focal point of the social media campaign known as the White Rabbit Project, a series of social media posts hinting that something was coming to WWE.
The success of this project was heavily touted by WWE Chairwoman and co-CEO Stephanie McMahon and WWE Chief Content Officer Paul ‘Triple H’ Levesque during WWE’s recent Q3 earnings call. In particular, McMahon noted how beneficial the campaign had been for WWE’s television ratings:
“As a backdrop to the strong financial performance for the quarter, the renewed energy around our creative has boosted viewership across platforms. In a world of declining television ratings, WWE is growing. Just before the close of Q3, the September 23 episode of SmackDown saw its biggest audience since 2020.
That rating, in particular, is directly attributable to a first-of-its-kind multimedia campaign called the ‘White Rabbit Project,’ which was designed to engage and intrigue viewers through a series of clues and cues, using a myriad of platforms and technology. One of which led to SmackDown on September 23 as a destination.”
Bray Wyatt is next scheduled to appear at WWE Crown Jewel on November 5.