At WWE SummerSlam 2019 – we saw the return of what may be the strongest and most in-depth character in WWE already – “The Fiend” Bray Wyatt. In a time of fantastic in-ring workers coming up left and right, what WWE has seemingly lost sight of are those larger-than-life figures that dominated wrestling up until this past decade.
Some have cited that as being a result of WWE’s change in approach and for many fans, WWE has intentionally not created a megastar since John Cena since their new mentality is that they want the brand to be the star and the attraction – an approach that UFC has similarly tried to take when they couldn’t rely on regular draws like Conor McGregor.
Whichever you agree with, the fact of the matter is still that WWE has lacked these incredible characters for years now and it is a very clear hole that is seen in regular programming. The only superstars who feel larger-than-life are the part-time ones, but as we’ve come to find out, it’s better off for WWE not to rely on them so frequently.
However, ever since the rise of NXT, there has been a very large focus on the in-ring product and the quality of it. There’s absolutely no denying that as of today, WWE still probably has its best roster in history from an in-ring workers’ standpoint. The quality of what goes on inside the ring has improved so much that even regular, old-school type of matches don’t seem to cut it anymore.
However, what we’ve also known for many years is that a hot crowd can make a match – even if it is a very average match to look at. But what is it that gets the crowd hot and makes them react to a match that isn’t technically as sound or doesn’t have the same number of high-flying spots?
Simply put – the answer to that is a story that they’re invested in. When there are two major characters in the ring and it has a story that people are involved in, it’s a natural formula for success. Taking another example from the most recent edition of SummerSlam is the Kevin Owens vs Shane McMahon match.
If you take away the crowd and the “Kevin Owens has to quit if he loses” story to it, you’ll likely view the match as nothing more than average. However, given the stipulation and the fact that Owens is from Canada means that they had a hot crowd to pull them through the match and make it a really good one.
However, the main example is the Bray Wyatt return. The circumstances around his return resulted in a lot of hype. It had been a full year that fans had waited to see Bray Wyatt return to the ring. He had quietly gone off television and that break was the best thing to happen to him as he returned with an entirely new character and gimmick.
A much more frightening one, he became “The Fiend” and started displaying strokes of genius at every given opportunity he had. Fans were genuinely invested in the character because they could see that there’s much more than what meets the eye. His big test was the PPV match and his exciting debut displayed why fans didn’t actually care how things happened in the match – just the way it transpired to further the story.
It was a three-minute match where Wyatt was mostly doing the squashing. Even after he left, it was followed by “that was awesome” chants – something that’s rarely ever heard today. A few fans even took a look at old clips of Wyatt talking where he teased The Fiend and the other side of the character – showing that it’s an idea that he’s had in his mind for years. There is so much to the character and that’s why fans get so easily invested in him.
He should be the leading example for WWE to look at as to why they need to start emphasizing more on character work of superstars. While it’s great to have in-ring talent, fans will always be bigger suckers for a good story and characters rather than just high spots. This is something that needs to be implemented in the long run.
