"If they screw this up, they can screw anything up" – Legend on Triple H's booking of Bray Wyatt (Exclusive)
Legendary wrestling booker Dutch Mantell has given his thoughts on Bray Wyatt's WWE future after his recent Extreme Rules 2022 return.
Wyatt was handed his release by WWE in July 2021 after 12 years with the company. On Friday's SmackDown episode, the popular superstar seemingly broke character to discuss his real-life problems outside the ring since losing his job last year.
Mantell spoke on Sportskeeda Wrestling's Smack Talk show with Sid Pullar III about the booking predicament that WWE Chief Content Officer Triple H now faces:
"He [Bray Wyatt] will always be the babyface kinda. They like him. You heard the pop, right? I was just watching it and the crowd just erupted. Of course, this is after six weeks of promo time and people waiting for him, 'Oh, here he is.' Yeah, I'm gonna get up too, but it remains to be seen how creative handles this. If they screw this up, they can screw anything up. This is almost tailormade not to be screwed up." [6:03 – 6:38]
In the video above, Mantell explains why Triple H should aim to present Wyatt in a similar way to how Vince McMahon booked Hulk Hogan.
Dutch Mantell makes a prediction about Bray Wyatt's return
Wyatt received one of the loudest crowd reactions of the year at Extreme Rules 2022. Fans also gave the three-time world champion a huge ovation when he appeared on SmackDown last week.
Bray Wyatt is BACK on #SmackDown. https://t.co/3wpXKv11Zg
Mantell enjoyed the former Wyatt Family leader's return and is confident that Triple H has a creative plan in mind:
"I don't think it will be [a screwed-up storyline]. I think Triple H's regime is a lot different than Vince's, and I think this will go well, but it remains to be seen. I'm interested in seeing where they go with it, but I did like the introduction. Classic introduction. It kinda made your hairs stand up on the back of your neck a little bit. That's how you connect with fans because your head doesn't stand up for no reason." [6:41 – 7:16]
Mantell added that he also had concerns about Cody Rhodes' WWE return earlier this year. However, he was impressed with how The American Nightmare was presented.
Who do you think Bray Wyatt's next opponent should be? Let us know in the comments section below.
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