SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
The long-awaited return of the Bray-influenced Wyatt storyline occurred two weeks ago, with the newly-dubbed Wyatt Sicks leaving a path of destruction in their wake.
Fans groused about the usual problems that come with a story like this, self-setting expectations lower even as the actual angle was fantastically produced. We’ve been here before with Wyatt storylines: While specific scenes can be intriguing, they’ve often left a lack of satisfaction over the long-term.
The follow-up on Monday turned what we thought we knew about this storyline on its head. There was Bo Dallas, or whatever he will be called moving forward, out of the Uncle Howdy get-up (though, in pulling double-duty, also talking to Howdy) and speaking openly and honestly about the death of his brother, Bray Wyatt.
The open acknowledgment of Bray’s death was a surprise. While many expected this to be a “tribute” storyline, I’m not sure those people expected WWE to be so overt about Bray’s death. The other surprise was seeing Bray’s brother out of the makeup. The piece of this that Bray and the other minds that crafted his storylines never could quite figure out was how to make these characters translate to the ring.
If Bo Dallas is already appearing as himself, then he may not need to wrestle as the Uncle Howdy character. He could still be Bo Dallas between the ropes (which brings on an additional set of challenges since he never stood out on the main roster in the ring, and the workrate expectations have only risen since he last appeared), but Howdy could almost be his alter-ego.
A lot of the discussion after that first week revolved around the actual wrestling portion of this group. If the apparent leader can appear “out of character,” one would imagine the others could as well. Then there’s the Chad Gable of it all: Was it just happenstance that the Nikki Cross character appeared following Gable’s match, after Gable was the most damaged by the attack the previous week? Or is there something more to it?
We’re only two weeks into the Wyatt Sicks and yet WWE and the architects of this storyline have already given us a lot to consider – and to re-consider what we thought we knew. If the storyline keeps us on our toes, as it did this past Monday, it could be a more worthwhile ride than some expected.
OR CHECK THIS OUT AT PROWRESTLING.NET: Powell’s WWE Raw Hit List: The Miz and R-Truth vs. Finn Balor and JD McDonagh for the World Tag Titles, Bron Breakker vs. Ludwig Kaiser, Uncle Howdy/Bo Dallas, MITB qualifiers
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