Why Losing to Goldberg May Be A Good Thing For The Fiend

Before I begin, just want to say I wasn't planning on two of my blog posts occurring on Fridays focusing on wrestling. Yet here we are.

Like many, I viewed The Fiend Bray Wyatt as the next Undertaker. Both have a larger than life, macabre gimmick. Both are super-resilient. Both are dominating forces within the ring. Both have captured the imaginations of wrestling fans.

Both captured the top belt early during their careers.

It is here our analogy ends.

While Undertaker captured the belt early during his WWE tenure, he was an unstoppable juggernaut when he defeated Hulk Hogan. Undertaker was still an unstoppable juggernaut when Hogan defeated him. It's just the Hulkster used a questionable tactic involving the Undertaker's urn. The questionable tactic ultimately led to the unfathomable event of Hogan being stripped of the title.

Yeah, not happening in the Wyatt case...

For starters, not only is Goldberg not being stripped of the title; but he his defending it against Roman Reigns at WrestleMania. Furthermore, Goldberg pinned The Fiend cleanly in a dominating fashion. How'd the Wyatt's Fiend character receive the title? After backlash toward a referee stopping a match because Seth Rollins swung a hammer making The Fiend look weak.

The Fiend HAD to become Universal Champion to salvage the character. During the interim, the Firefly Fun House and the Fiend character demonstrated they could carry both the title and Smackdown. Not only that but as a heel both characters were just as popular with crowd as if they were the faces they were squaring off against. One problem though...

It was rumored the Fiend would lose to Roman Reigns at WrestleMania.

If you really think about it, the Fiend losing to Reigns at WrestleMania implies Vince McMahon didn't really perceive The Fiend as the brand carrier. WWE needed someone to carry the belt while they revitalized Reigns in the eyes of the fans. Hey look here! A character who NEEDS the belt to remain vital. The Fiend could carry the belt in a dominating fashion until WrestleMania and then elevate... Roman Reigns?

The same Roman Reigns who retired the Undertaker?

Same Roman Reigns who defeated Brock Lesnar for the WWE Heavyweight Belt?

Who exactly is The Fiend elevating here? The fan backlash would have been insane.

Oh okay. The backlash is insane now because Goldberg defeated him; however it shouldn't have such a negative long-term impact.

Why?

1) Passing of the torch. A victory over Goldberg could help Reigns in the eyes of wrestling fans whom haven't watched since the Monday Night Wars ended.

2) John Cena MIGHT pass the torch to The Fiend Bray Wyatt. John Cena is part time wrestler who as he stated on the 2/28/2020 Friday Night Smackdown whose WrestleMania role is unlikely to be what it was. Cena's future is bit appearances and marque matches. He's not the WWE's future. He's its past. The match between Cena and The Fiend should be a match worthy of WrestleMania. Furthermore, as The Fiend is tremendously popular, a victory over Cena at WrestleMania would be THE passing of the torch match at WrestleMania. Unlike Goldberg though, Cena may very well wrestle a couple more matches this year. So WWE may deem a Cena win is okay if he eventually loses. A mistake...

3) No I-lost-the-belt-at-Mania curse. WrestleMania is the biggest stage to lose the belt at. As such, it's the biggest loss to overcome. The Fiend has already lost the belt.

4) The Fiend could establish a streak. Like Goldberg before him, The Fiend/Firehouse Funhouse Bray can embark on a dominating win streak to capture the imagination of the fans. The downside of championships during this day and age is dominating champions aren't revered. The Fiend can now beat anyone on the Smackdown roster regardless of their main event worth status.

5) Goldberg isn't a regular. No wrestler who's working Post-Mania has beaten the Fiend. Suppose depending on whether or not Cena wins, the same could apply to that match as well... but, I digress. Wrestling is part image and the only one to beat The Fiend is a guy who embarked on a triple digit win streak, which ended after losing the title he beat Hulk Hogan for. Pretty easy to be the menacing force when the guy who beat you is not only 'unbeatable' himself but isn't around.

6) Didn't lose the title to Reigns. Thus, the inevitable feud will be fresh and WILL NOT begin with a loss in the Fiend's column.

and finally...

7) They can turn the Fiend face or Stone Cold face/heel who feuds with anyone and everyone all while receiving cheers because he is SUPPOSED to. Fans want someone to cheer in the role of the WWE's boogeyman the Undertaker once held. It really is an awkward fit for a heel and very difficult to do with the Fiend as the champion.

There you have it.

The Fiend can finally embark on path to becoming the next Undertaker now that the shackles of being the Universal Champion has been removed from him. If he's lucky, the Undertaker himself may even pass the torch to him!

Next time.

WWE Friday Night Smackdown Has a King Corbin Problem

I've delayed writing this for about a month now. However, the 2/21/20 Friday Night Smackdown encapsulates my point.

King Corbin was on Smackdown for only a backstage promo. That's it. A mere two-minute, TOPS, backstage promo. He didn't come to the ring. King Corbin didn't wrestle a match. None of that. If you hadn't been watching Friday Night Smackdown on Fox since its debut, you wouldn't know King Corbin was the Number 2 heel (bad guy).

The promo was dull, lackluster, and didn't do anything to make one watch the climax of a six month feud inside a steel cage taking place in Saudi Arabia. Rest of Friday Night Smackdown on the other hand was easily among the better Smackdowns since its inception on Fox.

You could argue then King Corbin isn't the number two heel on the blue brand. I'd agree with you; but WWE's booking argues otherwise. There simply isn't a heel on the roster who take his place. Maybe Sheamus Post-Wrestlemania. However, the Celtic Warrior is feuding with... short people. Miz and Morrison are competing in the tag division. As is Roode and Ziggler.

Nakamura-Zayne-Cesaro are a great heel trio. They get heat. They are great heels. They lose far more than they win. I really don't see WWE improving their win record anytime soon.

Like or not, King Corbin is the number 2 heel. A number two heel whom as announcer Michael Cole has state has had a bad six months. Why? Cause for the past six months, he has been feuding with Roman Reigns and has been outclassed the entire time.

Sure, Corbin has come out a couple times. He's won a match or two (with help). Corbin has dumped and smeared dog food all over Reigns (with help). However, Reigns would get his comeuppance the following week. Reigns pinned Corbin during a Street Fight at the Royal Rumble despite Corbin getting help. The entire storyline has been Corbin is not the equal of Roman Reigns.

Not only is the Steel Cage Match in Super Showdown in Saudi Arabia next Thursday the end to a six month feud, it's a mercy killing for fans. Reigns-Corbin feud will cease. King Corbin will feud with someone else.

Problem is The Fiend Bray Wyatt won't remain Universal Champion forever. Someone will wrestle the new face champion. The only logical choice is King Corbin who really hasn't been convincing as credible heel threat. What if the face is Roman Reigns? Renew the six month feud? Hard pass.

Don't get me wrong. King Corbin isn't a bad heel. He does a great job getting fans to boo him and despise him. Corbin won't become a face because the fans decides he should be. However, he's not a credible number one heel. He can barely win WITH help. Honestly, the best choice is push him back to the mid-card.

Maybe Zayn can become his manager and four wrestlers can actually overpower Elias and Braun Strowman? Maybe Drew Gulak can mentor him with his Power Point slides to enable him to defeat Daniel Bryan? No potential feud feels compelling as they seem to be a waste for the wrestler paired with him.

By favoring Roman Reigns at the expense of King Corbin, creative has unwittingly buried King Corbin. A shame, really.

Next time.