WWE Brilliantly Riding Red-Hot Bray Wyatt with Mega Push to Title Scene

In WWE's latest pursuit of reviving the "anything can happen at any time" feeling, Bray Wyatt's The Fiend attacked Seth Rollins right after his Universal Championship defense to close Sunday's Clash of Champions pay-per-view. 

Brilliant by most measures—The Fiend is the hottest thing in wrestling on the planet right now. At a time when the champion is supposed to celebrate at the top of the ramp looking down the aisle at his fallen adversary as the credits roll, The Fiend slashed the typical ho-hum ending.  

It doesn't get much bigger than that right now, which is why WWE is so smart for leaning into this as hard as possible. The sooner The Fiend is in a top title picture and headlining pay-per-views, the better. 

Fans have been critical in the past of WWE not pulling the trigger quickly enough on certain things. Recent hiccups like Seth Rollins finally toppling Brock Lesnar, putting a strap on Braun Strowman, etc. 

So getting The Fiend in the Universal title scene now—and probably having him win it while riding this momentum—is a smooth move. The Fiend winning over Rollins at a fitting Hell in a Cell pay-per-view might be predictable, but sometimes predictable endings are the best, most satisfying outcomes for fans. 

There are some major hurdles to consider, yes. The Fiend doesn't talk...and shouldn't. Wyatt himself still does that on Firefly Funhouse. That's how WWE can string this out on a weekly basis to keep the feud going until he actually gets in the ring with Rollins. It might be a little strange, but it doesn't have to be complicated. 

The idea of The Fiend holding a title belt is admittedly a little weird too. But again, have Wyatt prop it up in Firefly Funhouse and have the alter ego never care about it. His just tossing it around like another accessory on the way to the ring could be a point of angst for his babyface opposition. 

And again, it doesn't have to be awkward. There is a scenario where the Wyatt-The Fiend split gets interesting on live programming. Maybe Wyatt shows up in some fun backstage segments where opponents try to coax The Fiend out to no avail. 

Another problem—Rollins. He's been flat since 'Mania, going through the real-life couple storyline and Baron Corbin sagas. The match with Strowman on Sunday night was electric, but if he's feuding with the uber-popular Wyatt and his alter ego, he's going to be just another good guy (or tweener at best) getting boo'd by fans. 

At this point though, WWE has to know that going into this and everyone is just fine with it. Nobody is getting cheered over The Fiend now, hence the incoming push to the main-event scene. 

One more thing to consider: the upcoming WWE draft. SmackDown is going to Fox in the fall and it is safe to presume they want a more sporting-esque vibe to the show, not necessarily wrestling acts like an Undertaker. Rollins isn't a great character, but like a Roman Reigns, he's respected, amazing in the ring and has broad non-wrestling appeal. 

Meaning, Rollins is probably going over there and can't be holding Raw's top title when he does. What else was Rollins going to do next anyway? He's had matches with AJ Styles, put down bad guys like Corbin and now had another run-in with Strowman. Lesnar will come back eventually, but he's certainly going to SmackDown too. Other than someone like Samoa Joe or a quick ascension for Ricochet, there isn't much left. 

Should Rollins drop the belt and leave, The Fiend having a reign of terror of sorts on the red brand at the top of the card has a certain allure to it. While Rollins and Co. are off putting on the mainstream-style matches and whatever comes with the new programming, the new champ and the remaining roster could be putting on some memorable stories and sagas. 

Everything else can fall into place from there. The draft could fix the fact Raw would be losing its outright face of the company, since a demonic character probably shouldn't be it. There are ways around everything in this scenario (Finn Balor and a certain Demon will return soon, for starters). 

But there isn't a way around crowning The Fiend right now, which WWE seems to understand. In an era with budding legitimate competition and a jarring lack of Superstars who can stand on their own like the Stone Colds of old, WWE can't afford to pass on this. 

Sunday was the first step in a captivating direction for WWE, provided the company is willing to fully commit to the newest iteration of Bray Wyatt.