"I flew to Saudi Arabia knowing that I was gonna lose" - 5 backstage stories about Bray Wyatt you need to know
Bray Wyatt made his much-awaited return to the company at WWE Extreme Rules 2022. After delivering a solid Premium Live Event, the creative team allowed Wyatt to make his return in the final spot that took the show by storm.
The company released The Eater of Worlds in July 2021. Many fans could not make much sense of the move as he had a good gimmick and storyline going at the time.
However, Wyatt's return under new creative leadership could allow him to work freely and give fans much more. Triple H's decision to bring him back could turn out to be a fruitful one for the company.
Backstage, Bray Wyatt is one of the most talked about characters. Current and former superstars have often spoken about his work ethic and creativity.
With that said, check out the five interesting backstage stories about WWE Superstar Bray Wyatt.
#5. Triple H loved working with Bray Wyatt in WWE NXT
Triple H took over creative control of WWE after Vince McMahon stepped down from his position in July 2022. Several top superstars have made their return to the company ever since.
Many stars in the company are known as "Triple H guys" behind the scenes. However, Bray Wyatt was never referred to as one, even though he spent a lot of time in NXT.
Speaking to Ariel Helwani on BT Sport, The Game praised Wyatt for his creative mindset and determination to bring something new to the table. Triple H revealed that he loved working with The Eater of Worlds during his time in NXT, where he was known as Husky Harris.
"One of the most […] I mean this in the best way possible […] crazy, creative people I’ve ever been around. [His] mind just never stops thinking of creative. But it’s like being in a whirlwind of stuff, so without the harness and without somebody to point the tornado, it’s just all over the place [laughs]. He’s a victim of his own mind and his creative, and it’s just everywhere," said Hunter.
Triple H continued:
"But I loved working with him. I loved working with him down there [NXT] and even just being a small part of […] as he was creating the Bray Wyatt character, and moments of just helping to harness his […] I have no idea where some of the concepts and thoughts come from in his head, like some crazy place, but they’re wonderfully crazy."
Bray Wyatt has undergone several character transformations in WWE. He is currently one of the most creative minds in the business. Triple H's leadership could help him do a lot more in his current run in the company.
#4. Bray Wyatt and Matt Hardy hated their match in WWE
4 years ago today, says the 'net.
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Bray Wyatt and Matt Hardy had an exciting rivalry in WWE. The two men competed against each other before forming a tag team called The Deleters of Worlds in 2018, which was quite successful.
Speaking on an episode of Extreme Life of Matt Hardy podcast, the AEW star reflected on his match against The Eater of Worlds at RAW's 25th Anniversary show in 2018.
Hardy revealed that both the superstars hated their match and blamed Vince McMahon for it.
"We both hated it. Just because it was like our first match, and this should have been something of substance, and we should have had time, and then it was a short match. We were very limited what we did. I mean, they put us in a scenario like to fail kind of right from the jump because we had this, you know, short match, and once again, we tried to make the most out of it,” Matt said.
The former ECW champion went on to add that he and Bray had some great ideas for their rivalry, but Vince did not pay much attention to them. It led to some substandard matches that could have been much better.
Most superstars in WWE have praised Bray Wyatt for his creative mindset and vision. However, the creative team at times did not allow him full freedom and forced him to work according to their script.
#3. Sister Abigail was never supposed to be a person in WWE
Fans of Bray Wyatt are quite aware of Sister Abigail, who has appeared in many storylines. While Sister Abigail has never really been seen by the WWE Universe, she did appear in the form of Alexa Bliss during Wyatt's Swamp Fight against Braun Strowman in 2020.
At WWE TLC 2017, the creative team was ready to give Sister Abigail its first match. It was rumored that Bray Wyatt would appear as his alter-ego in a match against Finn Balor's "Demon King" persona. However, the match never occurred after Wyatt took time off due to an illness.
The creative team never resurrected the storyline, and fans never got to see Sister Abigail perform in a match.
In an interview with Sportskeeda in 2020, Wyatt's longtime partner and friend Erick Rowan cleared the air about the character. The former tag team champion claimed that WWE's original plan was that Sister Abigail would never be a person.
"Sister Abigail was never supposed to be any person," Rowan said.
It could be one of the many reasons why the creative team never revisited the rivalry. However, Bray Wyatt's current return could lead to Sister Abigail taking human form for the first time.
#2. Goldberg did not refuse to lose to Bray Wyatt, unlike previously believed
At WWE Super Showdown 2020, Goldberg took on "The Fiend" Bray Wyatt in a singles match in Saudi Arabia. The two had a short contest that saw the WCW legend defeat Wyatt to win the Universal Championship for the second time in his career.
The victory allowed Goldberg to become the first superstar to pin The Fiend. It was a move that was not well received by many WWE fans. Reports emerged soon after that Goldberg had refused to lose to Wyatt in the contest.
In 2022, Goldberg shot down those reports and told his side of the story. Speaking to SHAK Wrestling, the Hall of Famer revealed that he knew he was going to lose the match when he flew to Saudi Arabia. However, plans changed before the match got underway.
"Let's put it this way. I've never said anything that wasn't true in the wrestling business. I'm a talent and I do what the boss tells me to do. I flew to Saudi Arabia knowing that I was gonna lose. Then somehow it changed and the finish was different. And it surely wasn't me. Because it's an extremely selfish move, number one, to do. Number two, then truly it wouldn't be about the business, it would be about myself. And number three, who the hell am I as a part-time guy to come in and demand anything. Truly I mean I'm not," said Goldberg.
Goldberg's words make a lot of sense as he is a part-timer who only competes in a couple of matches each year. The decision to hand The Fiend his first clean loss in WWE was not made by Goldberg, unlike previously believed.
#1. Seth Rollins and Bray Wyatt did not agree to the finish of their match at WWE Hell in a Cell 2019
Seth Rollins after #HIAC
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At WWE Hell in a Cell 2019, Seth Rollins squared off against "The Fiend" Bray Wyatt in a Universal Championship match. Many fans believed that The Fiend would easily destroy Rollins and win the title.
However, the match had a controversial ending as the referee stopped the match after Rollins used a sledgehammer and steel chair on The Fiend to knock him out. The move was not taken too well by the WWE Universe.
Speaking with Ariel Helwani of BT Sport, The Visionary disclosed that the controversial finish to the match was not their call and did not go how they envisioned it:
"I could have moved on to something else and he could have had his run as champion. But that wasn't the case and we played the hand we were dealt, and that was not our call. I know he would tell you the same thing, that (it) did not go the way we wanted it to. We tried, and we tried, and we tried, and the boss at the time would not budge. Like I said before, it is not our sandbox, you know? We are actors on a stage sometimes and we read the lines,” said Rollins.
The former WWE Champion clarified that Vince McMahon was in favor of the finish, and that's why the match ended the way it did.
The company tried to right the wrong by giving Bray Wyatt a win over Rollins in a Falls Count Anywhere match to become the Universal Champion at Crown Jewel 2019.