Examining Bray Wyatt's Future in WWE After the Wyatt Family

Per WWE storylines, it looks like Bray Wyatt has amicably parted with Luke Harper and Erick Rowan. Wyatt released a spooky, American Horror Story-style video a few weeks ago announcing he had set the pair “free” after fixing them.

Following the split, Harper and Rowan will likely be OK. They’re both talented in-ring wrestlers and make for a decent tag team—they should be able to carve out comfortable midcard spots for themselves in the next few months.

Their former boss, however, might be in for a tough time of it.

Wyatt has never truly recovered from his mediocre feud with John Cena in the spring. Ideally, the program should have been the thing that allowed the former NXT star to ascend to the main event scene.

Credit: WWE.com

Alas, it never happened. Following his emphatic loss to Cena at the Payback pay-per-view, Wyatt sank back to the midcard soon after and participated in a fair but unmemorable feud with Chris Jericho for a while.

You can’t shift all the blame to the bookers, though. Wyatt didn’t help himself with his repetitive mic work and one-dimensional character. He needs to develop more as a personality beyond cryptic poems and speeches and hasn’t.

WWE’s ability to recognize that Wyatt’s character needs a drastic change—and his willingness to show more of his character—will be crucial to his future.

OK, so the writers have parted him from Harper and Rower, which could possibly be a hint that they recognize a change has to be made. There are other steps they can take, too.

A babyface turn for Wyatt remains a tantalizing option. Throughout his feud with Cena, fans regularly cheered for the star.

Admittedly, he was facing Cena—frequently a recipient of voracious boos and jeers—but this still indicates that the WWE Universe may be willing to get behind the eccentric wrestler.

His recent videos on Raw saw him come off slightly less villainous than he used to be. You could even call them motivating, in a rather bizarre way.

Harper and Rowan won't be interfering in his matches, either. Like any good babyface, Wyatt would have to go it alone.

He would make an interesting foil to the rigid, corporate Authority heel stable. It’s very easy to see him teaming up on Raw with Dean Ambrose—another crazy misfit who continually challenges the established order—to take on Randy Orton, Kane and Seth Rollins.

Credit: WWE.com

Alternatively, WWE could keep him heel, but I think that would be a mistake. As noted, he’s probably gone as far as he can as a bad guy, at least for now. And with villains such as Rollins, Orton and Brock Lesnar at the top of the card, his options are limited anyway.

Sticking with an ailing heel act wouldn't do Wyatt or the company any favors whatsoever. Let’s face it; it’s time to turn him.

Following the disbandment of the Wyatt Family, Wyatt faces a precarious future. He’s a terrific wrestler and has charisma in spades but is hindered by dull creative material. Going babyface won’t solve all his problems, but it should get him started on a bold and promising new direction.