WWE Armchair Booking: How to Maximize Ryback-Bray Wyatt Feud

If WWE focuses more on the intensifying feud between Ryback and Bray Wyatt, it can craft itself a resilient hero and a fearsome monster.

While taking on Ryback is certainly a step down from tangling with Undertaker or John Cena, there's a great narrative opportunity ahead for Wyatt in it. This rivalry is a chance to elevate Wyatt. It can make him a beast, make up for losing a feud to Cena and make up for getting so little out of his match with Undertaker. 

Big wins and shattering a man's confidence will build up Wyatt for SummerSlam and beyond. 

For Ryback, there's a shot here to make him more sympathetic. Making him gutsy is the key to that.

To accomplish all that for both men, and for WWE to maximize this feud, it has to begin by whittling things down to a distinct motivation for this predator to be on the prowl. 

The Psychology

It's not clear enough why Wyatt is going after Ryback. The Eater of Worlds has talked about a lot of things leading up to this rivalry, but there have been too many messages in a single space. 

This is a case where things need to get narrowed down. Give Wyatt one reason to hunt his prey.

To him, Ryback is a hollow idol.

Fans cheer for him and chant, "Feed me more!" But in Wyatt's mind, all that adoration is misguided. "Ryback can't offer you truth," he yells at the crowd. "He can't offer you anything but lies!"

The chants drive Wyatt crazy. On the Raw before Payback, Ryback is getting the crowd to chant along with him in a backstage interview when his bearded foe appears. Wyatt hits him with a steel chair, screaming that The Big Guy should stop misleading these good people.

Wyatt throttles Ryback's left knee before turning to the camera and saying, "I will destroy him for you. It's for your own good."

You then have Wyatt looking dangerous heading into the pay-per-view, some suspense about whether Ryback will be healthy and a narrative to zero in on. 

The Matches

WWE can have two victories for Wyatt in a three-month span, but not crush Ryback in the process.

The first time they meet, Ryback will be hobbled. The chair shots will have wrecked his knee and just surviving against the monster for a while will be a victory in his state. Unlike the time WWE had Ryback quit against The Miz, the powerhouse will fight valiantly here.

Wyatt pounces on his knee throughout the contest, but Ryback keeps rising to his feet.

The Eater of Worlds eventually wins, though, via Sister Abigail. He lets the world hear about it on the next edition of Raw. Wyatt says he ended the man that they foolishly believed in.

Credit: WWE.com

Ryback limps out and says he's far from done. He promises to get Wyatt back. That sentence ends just as Wyatt goes on the attack, zeroing in on the leg again.

Wyatt laughs as he lays the big man out.

At Money in the Bank, Ryback is off the card due to injury. Wyatt, meanwhile does major damage in the ladder match that gives the pay-per-view its name. He appears to be poised to win when Ryback pops out from the back and pulls Wyatt off the ladder.

Bad leg and all, Ryback pounds on his enemy while someone else ascends the ladder to nab the briefcase.

It's easy then to set up a match at Battleground between them.

Ryback's leg heals, but it's his psyche he soon has to worry about. An enraged Wyatt haunts him going forward. Costing Wyatt the victory will lead to his destruction, or so says the former leader of The Wyatt Family.

The Big Guy thinks he hears Wyatt laughing when there's actually no one around. Wyatt attacks him from the crowd and as he's getting off the bus. 

As a result, he has trouble sleeping and focusing during his matches. 

Credit: WWE.com

At Battleground, a shaken Ryback struggles. Wyatt blows him away with a dominant performance. The announcers are in awe of what unfolds, speaking about how fearful they are of what's to come.

The Aftershocks

As much as Wyatt preaches about his power, we haven't seen its effects enough. Here is a chance to have him finally follow up on his threats while setting Ryback up with a story to work with afterward. 

Have Wyatt leave Ryback scarred.

While The Eater of Worlds now sets his sights on the Intercontinental Championship, Ryback tells Renee Young that he's unsure of who he is at this point. His failures eat at him, but so does his current mental state.

Credit: WWE.com

Ryback is jittery and confused. He is hesitant in the ring now, which causes him to go on a short losing streak.

He then tells fans he has some soul-searching to do. "I've been through some hellish battles with Wyatt. And now I have to fight to be myself again," he says. 

WWE can then have Ryback get back on his feet. They can bring in a name from the past (i.e. Dusty Rhodes) as his mentor. This short-term manager can say that he believes in him, that he can help him regain his momentum.

While The Big Guy then goes on a tear under his mentor's watchful eye, Wyatt is busy cutting his way into title contention, looking to damage the champ just as badly as he did Ryback.