Examining How to Make Bray Wyatt a More Dangerous WWE Heel

Bray Wyatt has had his fangs dulled by WWE.

Capable of being a dangerous, haunting heel, Wyatt simply hasn't been used to his full potential. To tap into that dark creature that grumbles inside him, WWE needs to have him injure his foes, affect them mentally and resist the company's confines.

Wyatt claims to be The Eater of Worlds. He talks of already being dead.

The way he has been booked, though, has made him more of a talker than a terror. WWE hasn't allowed him to live up to the monster that he says he is.

That was most evident recently when John Cena ran through him on Monday's Raw. Angry and embarrassed about losing to Brock Lesnar, Cena dominated Wyatt.

He left him wide-eyed, clutching his mouth in pain.

Afterward, Wyatt did get some shots in during the six-man tag match that followed. That revenge was limited, however. Cena won that battle as well, handing out Attitude Adjustments to Wyatt and his clan like a salesman does with his business card.

To maximize what Wyatt can bring to the company, WWE has to make him more of an obstacle.

Jaws wouldn't have been half as fun had the titular shark been caught with a fishing rod 20 minutes into the movie. The Batman franchise wouldn't be nearly as successful if The Caped Crusader had been able to take down The Joker without suffering a scratch.

Wyatt is a more effective heel if he is more dangerous. The first step to achieving that is to allow him to delight in destruction. 

The Wyatt Family Hall of Pain

Mark Henry's best run came in 2011 when he not only defeated his opponents but left them in need of medical attention.

He smashed Big Show's ankle with a chair wrapped around it, sent Sheamus crashing through the security railing and was responsible for a number of Superstars disappearing from TV.

WWE.com claimed that Henry had fractured Kane's fibula. The World's Strongest Man left The Great Khali unable to stand as well, (storyline) snapping his leg, per WWE.com.

That left a collection of disturbing images in the crowd's mind.

Henry was a predator leaving behind a line of mangled prey. Wyatt hasn't made that same kind of impact. He, Luke Harper and Erick Rowan have ambushed men like Cena and Chris Jericho, but it has not resulted in any required surgery.

As often as Superstars get hurt or need to take time off, it would be no issue finding victims for Wyatt.

Rob Van Dam just ended his latest run. That would have been a perfect opportunity to have a match between him and Wyatt get out of hand. Why not have it result in the fan favorite writhing on the ground as the doctors call for a stretcher?

Seth Rollins benefited from being able to damage Dean Ambrose before he began shooting his movie. Rusev got the boost of sending Zeb Colter away with a kick to the head.

Wyatt hasn't seen these kinds of opportunities. It would be the easiest way to paint him as a destroyer, as a man one should fear facing.

Never the Same Afterward

Wyatt's gimmick loses its power if he can't leave more of an impression on the men who step into his lair. He needs to scar his enemies, not suffer from dropped storylines.

After defeating Kane in a Ring of Fire match at SummerSlam 2013, Wyatt instructed Harper and Rowan to smash Kane's head in between ring steps and cart him away. Kane was then supposed to be locked away in Wyatt's possession.

Credit: WWE.com

He wasn't shaken by the experience, though. He came back at Hell in a Cell and attacked The Miz and The Wyatt Family before moving on.

Kane never reflected on how disturbing it was to be captured by Wyatt. He had no post-traumatic stress disorder to deal with.

Last November, Wyatt and his followers kidnapped Daniel Bryan. The former WWE champ returned soon after, seemingly unaffected by the experience. Wyatt then tried to recruit Bryan to join his crew.

Why did he let him go in the first place then?

Cena was supposed to be battling inner demons during his feud with Wyatt. After apparently forcing them back inside himself, Cena moved on, unharmed.

One night after defeating Wyatt at Payback, Cena wasn't damaged physically or mentally. He was back to his normal self.

These were all missed opportunities.

The next time that Wyatt wraps his tentacles around someone, it needs to lead somewhere. His enemy's character should shift. He should be skittish, uncertain or perhaps more aggressive afterward.

Jericho has been a bit more angry since feuding with Wyatt, but it would be more powerful if he were haunted by his war with Wyatt. Maybe he quits WWE, seeking psychological help after suffering from Wyatt-centered bad dreams. Maybe he turns heel, unleashing his own darkness on the world.

Tangling with Wyatt has to be transformative, not banal.

That's the crux of his character. He's a psychotic cult leader. Shouldn't he be able to recruit more members to his cult? Shouldn't he be forcing people to struggle mentally more?

No Way to Control Him

The Authority should be just as scared of Wyatt as his foes are.

Triple H and company want to be able to direct and manipulate the roster. They like subservient men like Randy Orton and are unsettled by Bryan and Roman Reigns, men unwilling to bow to their demands.

Wyatt needs to be in the latter category as well.

He should be the harbinger of chaos that he has painted himself as.

Have him attack referees, ambush random Superstars backstage or send his foes (whether he beats them or not) through tables. Let him tear through the WWE like a storm, caring more about leaving ruin behind than bettering his record.

Throwing Bryan off the loading dock last December is the kind of moment WWE has to provide for him more often.

He's a fantastic speaker and should be allowed to go on diatribes often. The ratio of violence to speeches has to be shifted to the former, though.

A man telling you he is dangerous is not as effective as him demonstrating that he is.

During his feud with Jericho and beyond, this is what WWE should focus on with him. He's not a coward or a cheat; he's a monster.

Let him do the damage that befits that title.