5 Potential reasons why Bray Wyatt chose WWE over AEW for his wrestling return
Bray Wyatt made his long-awaited return to WWE last Saturday at the Extreme Rules 2022 PLE.
The former Universal Champion shocked the world as he appeared to close the show along with all the Firefly Funhouse characters. Whether he has a new gimmick or the same is yet to be seen, but everyone is excited to see him again in WWE.
Wyatt was released by WWE in July last year, which came as a shock to all the fans. After that, there was a lot of uncertainty about where he will be heading next. A lot of fans were expecting to see him in AEW and some in IMPACT Wrestling.
There were reports that AEW had reached out to Bray Wyatt to sign him. Reports suggested that they were so close to signing him that even date was fixed for the debut. But the talks fizzled out. It was also reported that other promotions were also interested in signing Wyatt. But all the rumors came to an end last Saturday.
Now, many fans are left wondering as to why Wyatt would go back to WWE once they released him. There are plenty of reasons for Bray to choose WWE instead of AEW. Here, we will discuss five potential reasons why Bray Wyatt chose WWE over AEW for his return:
#5. WWE offered him a bigger paycheck
One of the obvious reasons is money. Almost all the wrestlers are in this business because they love what they're doing. They are passionate about wrestling. But every wrestler wants to get paid as per their worth. They would naturally go to a company that pays them more so they can secure their future.
The same could be possible in the case of Bray Wyatt as well. He knows his worth and would not accept to be underpaid. Maybe it's not that AEW didn't offer him what he was worth, but that WWE offered him a lot more. If that is the case, one cannot blame Wyatt for caring about his future.
#4. Backstage problems in AEW
AEW seems to have never-ending problems going on for a few months now. There has been chaos of all types, including backstage brawls, public call-outs, and suspensions.
One of the biggest problems going on in AEW is the backstage heat between the Elite and CM Punk. Sammy Guevara has also had issues with Eddie Kingston and now Andrade.
Looking at things like this going on in the company, any wrestler would think a hundred times before signing with them. Nobody wants a toxic environment in their workplace, which is the case with AEW right now. One possibility is that Bray Wyatt saw the problems there, and it drew him away from All Elite Wrestling.
#3. Triple H offered him creative freedom
Bray Wyatt returning under the Triple H regime is huge.
We will get to see his true vision for his character without any shackles.
Any wrestler, especially someone like Bray Wyatt, would love creative control over their character and presentation. Having creative liberty allows wrestlers to be themselves, and it, in turn, makes them more interesting. Creative control also means that the company cannot ruin a wrestler's character.
As we are all aware, Bray Wyatt is a creative mastermind and always has a story to tell. He executes his ideas to perfection and makes everyone fall in love with him. It would come as no surprise if Triple H offered Wyatt full creative liberty for his character and presentation. That could also be why he signed with WWE.
#2. He didn't want to get lost in the shuffle
There is no denying the fact that AEW has a bloated roster. The amount of talent signed with the Jacksonville-based promotion is way higher than reasonable for just three hours of weekly television. To add to that, Tony Khan also has ROH wrestlers without a TV deal. Four PPVs a year aren't doing any good for either situation.
The problem is sometimes very visible since new wrestlers have been featured for some time but are lost in the shuffle later.
Only a few wrestlers are constant on the shows. This might've acted as a deal breaker for Bray Wyatt, as he needs sufficient TV time almost every week to tell his stories.
#1. Bray Wyatt wanted to be on a global stage
Across WWE’s official social media platforms, Bray Wyatt’s return so far in under 12 hours has…
Attained a rough estimate of over 7,730,000 views thus far.
Insane. https://t.co/PgIBPcc89b
There are some areas where AEW comes pretty close to WWE, but global recognition is not one of them. The Jacksonville-based promotion has existed for just over three years and is gaining popularity mainly in the USA and a few other countries.
WWE, on the other hand, is a global phenomenon. It's used as a synonym for wrestling in many countries today.
It's obvious that a wrestler would want to be a star and gain recognition on a global scale. WWE is the best platform for a wrestler to achieve that. It could be that Bray Wyatt didn't consider AEW big enough to present him as a huge star. He saw more advantages in WWE compared to All Elite Wrestling.