Folks, Bray Wyatt and Uncle Howdy are two different people, and they might not even like each other. Crazy right? How did the WWE Universe even get here? Well, it all started just after 8 pm, where, after going absolutely berzerk on a cameraman on the previous edition of SmackDown, Bray Wyatt got on the mic for the final televised episode of WWE television of the 2022 calendar year to apologize to the bereaved party and anyone else he may have offended by his actions.

“Hello, my name is Bray Wyatt, and honestly, deep down, I don't think of myself as a good person, though I do try really hard, man” Wyatt said. “But when I look back at all the horrible things I've had to do to get where I am today man, honestly, i don't regret much. However, last week I did do something that I do regret and I wanted to apologize here in all honesty. I attacked a cameraman in cold blood, and and he didn't deserve that, man, he didn't deserve it, and if he's watching this, I want you to know-”

Before Wyatt could continue on and actually say the magic words – I'm sorry – the third-generation performer had his speech halted by the music and mic work of none other than LA Knight, who remains displeased by his interactions with the “Eater of Worlds.”

“Yeah, let me talk to ya. I want to apologize to the cameraman, you've got to be kidding me,” Knight said. “The master of the mind games, Bray Wyatt, getting games by the man they call the megastar, LA Knight. What happened to you, may? You can't even keep your composure out here, man. You can't even finish a sentence without getting embarrassed, and you take it out on a poor cameraman. Wrong place, wrong time for him, I guess.”

“But I ain't concerned with that. What I am concerned about is you paying one of your goons to come down here in your Captain Howdy outfit. You think that takes the heat off of you, right? Na na! You're still the responsible party, and it's time to pay the check. But here this; you know, you used to be something. You used to be a force. You used to be something but week after week, all you've proven to be is a fraud, a broke-down loser. But I've got the medicine – the Royal Rumble is coming down the pike, it's going to be my first. And by god I want to make it a special one. The way I'm gonna do that is by taking you and putting you out of our misery when I break your a– like dishes.”

Bray Wyatt is done playing nice in WWE.

This, apparently, was the last straw for Wyatt, whose typically jolly – think a Santa Claus movie directed by Rob Zombie – demeanor turned sinister on the spot.

“You little idiot,” Wyatt responded. “Who the h*ll do you think you're talking to, son? You know, I've been really patient this whole time because I knew in the back of my head that I could finish this whenever I wanted to, you understand me? So, I think you're right – maybe it's time for me to prove to you and the rest of the world just how cruel I can be when I feel like it. So, we talking Royal Rumble, yeah? I accept.”

RECOMMENDED (Article Continues Below)
Matt Hardy with a text bubble reading "Okay, here's the deal" next to Uncle Howdy with the WWE logo as the background.

Matty Breisch ¡

Cody Rhodes with a text bubble reading " Well Rock, you don't have to look very far" next to The Rock with the WrestleMania 40 logo as the background.

Matty Breisch ¡

LA Knight looking at AJ Styles with a versus symbol between them and the WrestleMania 40 logo as the background.

Matty Breisch ¡

Folks, there you go; the Mountain Dew Pitch Black match has found its participants. Had this been the end of the segment, it still would have drawn plenty of interactions from across the wrestling industry but unfortunately for Knight, Paul “Triple H” Levesque had a bit more in store for his “Mega Star.”

After a brief video package setting up the arrival of Uncle Howdy, the masked man emerged from the back, walked down to the ring to his new theme song, placed his top hat on the apron, and slowly but surely entered the ring. He looked down Knight, looked down Wyatt, and then stood next to his nephew(?)… at least until he hit him with a Sister Abigail and dropped him to the floor, where he remained until the show cut to commercial. So what gives? Is Howdy, who may or may not be played by Bo Dallas, actually a foe of Wyatt's? Is he willing to fight against the third-generation star if Wyatt doesn't follow orders, or is this all some mind game from Howdy to ease Knight into a stupified state? Based on his comments at the end of the segment, with Knight asking, “what the h*ll just happened?” it's safe to say that the latter part has already been accomplished.