Ryan Dilbert's 10-Count: Bray Wyatt Needs to Run Revised 'Legend Killer' Gimmick

1. The Eater of Worlds, Devourer of Legends

As a monster constantly promising destruction, Bray Wyatt needs victims. And making those victims big names from the past who are in no shape to fend off a fanged beast would be a wise move.

Randy Orton once rode a path to stardom a lot like that one. Calling himself "Legend Killer," he disrespected Hall of Famers, spitting on their legacies and eventually drubbing them in the ring.

He forced fans to pay attention as he put Dusty Rhodes, Ric Flair, Hulk Hogan and others on his hit list.

It's a simple, effective story: The insolent emerging star upends the natural order of the wrestling world. Rather than salute the men who paved the way for him, he slaps them around.

WWE has a shot to catapult Wyatt with a narrative like that one. 

It missed an opportunity to do that with his battles against Undertaker. Both times out, Wyatt gained nothing. At WrestleMania, Wyatt was the cure for Undertaker's post-Brock Lesnar blues. At Survivor Series, he was the means for WWE to celebrate Undertaker's 25 years with the company. The Eater of Worlds played the pinata at Undertaker's party.

But a new door has now opened.

Tommy Dreamer returned on Monday's Raw (presumably on a short-term basis) to aid The Dudley Boyz against The Wyatt Family. WWE has to see this as a chance for Wyatt to gain heat by way of beating down a respected wrestler.

WWE should let Wyatt crush Dreamer, take down The Dudley Boyz and then move on to other stars from another era.

Wyatt can erase the memories of his failures and instead look like an unfeeling predator chomping on aging alpha male after aging alpha male. His approach would be different from Orton's. Rather than be the cocky young guy with no respect for the past, he'd be the bloodthirsty sadist wanting to destroy legacies.

Still, the purpose would be the same: Wyatt would make a ladder out of fallen legends.

And unlike Orton, he could toe-to-toe with any old-timers on the mic. He's been a tremendous talker from day one, but his threats have started to ring hollow.

That can change if he starts backing it up.

By making Wyatt the welcoming party for returning big names, it would provide him with an angle that could stretch on for months, giving him chances to create lasting, violent images along the way.

2. Tyler Breeze, the Epitome of 50-50 Booking

Roman Reigns and Heath Slater sit on the opposite side of the spectrum in terms of wins and losses. Everyone else is subject to WWE's habit of having wrestlers follow wins with losses in an up-and-down cycle. Momentum is hard to come by this way.

Breeze knows that firsthand. Since coming up from NXT, he's been a victim of that kind of noncommittal booking.

According to CageMatch.net (link contains SmackDown spoilers), Breeze is 4-4 in his first eight WWE matches. He had a three-match winning streak going, knocking off R-Truth, Zack Ryder and Dolph Ziggler, followed by a three-match losing skid.

Prince Pretty is not getting a chance to establish himself. He doesn't look like a rising star the way he should. He looks like he's just another guy sitting in the middle of the pack.

He need not pull a Goldberg and go 173-0, but having him beat up on the bottom-rung stars would create the impression that he's a threat. Not doing that has him looking ordinary already.

3. Throwback Video of the Week: Tommy Dreamer

As fun as it was seeing Dreamer emerge from the curtains on Monday's Raw, fans knew they weren't getting the best version of the ECW great.

But seeing him haul out a trashcan, ready to fight, stirred up a flood of memories. One of the most enthralling ones has to be when he knocked off Tazz at CyberSlam 2000 to claim the ECW World Heavyweight Championship.

His tearful response to the triumph was pitch-perfect. He talked of not making it to WrestleMania or Starrcade, playing up both the importance of winning the title and how special ECW was.

4. How's Your Macho Man Impression?

If you can do a good Randy Savage, it can save you a few bucks. J.W. Cannon tweeted a shot of a sign in front of a restaurant offering a discount for patrons ordering in Savage's trademark voice:

No word on what aping The Ultimate Warrior's voice will get customers.

5. Champion Facing a Gauntlet

The NXT Women's Championship picture is not following the usual pattern.

For most titles, WWE often has a champion feud with one rival for a few months, then moves on to the next, then the next and so on. At NXT, Bayley is facing a greater variety of foes.

After defeating Sasha Banks at NXT TakeOver: Respect, the bulk of the division has been gunning for her. Alexa Bliss had a title shot two weeks ago. Last week, Eva Marie had her chance.

Bayley is not facing just a single rival but instead a number of challengers. She can surely expect both Bliss and Marie to come at her again, for Dana Brooke to make a push at the belt and eventually for Asuka to demand her shot.

This busier, more varied title scene makes the championship feel more significant. Why wouldn't everyone be gunning for that belt? 

And this way, NXT can toy with a number of rivals with Bayley. Should one feud catch fire, the company can run with it.

6. Damien Sandow Nowhere to Be Found

If Sandow joined Brad Maddox in the unemployment line tomorrow, no one would be shocked. It feels as if WWE has given up on him.

As seen on CageMatch.net, Sandow hasn't wrestled on Raw since May 11. Next week would mark the 30th straight Raw of which he was left out. TLC will be the eight PPV he's missed in a row. Even Zack Ryder gets more work than that.

Even with the recent rash of injuries, there's isn't a spot at the table for him at all?

7. Alberto Del Rio More Entertaining Elsewhere

WWE fans aren't getting the best version of Del Rio—not by a long shot.

His current alliance with Zeb Colter, in which the two deride "haters" and talk up their made-up nation, MexAmerica, is lukewarm at best. Over at Puerto Rico's WWC, though, Del Rio is doing some tremendous heel work.

As part of the buildup to his match with Ray Gonzalez, Del Rio approached Gonzalez's son at a training center. He bullied the young man, eventually smacking his face and torturing him on the mat.

It doesn't matter if you don't speak Spanish—this was entertaining. This is the Del Rio we need to see on Monday nights.

8. A Collection of Kofi

As part of The New Day, Kofi Kingston is flourishing as a gnat and a braggart. His best stuff is coming on the microphone these days. 

These recommended bouts celebrate some of his in-ring highlights thus far:

• Kofi Kingston vs. Montel Vontavious Porter: Raw, June 1, 2009
• Kofi Kingston vs. Alberto Del Rio: Elimination Chamber 2011
• Kofi Kingston vs. Dolph Ziggler: Raw, Sept. 24, 2012
• Kofi Kingston vs. Antonio Cesaro: Main Event, May 1, 2013
• Kofi Kingston vs. Antonio Cesaro: Main Event, Sept. 11, 2013

He and Cesaro have such great chemistry that WWE should revisit their rivalry when the Swiss strongman recovers from his shoulder surgery. Those clashes were Kingston's greatest to date.

9. Rose Going in the Wrong Direction

WWE had the right instinct to adjust Adam Rose's character but chose the wrong route for him. The latest incarnation of his character appeared on Monday's Raw in an odd segment dubbed "The Rose Bush."

Rose played a gossip columnist of sorts, chastising all the Superstars involved in romance angles. 

This is not the way to maximize Rose. Slapping glasses on him and stripping the party element from his gimmick has left him an unremarkable part of a larger-than-life world.

The solution to his struggles isn't to make Rose the next Perez Hilton but to have him revert to his sinister, callous Leo Kruger character.

10. Steve Austin on Cesaro

On the recent edition of The Steve Austin Show (NSFW language), "Stone Cold" went non-PG as he spoke about what Cesaro's attitude should be once he returns to action.

Austin said, "It's time for this guy to come back both guns blazing: 'F--k all of the politics. I'm going to the top.'"

Should Cesaro heed that advice, it's going to be mighty fun to watch. A hungry, unchecked Cesaro promises to be the highlight of 2016.