3 mistakes WWE MUST NOT repeat with Alexa Bliss and Bray Wyatt
After months of teasing, WWE seems to finally be on board to fully revive the Bray Wyatt-Alexa Bliss connection. Bliss showed a more unstable persona against RAW Women's champion Bianca Belair last week before having a cryptic confrontation with Uncle Howdy this week on the red brand. The mysterious hat-wearing character has been locked in a mind-game battle with Wyatt on SmackDown, and now Little Miss Bliss seems to be in his sights.
This has brought back memories of the three-time World Champion's previous alliance with The Five Feet of Fury, creating mixed feelings among fans. Bliss and Wyatt are extremely talented individuals and Uncle Howdy is severely intriguing, so a rehash of their storyline could greatly improve on their previous work. There are, however, a few mishaps from their original alliance that must not be repeated this time around.
Here are three mistakes WWE should not repeat with Alexa Bliss and Bray Wyatt
#3: WWE must put the romantic insinuations between Alexa Bliss and Bray Wyatt to bed
The Fiend and Alexa Bliss have been on FIRE 🔥 https://t.co/wRBudbX42B
One of the most poorly received aspects of the original alliance between Alexa Bliss and Bray Wyatt was the implied romantic connection between the two. Wyatt's "The Fiend" character was an unstoppable monstrosity against every superstar on the roster but became hesitant when Bliss was under threat.
This was seen when the likes of Braun Strowman and Randy Orton used The Wicked Witch to gain the upper hand over the masked monster heel. This soap opera-esque touch to one of the grittiest storylines in WWE history didn't go down well with a majority of fans, who perceived it as convoluting and watering down The Fiend's character. It was, at best, unnecessary, and it should probably be left in the past.
#2: WWE must avoid making Alexa Bliss a side character in Bray Wyatt's storylines
"Bianca doesnt need to be afraid of Bray Wyatt or Uncle Howdy. She needs to be afraid of ME!" - @AlexaBliss_WWE
#WWERaw #WWE https://t.co/nsvOtz8n9B
After aligning with Bray Wyatt, Alexa Bliss became somewhat of a valet for The Fiend, mainly featuring in storylines revolving around him. Although she also occasionally got to pursue her own interests in Alexa's playground segments, she was largely overshadowed by the former Universal champion. This severely affected the five-time Women's Champion's momentum as a competitor in the women's division, and she is yet to fully recover.
As WWE revisits one of their more hit-and-miss storylines from recent times, Five Feet of Fury must be treated as an equal to The Fiend. Even if she joins a Wyatt-led stable, she must receive enough individual character development and storyline progression to avoid getting lost in the shuffle once again. The fact that Uncle Howdy confronted her individually and not as a ploy to get to Wyatt is an encouraging sign that the company has learned from that particular mistake.
#1: WWE must avoid overdoing the supernatural aspects of Alexa Bliss and Bray Wyatt's gimmicks
By nature, Bray Wyatt's character is one rooted in the supernatural. From his time as The Eater of Worlds and The Fiend to the present day, the two-time Universal champion flourishes in a mystical setting. However, as we have seen in the past, there is such a thing as too much supernatural investment in a gimmick.
Wyatt and Alexa Bliss dove off the deep end of the mystical pool with their previous alliance, and this ended up spoiling their gimmicks for many fans. Where The Undertaker's supernatural aspects heightened his aura, events such as Bliss bleeding black liquid and The Fiend shedding burnt skin made the suspension of disbelief impossible and lost fans' interest. WWE would be well-served by setting limits on how far they can push the envelope regarding how supernatural Bliss and Wyatt can get.
It will be the key to stopping potentially cool and edgy character progression from turning into poorly-executed horror movie parody, and could ultimately save both stars' characters.