Bray Wyatt’s First WWE Match Took Place A Decade Ago

Hamish Woodward

Bray Wyatt First Match

Bray Wyatt made his WWE debut almost a decade ago now, although the date of his first match is one that is slightly more complicated than you’d expect.

Keep reading to find out the truth behind Bray Wyatt’s WWE debut and the story behind his first match in WWE.

Bray Wyatt’s First Match

Bray Wyatt’s first WWE match was against Kane in a Ring of Fire match at Summerslam 2013.

The match came about after weeks of Bray Wyatt and the Wyatt Family (Erick Rowan and Luke Harper) attacking various WWE Superstars, culminating in them targeting the Big Red Machine.

They wrestled in the opening match at Summerslam in a match type that has not been used before or since.

The Ring of Fire match differed from the Inferno match that Kane and Undertaker made famous, being that the fire was used to stop the wrestlers from leaving the ring, rather than as a tool to burn your opponent alive with.

Whilst Wyatt had many numerous appearances in WWE since his vignettes started airing in May 2013, this was his first match on the WWE main roster.

He defeated Kane after Erick Rowan and Luke Harper smothered the fire with a fire blanket and entered the ring, attacking Kane.

Wyatt hit Kane with his finisher, an STO named Sister Abigail and pinned the now-Hall of Famer to pick up his first win in WWE.

After the match, the family carried Kane to the back as Wyatt laughed maniacally. He would not appear for another two months when he would return to Hell in a Cell and join The Authority, turning heel.

However, whilst most WWE fans will recall that match as Bray Wyatt’s first match, he also wrestled in developmental prior to his debut at Summerslam. Before it became it’s own network TV show, NXT was the home for the Wyatt Family…

He Wrestled in NXT Before His Main Roster Debut

Bray Wyatt built his character up in NXT before he made his main roster debut in WWE.

However, this was before NXT became the huge show that it was and was a little-watched show that helped build the WWE stars of the future, like Seth Rollins and Jinder Mahal.

He also wrestled in the promotion that preceded NXT. He was a part of Florida Championship Wrestling (FCW) where he first debuted as Bray Wyatt.

His first match was on the February 22nd, 2012 at an FCW Live event. He wrestled Taishi Takizawa, who was then known as Jiro, whom he defeated in his debut match.

Footage of that match was available on Youtube but has since been deleted. Not much is known about the bout, other than the fact that Bray Wyatt cut a promo before the match, introducing his new character to the fans in Florida.

However, whilst that was Bray Wyatt’s debut match in WWE, he wrestled in the company prior to that. He even wrestled on the main roster years prior to his stint as Bray Wyatt in a character that many do not remember and all in WWE would rather forget.

Before He Was Bray Wyatt, He Was Known As Husky Harris

Bray Wyatt first wrestled in WWE as Husky Harris, the man known as “The Army Tank With The Ferrari Engine”. It was a complete change from his later character, being a more grounded and realistic wrestling persona.

Husky Harris was just a generic southern wrestler, a hoss-type who used his power and weight to his advantage. He never really got a chance on the microphone, something that would later on help him stand out from the rest of the crowd due to how good he is in controlling the crowd with his voice.

Husky Harris debuted on WWE TV on the second series of the NXT TV series. This version of NXT was different to the current show and was more of a game show-style program as opposed to the wrestling focused current product.

He was a “rookie” on the show, and each rookie was accompanied by a “pro” to help guide them through the world of WWE. Husky Harris was paired with Cody Rhodes on the show, with the American Nightmare having been with the WWE for a number of years prior to the season.

The pair would wrestle together on NXT, in Husky Harris’ first match in WWE. He and Cody Rhodes teamed up in tag team action, where they took on the duo of MVP & “Showtime” Percy Watson.

However, their first match together as a team did not end well, as they were beaten when Watson pinned Harris after a float-over DDT.

Husky Harris would later go on to join both The Nexus and the New Nexus, led by CM Punk. However, he would soon succumb to injury and be put on the side-lines for many months.

When he finally returned, it would be as the Bray Wyatt character, with which he enjoyed great success and became a multiple time world champion in the WWE.

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