The State of Bray Wyatt in WWE Amid Rumors of a Main Event Ceiling

Whether Bray Wyatt would ever get back into the main event scene upon return to WWE was a hot topic of debate prior to his return to the company.

This far into Wyatt's big comeback, it certainly feels like he's hit a ceiling he might not be able to power through.

Make no mistake, Wyatt's current saga has been rich with storytelling, looping in the long-reaching lore of his pro wrestling career. He's sparred with alter egos, cut chilling promos and had memorable moments all in the wake of one of the best modern pro wrestling returns.

But he's also only cut promos, even at pay-per-view events. His first major feud since returning has been with L.A. Knight.

That's not a shot at Knight, either. But perhaps it's a sign of things to come in terms of Wyatt's usage—giving lesser-known names to the general audience a major platform without inserting them into title scenes.

This is easy to see for fans, but it sure doesn't hurt to mention that Wrestling Observer Radio's Dave Meltzer (h/t Cageside Seat's Randall Ortman) suggested that "top guys" simply don't want to work with Wyatt.

And that suggestion makes a ton of sense. WWE botched the handling of his character when the Fiend persona was at its hottest, throwing the supernatural monster into the main event scene. It was jarring to see a monster suddenly obsessed with gold.

The most prominent example of the flop will always be the ill-fated feud with Seth Rollins, which was outright booed out of stadiums by fans at certain points, including the silly and unforgettable-for-the-wrong-reasons red light match.

Rollins never recovered until dramatically changing his character. Braun Strowman's run in 2020 saw some derailment because of the creative side of Wyatt's character. And the infamous bugs-projected-on-mat WrestleMania 33 debacle against Randy Orton comes to mind, too.

This does require an important clarification—this seemingly has little to do with Wyatt the man and his in-ring ability. In the latter's regard, he's incredibly fun to watch given his tandem of size and speed, never mind the creativity and storytelling that goes into each fight.

The real culprit is the storytelling side of things. It's interesting to think about it compared to The Undertaker's career, especially around top title scenes. As just The Deadman, the supernatural stuff didn't interfere much with everything else. And when he went to "The American Badass" persona with light supernatural elements, it became even more believable and fit in well.

Wyatt, at least for now, hasn't walked the tightrope well enough. WWE booking didn't do him any favors either, so there's hope the Triple H-led creative can change this. The storytelling so far is a good start, but it's not hard to see why the main event scene might be a little hesitant.

Keep in mind the other fleeting supernatural act in WWE—Finn Balor's Demon persona—has been shuttered out. The death of the Demon by a laugh-worthy faulty turnbuckle still haunts fans to this day.

So hey, maybe Wyatt hitting a ceiling isn't so bad, right? He's clearly got the creative freedom to go wild in his own little sub-universe. It's still wildly entertaining for fans and does great numbers for WWE. All the while, he can prop up other talents, potentially slingshotting them past his own ceiling.

If that's the state of Bray Wyatt in WWE, that's not such a bad thing—it's more of a silver lining. This is pro wrestling, and there is room for nuanced, long-term storytelling, especially on the supernatural side. Letting Wyatt do his thing and not arbitrarily forcing him into title scenes because of old-school wrasslin' ideas is a mark in WWE's favor, not a negative.