#7 – Bray Wyatt
Bray Wyatt, or at least the current incarnation of his character, will thrive for as long as he can keep it fresh, and for as long as the WWE creative powers are willing to run with it. His is a strange gimmick. Some love it, others don't, but it attracts attention. The Wyatt Family, and Bray in particular, demand your attention every time they are on a screen. But again, the character is strange. It's outside the box; he's totally broken the mold in half, which can be a blessing and a curse at the same time.
Most of the successful main event Superstars end up falling in line with something "normal" – an exaggerated version of their own personalities. Outlandish gimmicks are great for introducing new stars, but in general they don't last. John Cena, CM Punk, The Rock, Steve Austin – even going back to the more ridiculous 1980s era of wrestling, Hulk Hogan was an extreme projection of his real-life self. There are exceptions. The Undertaker has been able to reinvent himself for three decades. Kane is a close second. Mick Foley probably realized the pitfall of weird gimmicks better than most, coming up with multiple personalities, despite only working for the WWE full-time for a few years.
They tried doing something "normal" with Windham Rotunda years ago; Husky Harris didn't amount to much. The Bray Wyatt character is leaps and bounds better. It's something they could bank on for years without changing much of anything, and fans would still be mesmerized by the Family's promos. But whether or not Bray rises to the main event, and becomes a long-time player in that picture will completely depend on how good he is at evolving subtly on what has made him successful. Eventually, they'll have to cut Luke Harper and Erick Rowan loose. Not from the company, but to do something different. They are vital to the faction's success at the moment, but Bray is the primary objective.
I like Bray Wyatt. I think he's among the best in the business today, in every regard. But he's low on this list because his future success relies completely on his ability to do what so many before him have failed to do.
