Backstage News On Potential Bray Wyatt WWE Return Now That Triple H Is In Charge Of Creative
2021 was a change-filled year for the WWE, with the company releasing over 80 talents from its roster. Superstars on that ignominious list included Samoa Joe, Braun Strowman, Malaki Black, and Andrade El Idolo, but there was no more puzzling name among them than Bray Wyatt.
The three-time WWE world champion was let go in July 2021, with the company sending out a short memo on their social media wishing him the best "in all his future endeavors." Unfortunately for his fans, however, there haven't been any future endeavors to speak of. Wyatt has been laying low since his release, having yet to make an appearance for any wrestling promotion in any capacity. He has, however, done a great job of teasing fans about his next step along the way, even cryptically suggesting that a return to WWE could ultimately be his landing spot. The most recent example of this saw Wyatt send out a tweet referencing several WWE legends, including The Rock, Ric Flair and the Undertaker.
With Paul "Triple H" Levesque now taking over as the head of WWE creative following the recent downfall of Vince McMahon, the prospect of Wyatt returning to WWE seems even more likely. Triple H has made it his mission to bring back several talents Vince McMahon let go, particularly those who came up through "NXT," with Dakota Kai, IYO SKY (formerly Io Shirai), Karrion Kross, Scarlett Bordeaux, and Dexter Lumis being the first to come back. All of them are former "NXT" wrestlers, and so is Wyatt.
Vince McMahon had numerous issues with the 'difficult to deal with' Wyatt
According to Fightful Select, McMahon's retirement was a "good sign" when it came to fixing the relationship between Wyatt and WWE. One talent told Fightful that they could tell McMahon was "done" with Wyatt and didn't like him personally — McMahon would reportedly often shout derogatory things about Wyatt's physique, apparently in response to Wyatt being unafraid to criticize the creative plans involving his storylines and characters.
Fightful's report also states that a higher-up in WWE told them that Wyatt would fit better in today's landscape with the company. "When things were s***, Wyatt would say they were s***, and Vince saw that as difficult to deal with," the source said.
One of the major disagreements in the McMahon-Wyatt relationship happened at WrestleMania 37, when Wyatt's "The Fiend" persona faced Randy Orton. One person who worked on the match and storyline stated that "no one at any point among the journey had a f***ing clue as to what the f*** was supposed to happen," with that same person confirming there was no long-term plan for the story's resolution, which frustrated Wyatt. The feud with Orton was the last storyline Wyatt performed before his release.
Could this new WWE front office make a Wyatt return more likely?
Whether or not Triple H's new role as head of creative for WWE impacts the chances of Wyatt's return remains unclear, but the relationship between the two is explained by Fightful as "a clean slate." It's been stated that Triple H will do whatever it takes to see the WWE product thrive, and many believe he's willing to throw any issues with talent held by McMahon out the window to do so. The Fightful report also mentions that The Game being in control of creative "renews optimism" for wrestlers ho had been booked poorly in the past by WWE, or by Triple H himself, given that he won't have McMahon looking over his shoulder in the future.
Impact Wrestling has also shown interest in Wyatt in the past, but according to Fightful, that deal won't be happening. Wyatt has reportedly not ruled out a return to WWE since being released, and Fightful says his name has been pitched for a return. The report is quick to note that there are no guarantees — many names have supposedly been pitched in creative meetings since McMahon retired. But evidence is mounting to indicate that the WWE Universe might once again find itself in the Firefly Fun House, and many fans will be more than ready to follow the buzzards.