It’s been some time since Bray Wyatt and Alexa Bliss have been on RAW. At face value, it appears WWE is taking advantage of a hot item. If so, the concern should be how long can Bliss and Wyatt continue to sell what they’re selling?
Whether anyone likes it or not, the combination of The Fiend and Alexa Bliss is working. What we have to first admit is that both have earned their creative freedom. To look at WWE History, Wyatt officially debuted with WWE in 2012 but the Wyatt Family didn’t do so until 2013. Wyatt and his “sons” Luke Harper (a.k.a. Brodie Lee) and Erick Rowan (a.k.a. Erick Redbeard) formed a menacing trio. In August of 2015, for a time they acquired Braun Strowman. Since the name of their game was gaining new “members”, the entire WWE roster was up for grabs until they disbanded in 2017.
Alexa Bliss, however, took a different route to stardom. She debuted on SmackDown in August 2016 as a substitute for Eva Marie in a match against Becky Lynch. Having had a fiery outing, Bliss would then find herself in the hunt for various titles. The likes of Lynch, Bayley, Asuka, Nia Jax and Sasha Banks are just some of the ladies she feuded with.
In the following years, Bliss started to suffer from the reality of her petite physique. Injuries piling up, her presentation had to be reconsidered. The camera fond of her, Bliss started the “Moment of Bliss” segment in January of 2019. Through that, she established a “friendship” with Nikki Cross. They would interview themselves and others to keep Bliss relevant but out of harm’s way.
Bray Wyatt could sympathize. Following some private matters in 2018, he took some time off to craft a new incarnation and sort himself out. In April of 2019, Wyatt returned with the Firefly Fun House, an homage to his fans. His demented interpretation of a children’s show exposed the inner workings of his mind. He revealed that in those recesses lies The Fiend: an “evil” alter-ego who is responsible for all of Wyatt’s darker inclinations. His request to “let him in” supposedly allows him access to one’s person which leads to him gaining control.
In July 2020, Bliss slipped into the Wyatt/Fiend storyline. She served as a “distraction” for Braun Strowman during the Swamp Fight for Extreme Rules. Since then, she has confirmed her collaboration with The Fiend and now they are wreaking their special brand of havoc on RAW. Bliss even appears now on the Firefly Fun House.
Regarding fans, the response is good. Most who care to comment can’t get enough of this union. Yet, what is overwhelmingly clear, across various platforms, is most of this praise is for Alexa Bliss. Her attractiveness and decent acting skills are winning people over whether they buy the gimmick or not.
So, where does that leave Bray Wyatt? Social media doesn’t tell the best story. After The Fiend attacked Kevin Owens in early October, threads on Reddit dropped Wyatt. The discussion switched to Owens. Currently, people continue to state their disapproval or question The Fiend concept on the Reddit platform. Facebook and Twitter are more positive yet, comments are mixed. What stands out is Wyatt’s approval is certainly tied to working with Bliss.
With this information, it is safe to say Alexa Bliss is in the lead when it comes to selling a gimmick. Given that, Wyatt has to ensure he’s not forgotten or left behind. His case is also unique because he is one of the few wrestlers who have creative control of his direction. Wyatt will have to be clever to remain relevant. Fans are either loving The Fiend or dismissing it. If he wants to give this idea a shot at longevity, he’ll have to guard against painting himself into a corner. Clarifying how a person “lets him in” may be a good place to start.