Bray Wyatt Must Turn Face to Find Sustained Success on WWE Raw

It may come off as a surprise, but Bray Wyatt has been on the main roster for almost four years now in WWE. In that entire time, Wyatt has almost exclusively played one role on the roster: threatening heel obstacle. While his list of opponents ranges from John Cena to The Undertaker, his win-loss record in his feuds is less impressive.

Even his latest feud with Randy Orton, which ended with a victory, felt like an ultimate loss for Wyatt as he dropped the WWE Championship to Orton before being shuffled off to Monday Night Raw. WWE has continually promoted Wyatt as a major force on the roster poised for the main event, but his standing remains the same as he always ends up looking worse coming out of his feuds than he did coming in.

This is a frequent issue with heels in WWE, but the best at least get a chance to stand tall and cheat their way to long championships reigns. Despite talking a big game, The Eater of Worlds only recently won the first championships of his career in the past six months, losing them quickly thereafter. He can cut great promos and put on quality matches, but Wyatt cannot find sustained success.

This would all change with Wyatt turning face. For one day, WWE provided a glimpse of Wyatt as a face back on the April 11 edition of Raw when he teamed with Roman Reigns against The League of Nations, clearly playing to the crowd and showing signs of camaraderie with Reigns.

On that surprising night, Wyatt was received with overwhelming positivity by the fans and fit naturally as the crusader combating those in his way. Even the team of Wyatt and Reigns worked well, with The New Face of Fear directing traffic while Reigns destroyed those attempting to get in Wyatt's way.

It is likely he would have continued to run as a face if he had not been injured two days later at a live event. However, once Wyatt returned, he took on the role of heel once more.

Wyatt has always been popular with fans. The "fireflies" in the audience during his entrance have been lighting up arenas for years despite him always playing the villain. His WWE title victory was welcomed with cheers by the fans in attendance at WWE Elimination Chamber 2017.

WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross has repeatedly been one of the most vocal supporters of a Wyatt face turn due to his clear popularity as he stated once more back in February on his official blog.

Moreover, with Wyatt no longer flanked by The Wyatt Family, his gimmick does not require him to play the bad guy. The fans want to embrace him, while a turn would only help WWE in making his merchandise an easy sell, as casual fans will be more inclined to get behind him once he is a face.

Main-event faces always find steadier success than heels because feuds are devised to give the fan favorites their happy moment at the end. Not only would Wyatt break the cycle of losing in three-match feuds, he would also be crowned champion more often as he would be a marketable face with credibility.

Even if this didn't work out, Wyatt has earned the chance for a fresh start. He has repeatedly had great performances on the top of the card and suffered through terrible booking, with his matches including everything from singing children to maggots infesting the ring.

Until Wyatt turns face, he will be stuck in the same routine. Hints on Raw suggest that Wyatt will next be feuding with Seth Rollins, who could very well be on his way to a Universal Championship shot in the near future. It is unlikely Wyatt comes out victorious, once more scaring Rollins until his mind games are overcome.

The Eater of Worlds could be the next Undertaker, the one wrestler so impressive and mystical that he forces fans to suspend their disbelief in his presence. Taker was built up as the ultimate adversary, a foe who would never be easily toppled, though, and Wyatt needs to feel just as indomitable as Taker once did. But he never will as long as he remains the heel in every face's way to success.