5 Top superstars who were away for so long that WWE fans lost interest
Absence makes the heart grow fonder, but in WWE, that may not always be the case. While there have been examples of long hiatus leading to superstars having great runs (Triple H in 2002, for example), there are occasions where long periods away can lead to fans not caring as much anymore.
We look at five recent examples of WWE Superstars who were out so long that fans simply stopped caring as much:
#5. 'The Fiend' Bray Wyatt - Almost completely inactive in WWE since December 2020
Many WWE fans would argue that Bray Wyatt is the most misused WWE Superstar of this generation, and it's not hard to see why. With greater charisma than most on the roster, Wyatt has been in numerous situations where he could have been one of WWE's breakout stars, but the company's handling of him has prevented him from reaching the level that many feel he should be at.
The Eater Of Worlds character had incredible appeal, and it culminated in 2017 with his WWE Championship victory. That ended in less than 50 days, and fans felt he should have defeated Randy Orton at the peak of an otherwise incredible storyline.
Bray Wyatt gaining a lot of momentum and then losing it all has been the story of his WWE career. The Fiend was a breath of fresh air, and after the debut of his new character at SummerSlam 2019, he seemed destined for a great run ahead.
The Fiend had the air of a mystical, larger-than-life character, but his momentum was halted severely by a loss against Goldberg in Saudi Arabia last year. The decision still baffles WWE fans to date. He somehow bounced back and "defeated" John Cena at WrestleMania 36.
Since then, he went on a pursuit of the Universal Championship, finally recapturing it at SummerSlam 2020, only to lose it a week later to the returning Roman Reigns at Payback.
After that, a storyline against Randy Orton followed, all while Alexa Bliss was under his spell and became his new ally. The Fiend was defeated by Orton at TLC, where he was immolated.
Since then, he only returned at Fastlane 2021 and lost again to The Viper at WrestleMania 37 after Bliss turned on him. He has been inactive ever since, and minus an unforgettable WrestleMania program, WWE has done nothing with The Fiend.
At this point, it's clear that most fans don't seem to care about his return, though we hope that he can come back when the crowds start attending again in July.