At Extreme Rules 2022 Bray Wyatt slowly walked back onto a WWE stage while being greeted as a returning hero as he did so. Since then his popularity has continued to rise, despite not having a match. Instead, a series of promos and vignettes have set the scene for the next phase of his career.
Although Wyatt has always been popular with fans, some became frustrated with the way he was booked by WWE, with the star losing the majority of his major feuds. In more recent years his presentation as The Fiend lost it’s spark relatively quickly as his matches were forced to become extremely formulaic.
Why Did WWE Fire Bray Wyatt?
On July 31st 2021 Bray Wyatt was released by WWE to the shock and amazement of fans and figures within the industry. Wyatt hadn’t appeared on WWE television since the night after WrestleMania 37, having being defeated by Randy Orton at the spectacular. The feud with Orton drew heavy criticism across the board, and The Viper has since admitted that many aspects of the program were “rough.”
At the time of his departure there were numerous theories as to why the star had been let go. There were suggestions that he wasn’t medically cleared, while there was also talk of mental health issues, although this was later disproven.
However, the clearest indication of what led to his exit was a report which claimed he clashed with then Chairman Vince McMahon. It was reported that McMahon simply “didn’t like” Bray Watt who was known to be outspoken over poor creative. Wyatt was also said to be highly critical of his storyline with Randy Orton which lacked direction and saw the finish to their match at WrestleMania changed right before the event.
After Vince McMahon left WWE in July 2022, it was noted that a return for the star instantly became more likely, and so it proved just three months later.
Bray Wyatt had originally signed with WWE back in 2009, debuting on the main roster as Husky Harris the following year. However, it wasn’t until a stint in NXT in 2012 that Wyatt emerged as his most famous character.
Over the course of his first stint with the company the star became a three-time World Champion and two-time tag team champion, as well as feuding with the likes of The Undertaker, John Cena and Daniel Bryan.