Three factors that will determine The Fiend's success in WWE
WWE SummerSlam 2019 was a remarkable show for many reasons. One of the reasons why the show became a blockbuster was the in-ring debut of The Fiend, Bray Wyatt's new alter-ego. As the character was very intriguing, it instantly captured the fascination of the crowd.
This is not the first dark and scary gimmick portrayed by WWE. The company has a history of portraying frightening characters such as The Undertaker, Kane, and Boogeyman. However, featuring such a gimmick in the Internet era is a very bold move.
Bray Wyatt did a great job with his former ‘Eater of the Worlds’ gimmick, which also had a supernatural element attached to it. The challenges will be immense while portraying The Fiend, however. Certainly, the gimmick has what it takes to be a success, but creative should also be completely invested in protecting and building it.
#3 The Level of Preference
The Fiend was not shot into the spotlight just out of nowhere. The creative team gradually got the character across to the audience with some weekly segments called the "Firefly Funhouse". Initially, it looked like a big risk to alter the character of Wyatt, but they had the patience to do the job carefully. Thus, after the debut match, The Fiend suddenly looks like a gold mine.
However, the further success of the character depends on what they do with him from now on. The level of preference that they show towards the character matters. Defeating mid-carders will help his initial growth, but it will not get the character to the top of the food chain. It remains to be seen if creative will give the character some major victories over top-caliber opponents.
A time will come when The Fiend has to face legends like John Cena or Brock Lesnar. When that moment, the management has to give victory to The Fiend if they want to make the character into something big.