While Extreme Rules was supposed to be the Bray Wyatt-themed WWE “Premium Live Event,” what with the months of build-up via the White Rabbit Project AR experience, the Royal Rumble served as a serious real coming out party for all things Windam6, as it not only featured the former Fiend's first televised match since returning to the company back in October – he technically wrestled four house show matches against Jinder Mahal in December – but it also featured his protege, Alexa Bliss, work a heel match against former friend Bianca Belair.
Dubbing herself “The Face of Evil,” Bliss attacked Belair with a glass vace, beat her up outside of the ring after getting DQ'd in her championship match on RAW, and cut a very fire and brimstone promo before the Royal Rumble to set the tone for what to expect at the first “Premium Live Event” of the 2023 calendar year.
One thing Bliss did not want to do, however, was allow Bray Wyatt, Uncle Howdy, or any member of the extended Wyatt-verse to get involved in her match, as she boldly declared that she didn't need anyone else to help secure the RAW Women's Championship, only herself. Unfortunately for Bliss, that didn't happen, as she was beaten cleanly in under 10 minutes by Belair and left in the ring to watch an Uncle Howdy video package effectively reminding her not to turn her back on the makeshift family that helped her out when she was down.
When asked if he had anything to do with the video package during his post-Rumble media session, Wyatt declined but stated that his relationship with Bliss will keep the duo connected forever.
“I think me and Alexa are just kind of connected forever, no matter what,” Wyatt said. “It’s just kind of the way it’s gone, and where it leads, I don’t know. No one knows, but I feel like there will be something at some point, and it will be memorable – I’m sure of that.”
Will Bliss accept that to go over Belair, she needs to embrace Wyatt and Howdy? Or will Bliss remain defiant and become a face once more committed to ridding WWE of their influence? Only time will tell, but as Wyatt said, it's hard to imagine one performer without the other.
Bray Wyatt is open to doing basically anything in WWE.
Elsewhere in his post-show media session, Wyatt was asked about his pension for exaggerated, expansive concepts and what extent he's willing to go in executing his vision. Though Wyatt admits there's a place in wrestling for all types of acts, he's personally willing to take risks and do “pretty much anything.”
“I think there’s some people that like new concepts, and people who take risks and things, and then there’s people that don’t just because they don’t,” Wyatt said via Wrestle Zone. “It’s a sport to some, and it’s a show to others. But I think the beautiful thing about wrestling and this industry is that there’s something for everyone. I’ve always kind of prided myself on the fact that I’ve been willing to take risks and do things that no one’s ever done.”
“Because in my opinion, if you’re not willing to do that, then what are you doing here? It’s about kind of leaving a legacy for me, and I’d do pretty much anything, especially if no one’s ever done it before because I’d know that people would notice it. It’s fun for me.”
One of the performers who had a similar pension for trying “out there” character ideas that may have been a tad goofy but became legendary was The Undertaker, the WWE Hall of Famer who turned the concept of being a living deadman into the most iconic act in professional wrestling history. After having a one-on-one with Taker at RAW XXX, Wyatt commented on how much that moment meant to him.
“It's the kinda thing that only I get to have, you know? It's something for me, it's something for my children to see down the line, you know? It's just like gratification. Something for all of your hard work and all of the years you've been compared to him even though you didn't ask for it. I think everyone in the world finally understands that I'm never going to be him. I never tried to be him. Why would anyone be him? He's the only Undertaker.”
Already being dubbed a “passing of the torch” by fans and pundits alike, Wyatt doesn't know how it will be viewed over the course of professional wrestling history, but to be totally honest, he doesn't seem to care all that much.
“It's a powerful moment, man,” Wyatt added. “However it lives on in wrestling history, I don't care, because it was for me.”
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