Opinion: It was too early for The Fiend to be in the Universal Championship picture

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of Sportskeeda.

The ending to WWE Hell in a Cell has been met largely with criticism from fans and critics alike. Booking Seth Rollins vs The Fiend to end in a ‘No Contest’ came as a result of WWE booking themselves into a creative corner. That corner included the decision to put The Fiend in a Universal Championship match way too soon.

That was the most unhappy I've ever heard a WWE crowd in a long time after the main event of a pay-per-view. If the powers-that-be thought it was too early to give "The Fiend" the title, then they shouldn't have booked him in a title match. That ruined him no-selling everything.
— Ryan Satin (@ryansatin) October 7, 2019

I love #WWE but there is no good that came from that ending. Straight up bad booking personified. Which sucks because instead of talking about Becky Lynch and Sasha Banks absolutely killing it, the focus is now on this horrific Universal title finish. #HIAC
— Scott Fishman (@smFISHMAN) October 7, 2019

Let’s make one thing clear: The Fiend is one of the best characters the company has created in a long time. Bray Wyatt never ceases to amaze with his creative genius.

Before Hell in a Cell, however, Wyatt wrestled in only one match under this guise. He’s obviously been thrown into the top of the card far too soon.

The Fiend is a monstrous character. He enjoys torturing his foes in both a mental and physical capacity. Due to this, he should have spent twelve to eighteen months running roughshod over the WWE roster before ever even being considered for a Universal Championship bout.

The beauty of the gimmick has been the sense of unpredictably with his appearances. He could easily have popped up at the end of a few matches on RAW and made life hell for whomever he was targeting.

WWE Superstars like The Miz and Braun Strowman could have been feasible options for a feud with The Fiend. Look at how well the segment went down a few weeks back on RAW when The Fiend left 'The Monster Among Men' lying across the center of the ring. The image of Bray taking down someone of Strowman's size would have done wonders for the character's mystique.

Instead, WWE put The Fiend in the Universal Title program right away - and against a wrestler like Rollins. Based on 2019 alone, it is clear that WWE sees Rollins as their Universal Champion for the long haul. If that is indeed the case, they should have kept The Fiend, whom they are building as a monster heel, far away from him.

Mythical gimmicks don't need gold to thrive. The Undertaker only held the World Title seven times in three decades. Before 2010, Kane's run lasted a mere day.

The Hell in a Cell finish has now done neither Bray Wyatt nor Seth Rollins any favors, and it could have all been easily avoided. Instead, WWE ended up with a scenario where neither man could lose and here we all are.