Ranking the 5 Best Opponents for The Fiend's WWE Return

The Monday after WrestleMania 37, Bray Wyatt appeared in his Firefly Fun House and talked about looking forward to a fresh start. We have not seen or heard from him since.

Obviously, it's a matter of when, not if he will return. The Fiend is still a viable character who can be part of unique storylines as long as the creative team gives it the attention it deserves.

Toward the end of his most recent feud with Randy Orton, some members of the WWE Universe were growing tired of The Fiend and his shtick. WWE seemed to be out of ideas for him, so his segments with Orton and Alexa Bliss were becoming repetitive. The end to his 'Mania match with The Viper didn't help. 

Taking a hiatus was the best thing he could have done for his character. Now, he can return refreshed and ready for something new, whatever that may be.

Wyatt has feuded with most of the top stars in WWE, but there are still plenty of options for opponents when he makes his comeback. Let's look at five potential rivals for The Fiend when he makes his return to the squared circle. 

5. Damian Priest

Damian Priest might not be a supernatural character like The Fiend, but he has a bit of a dark edge to him that could mesh well with Wyatt's aesthetic.

Ever since his storyline with Bad Bunny and The Miz came to a close, Priest has been somewhat directionless. A feud with Wyatt could help remind people why he was so popular in NXT.

The Archer of Infamy returned on Monday's Raw after being off television for a while, but he came up short in the Battle Royal and lost his chance to be part of the men's Money in the Bank match. 

If Wyatt returns in time, setting up a program for SummerSlam would be easy. It would just take some creative booking to figure out why The Fiend would be targeting Priest. 

This feud could occupy two or three PPV cards and give both men a chance to score a win before a definitive victor is determined in the final encounter. 

4. Jeff Hardy

Before he became The Fiend, Wyatt was part of a tag team with Matt Hardy. During that brief run, The Eater of Worlds only crossed paths with Jeff Hardy once or twice in backstage segments.

The fact that The Charismatic Enigma didn't have a real feud for several months feels like an oversight. He is still one of the most universally beloved Superstars on the roster and a capable performer who can bring the best out of his opponents. 

His current program with Cedric Alexander seems like a short-term feud that will probably take place entirely on Raw. Once that is over, he would be free to battle Wyatt.

Hardy has faced The Undertaker and Kane multiple times, so he is no stranger to supernatural gimmicks. His own character is just unconventional enough to work well in those situations. 

Even without Matt to create the common bond between them, Jeff and The Fiend could be one of those non-title feuds that end up outshining the championship storylines running at the same time. The weirder WWE lets them get with it, the better. 

3. Sheamus

Sheamus and Wyatt might not seem like a natural fit at first, but the reason this combination would work is that Sheamus sells everything with effort and enthusiasm.

It doesn't matter if he is telling the dumbest jokes in the world or acting as serious as possible. Whatever WWE gives him to do, he nails it.

For months, The Celtic Warrior has been one of the most reliable and consistent performers in all of WWE. Just imagine how entertaining he would be with somebody like The Fiend.

Sheamus would either act unafraid or be scared out of his mind, and he could pull off either role perfectly. If he encountered some of Wyatt's weird mind games, his reactions would be priceless.

Other than a string of matches in 2014 and a few brief encounters since then, Sheamus and Wyatt have never had an extended storyline as opponents. For two guys who have both been around as long as they have, that is pretty rare. 

With the right angle and the proper amount of effort from the creative team, this would be an outstanding combo. 

2. AJ Styles

Like Sheamus, AJ Styles has only encountered Wyatt a handful of times since joining the WWE roster. That fact alone would make this a feud worth testing.

Styles is another one of those guys who can play it serious or make you laugh with a terrible joke. That kind of personality is ideal for an opponent of The Fiend because he can act bravely or cower in fear and we will buy either reaction as genuine.

The Phenomenal One has a reputation for making every match enjoyable, so just imagine what he could do with somebody as versatile as Wyatt.

With Omos in his corner, The Fiend would be at a physical disadvantage for once. This would force WWE to find creative ways to either neutralize him or have him be the one who saves Styles from whatever twisted fate The Fiend had in store. 

This is the kind of feud that WWE could put on the WrestleMania card with or without a title. No matter how strange the whole thing became, Styles' personality would help keep the story grounded to some degree. 

1. Alexa Bliss

When Wyatt eventually returns to WWE television, he absolutely has to settle his issues with Alexa Bliss so both Superstars can move on.

Before WrestleMania, Bliss was The Fiend's loyal sidekick. When she turned on him during his showdown with The Viper, WWE did not do a good job explaining the reason behind the swerve.

If they end up going to war, it's obviously not going to be a traditional match. This is the only time where it would benefit WWE to make a storyline as goofy as humanly possible.

Having a Firefly Fun House match similar to the one Wyatt had with John Cena would be the best way to go. It would allow both competitors to use all of their otherworldly powers in a format that leans into all of the weirdness that comes with that kind of concept. 

Once this feud is done, both people can move on and evolve their characters or change them completely. As entertaining as they have been in these roles, WWE can't sustain gimmicks like this forever. They have to change or risk becoming parodies of themselves, which some would argue has already happened. 

We need closure to this whole storyline, too. If the Harley Quinn cartoon can separate her from The Joker in a satisfying way, WWE can do the same with The Fiend and Bliss.