The Wyatt Family vs. The Brothers of Destruction – Missing the Mark?

When Bray Wyatt and his flock surrounded the Undertaker and took him out at Hell in a Cell, Bray’s loss to Roman Reigns was forgotten in an instant. To see the Phenom’s lifeless body being carried out under the instructions of the Eater of Worlds was an iconic image that seemed to set the begging of a new rising for Bray Wyatt. When Demon Kane got taken out, as well, The New Face of Fear suddenly resurrected the legend of the Brothers of Destruction, only to destroy and devour it. The momentum was high and Bray’s gimmick seemed to quickly regain all the power it might have lost by failing his quest to destroy Reigns’ future.

Following the same line of thought, the seemingly supernatural segment where Bray Wyatt summoned the powers of Thunder and Lightning and the Forces of Darkness, was rather logical. The Eater of Worlds symbolically consumed the energy, carried by the names of Kane and Taker. His gimmick fed on the backlash of placing its hands on the history of these characters. The fame of the Brothers of Destruction got Bray Wyatt back on track faster than any other feud would have and the visual thunder and lightning only brought the story to life for dramatic effect. It seemed like the Eater of Worlds was about to open an isolated chapter of occult in the critical Reality Era. I found it fair that the legend of the Deadman would be sacrificed this one time for the sake of the man, who resurrected the Undertaker after the end of the Streak and offered himself as a sacrifice at the altar of the Phenom. The future could have held a reign of terror, led by Bray Wyatt. The Wyatt Family could have become the only supernatural entity in the WWE today and they would have become a force to be reckoned with. However, none of that happened.

As the Eater of Worlds kept talking about Kane and the Undertaker, it became clear that the Brothers of Destruction would rise again to silence him. Just a week after Bray’s ceremonial acquisition of power, The Deadman and the Demon resurged and rendered the entire Wyatt Family helpless, despite being two men down. This was a wrong move. It was way too soon and way too easy. What kind of a lasting momentum is built literally over a week? The WWE Universe was just starting to believe that Bray Wyatt had finally risen to a higher level; that his character had evolved. The WWE decided to destroy that momentum by exposing weakness in the Family. What credibility would four supposedly monstrous men have, if they get decimated by two (given legendary) superstars within seven days of getting a push? The Wyatt Family should have had a few-months-long run as a destructive force. They should have gained an unstoppable image and maybe a title or two. Only then, should have Kane and the Undertaker resurfaced. But not immediately, with a simple display of physical strength. No. The Brothers of Destruction should have been introduced slowly, through mind games. Bray’s power would start failing. He’d struggle to control the forces that had helped him become the New Face of Fear. He’d suspect, but he wouldn’t know. And then the true wielders of Thunder and Lighting would appear, culminating a months-long build-up into a full-fledged war between supernatural entities. Had the WWE had the patience to craft this rivalry, it could have been amazing. What we get instead is rather underwhelming.

The untimely reappearance of Taker and Kane delivered a blow to both the Wyatts and the Brothers of Destruction themselves. Two man had defeated the 4-man team of the Wyatt Family. Then the Usos almost defeated Harper and Rowan. Suddenly, Bray’s cult became very human. As much as I believe in humanizing characters to make them more relatable, it was the wrong time and the wrong move in general for the Wyatts. They are anything but normal. They are a living horror story and they should have been protected at this stage of their development. The Brothers of Destruction, squashing the Wyatts’ potential ascension in its early stages, diminished their own momentum because their foes didn’t look as much of a challenge. The idea that Taker and Kane need normal build-up, through defeating casual opponents, is extremely misguided. The Deadman didn’t have to purposelessly attack Barrett while he was complaining about Rooney. That segment was cringe-worthy. Barrett tried to save it and his promo was quite good, kudos for the confidence there, but the Undertaker looked out of place. He was very slow and anything but intimidating. He looked like a novelty act, thrown in for some cheap pops.

With both parties involved, stuck in hasty booking, the storyline is going nowhere. If the Wyatts win, it will have happened so quickly that it won’t have the same impact on the fans. It will look like just another short rivalry, thrown in for the odd legends’ match. If the Brothers of Destruction win, it will be yet another loss for Bray Wyatt. It is so unfair that he’s always put in rivalries he has no chance of winning. His ability to tell stories is being abused. The feud could have elevated Bray’s career massively. The return of Kane and Taker could have been phenomenal. The key to turning these “could- have-been”s and “should-have-beens” into reality was time. As Josh the Yeti would have said, this storyline needed to “marinate in sauce” before being rushed into action. The WWE missed the mark on a rivalry that was meant to be amazing.

 

What do you think? Comment below with your thoughts, opinions, feedback and anything else that was raised