Theatricality of Bray Wyatt Character Drags Down in-Ring Quality

"Theatricality and deception are powerful agents for the uninitiated."

So says lead villain Bane in Christopher Nolan's 2012 film The Dark Knight Rises. And he is correct, for the most part. To those unfamiliar with the pro wrestling business and what it means to be a well-rounded act, theatricality is a powerful agent.

The Undertaker's mystifying entrance, Kane's hellfire and brimstone and Goldust's elegant and bizarre arrivals all hooked fans, making them sit up and take notice to an art form they otherwise would not be inclined to partake in.

The same can be said for Bray Wyatt and the mind games he has played with many a top Superstar since debuting in the summer of 2013. From choirs to light shows, abductions to sheep masks, everything the Wyatt character is and embodies has been carefully crafted in hopes of creating a presence and persona for the third-generation star that is unlike any fans have ever seen before.

His promos are captivating, his facial expressions and body language tell a story of their own and his entrance is one of the greatest of all time.

Unfortunately, it is that theatricality and emphasis on showmanship and story that has really hampered the quality of his ring work, which is equally as important as character development.

The number of matches Wyatt has competed in that have been weighed down significantly by overly complex plot devices or elaborate productions is staggering. 

Since making his main-roster debut, the quality of matches with John Cena, Kane, Daniel Bryan and CM Punk has been stunted by WWE Creative's apparent need to remind the audience of the Wyatt's supernatural powers.

Credit: WWE.com

Or whatever it was he did with the hologram at Hell in a Cell.

As fans witnessed earlier in 2014, however, Wyatt is a performer who does not need the crutch of overbooking to cover up for any in-ring deficiencies.

Want proof?

Dial up the Royal Rumble on the WWE Network (available for the low price of $9.99, in case you weren't aware) and the match between the Reaper of Souls and Daniel Bryan.

Sure, the argument could be made that Bryan carried Wyatt in that bout but a match that good is not achieved by a single performer, no matter how good he or she is. It takes a collaboration between two extremely skilled workers to achieve what Bryan and Wyatt accomplished that night.

Best of all? It was a match that ended cleanly with Wyatt pinning Bryan and establishing him as a threat to any and all stars on the roster.

The same thing happened the following month at Elimination Chamber.

Left to have a hotly anticipated match against The Shield, Bray and the Wyatt Family delivered a Match of the Year candidate that saw the leader of the cult-like faction guide his team to victory.

For every great match, however, there are two in which quality takes a backseat to showmanship, such as the Extreme Rules Steel Cage match against John Cena from May 2014. And even the Hell in a Cell match between Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose in which Wyatt's return and everything surrounding it severely decreased the quality and effectiveness of the bout.

WWE Creative is walking a fine line with the Wyatt character. Of course it wants to incorporate all of the bells and whistles with the character that it possibly can. Not only does it add to the aura and mystique of Bray but it also hooks new viewers who may see the spectacle for the first time and decide to stay put.

At the same time, it must realize that it is perfectly acceptable to use theatricality in the build-up to a major match but when fans are tuning into the WWE Network or purchasing a pay-per-view, they expect to see contests that are not marred by the shenanigans they would see on a common episode of raw or SmackDown. 

Credit: WWE.com

They demand more and if those charged with handling the Wyatt character cannot do a better job of separating theatrics from in-ring work, they run the risk of alienating those fans and doing irreparable damage to the trust the consumer has in the performer.

The spider walk is fine and the ultra cool entrance helps separate him from the rest of the pack but let's save the holograms of Sister Abigail and lamb mask-wearing pre-teens for the build to the match, rather than incorporating them in the match and ruining the flow.