Figuring Out Where Bray Wyatt Fits on WWE's SmackDown Roster

Even before one of the greatest reveals in pro wrestling history, it was fair to wonder how WWE might use Bray Wyatt upon his return.

Wyatt has gone through so many character iterations and oozes creativity in a way that is nearly impossible to project.

But that also makes it incredibly fun to try.

Wyatt made his spooky return at the end of Extreme Rules, and not long after, PW Insider reported (h/t Randall Ortman of Cageside Seats) that he will be exclusive to SmackDown.

On paper, that halves the possibilities for Wyatt right out of the gate. He's a supernatural presence, so it might have been cool to see him fly above standard WWE rules and just show up whenever, wherever.

But it's not like Wyatt will be very limited even on a single brand. This might especially be the case on SmackDown, where Roman Reigns remains the unified champ and is currently tied up in a budding feud with Logan Paul. Meaning, there's a near-zero chance WWE will botch Wyatt like they have in the past by having him pursue titles.

Otherwise, things feel wide-open for Wyatt no matter what he does over the course of his first few appearances (they could simply be promos or even squashes to build him up, after all).

One item that pops up right away is a possible feud with Braun Strowman given the long-term connections there. Maybe WWE wants to keep them away from each other in order to avoid damaging either with losses, but if there are two guys who can emerge from almost anything strong in the minds of fans, it's these two.

It's also worth bringing up Alexa Bliss. While WWE would have to do some rules-twisting to get her over to SmackDown, there are a lot of unresolved threads worth pulling there. The two have a big history, never mind the betrayal near the end of Wyatt's run. As an added caveat, Bliss has sort of been twisting in the wind without anything major to do, at least compared to her prior main event status.

Karrion Kross sticks out in a big way, too. He's been on the outskirts of whatever Reigns has going on for a long time now. But given the status of Reigns as they await a possible Rock match at WrestleMania, he can't exactly do much.

Having Kross serve as the main foil for Wyatt, even if he ends up losing, will get him in front of fans more and showcase what he can do, helping to build him for the future.

The problem with trying to chart Wyatt's trajectory, though, is his propensity to align with Superstars, potentially forming another stable not unlike the Wyatt Family. He could just as easily recruit Kross, by force or otherwise, than actually feud with him.

We also can't totally discredit the possibility WWE, even in this new Triple H era, just can't avoid the attractiveness of Wyatt chasing gold. And frankly, his clashing with intercontinental champion Gunther could make for some violently fun matches. It could help the current champion look even better at a time when midcard titles need to look great too, provided shenanigans with a third party is what cause a "loss" for Wyatt.

Maybe one of the most interesting routes WWE could go with Wyatt is a quick encounter with Judgment Day. The aesthetics alone would make for a great time. Maybe it won't be the best possible thing for the Finn Balor-led group to take such a loss, but it's hard to ignore the possibility of the stable leaders pulling out The Demon and The Fiend in the final battle.

And while many fans rightfully decry Wyatt hovering around any title scene after that disaster with Seth Rollins years ago, there is a way to make it work. Reigns has The Bloodline backing him now, and Wyatt could easily take his time picking apart the people around Reigns, playing mental games with perhaps an almost horror-movie-like presentation over the months.

In fact, while Cody Rhodes seems like the final destination for Reigns' run after the Rock, this would be one brilliant way to build up an alternate ending over the long term if Option A doesn't work. Even if Wyatt doesn't end up getting the shot at Reigns, it would keep him incredibly relevant.

As one can probably tell, the possibilities with Wyatt feel endless. The most likely route is he probably starts to slowly form another stable, with WWE happy to use his talents as a vehicle to elevate up-and-coming Superstars. But he's the sort of star who can, on a moment's notice, turn an entire broadcast, feud and title scene on its head.

Written another way: Wyatt can fit wherever he chooses.