Bray Wyatt is rumoured to be coming back to WWE after over a year out of wrestling. The former WWE Champion has been sorely missed, with WWE lacking main event talent to carry the company while Roman Reigns cannot be bothered to wrestling outside of the biggest shows of the year.
However, Bray Wyatt’s last match in WWE was somewhat of a disappointment and may have ruined the mystique and aura of the formidable Fiend character forever, so we could see a new character completely if Bray Wyatt does return to WWE some time in the near future.
Bray Wyatt’s Last Match
Bray Wyatt’s last match in WWE was against Randy Orton at Wrestlemania 37. The match came at the climax of a long and bloody feud between the former partners, attempting to make good on their disastrous WWE Championship match at Wrestlemania 33.
Their rivalry lasted months and saw some of the most ridiculous supernatural moments WWE has ever seen. Teleportation, hypnosis, projectile black gunk vomit, fireballs, and various other magical elements were used to build up their bout, with WWE making use of the lack of crowds for some interesting ideas that would have never worked in front of a sold-out audience.
The most memorable part of that feud was when Randy Orton lit Bray Wyatt, as his menacing alter ego The Fiend, on fire in the middle of the ring. This was horrifying and something not seen since Kane set Jim Ross alight backstage 20 years prior. However, when Orton lit up Bray Wyatt it was much was terrifying and brutal looking, adding stakes to the match that we’ve never seen before.
The rivalry also saw Alexa Bliss turn into The Fiend’s own demonic princess who made Orton’s life a living hell, as Wyatt recovered from his burns. She even wrestled Randy Orton at Fastlane 2021 and defeated the 14 time world champion, thanks to interference form a returning, heavily charred Fiend.
This would all lead to Bray Wyatt’s final WWE match at Wrestlemania 37. Bray Wyatt vs Randy Orton opened the show, with The Fiend taking centre stage. He was revealed to be healed from his almighty burns, entering from what Michael Cole called a “Box-like Structure” – in actual fact, it was a giant Jack-in-the-Box that Alexa Bliss opened for him, just outside the ring.
However, as nobody at all expected, Wyatt would be defeated in his last outing by a single RKO from Randy Orton. He was distracted by Alexa Bliss, who rose from the box on stage to reveal a new all-black ensemble, couples with black goo dripping from her face.
This caused The Fiend to lose all the invincibility powers he had built up and succumbed to an RKO (outta nowhere) from Orton, who pinned him for the victory in a short match that should have been so much more. Considering at Hell in a Cell the year prior, The Fiend had kicked out of 11 of Seth Rollins’ Curb Stomps with ease, it seemed a little silly he would be defeated in this fashion.
Bray Wyatt would not be seen in WWE after this match. He took some time off at Wrestlemania 37 for reasons not revealed to the public. Some claim it was due to his sadness at the death of former Wyatt Family member Brodie Lee. Others have speculated injury or mental health issue could be to blame for his absence.
They were never revealed, but his contract would soon be terminated by WWE in one of the most shocking WWE releases in the past decade. Wyatt was released by WWE on July 31, 2021 as part of a larger group of releases, allegedly due to “budget cuts” in a record year for profits for WWE.
Wyatt was one of the highest merch sellers in WWE, so it was a huge shock when he was let go by the company. He was also one of the highest earners in the company, sitting just below Roman Reigns in the amount of wages he was earning yearly. While salaries in WWE are not released, it can be assumed he was earning upwards of $1 million per year to wrestle in WWE, if not multiple millions.
He is expected to return to WWE soon, with the company releasing multiple “White Rabbit” teases hinting at him coming back to the company. He is currently the biggest name not currently signed to any company and would be a fantastic shot in the arm for a tired and boring main event scene in WWE.
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