Smack2k Posted July 1, 2014 Report Share Posted July 1, 2014 I have been thinking about this all day today and still cannot come up with what good turning Bray Wyatt completely face would do...it woudl take away what makes him special...so how could you do it and keep his aura going? If he becomes face and a "sheep", his whole personality is gone... Anyone know how he could be as good as a face? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WingedEagle Posted July 1, 2014 Report Share Posted July 1, 2014 Only thing I can come up with would be to strongly put over a heel Luke Harper, who's the real star of the act as far as I'm concerned. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loss Posted July 1, 2014 Report Share Posted July 1, 2014 People are cheering for him and he is purposely playing it up. WWE is apparently comparing it to Dusty's mid-1970s babyface turn internally, which cracks me up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SomethingSavage Posted July 1, 2014 Report Share Posted July 1, 2014 People are cheering for him and he is purposely playing it up. WWE is apparently comparing it to Dusty's mid-1970s babyface turn internally, which cracks me up. Okay. Color me curious. Can ya elaborate on that one? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loss Posted July 1, 2014 Report Share Posted July 1, 2014 Well, it just makes me laugh that it's a point of reference for people within WWE at all. But Dusty turned babyface on the strength of his unique charisma and it took off. Or were you wanting me to explain that people are cheering Bray and he is playing it up on purpose? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smack2k Posted July 1, 2014 Author Report Share Posted July 1, 2014 Hopefully that Wyatt attack on Y2J should calm down the face stuff... He may be playing up to the crowd, but it fits his "cult" character to turn everyone to worship him....still as a heel.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loss Posted July 1, 2014 Report Share Posted July 1, 2014 I still think they're going to turn him. There just isn't a rush to do it. If they weren't, Bray would stop celebrating with the crowd after he hits certain spots, doing the hometown thing for the cheap pop, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SomethingSavage Posted July 1, 2014 Report Share Posted July 1, 2014 Well, it just makes me laugh that it's a point of reference for people within WWE at all. But Dusty turned babyface on the strength of his unique charisma and it took off. Or were you wanting me to explain that people are cheering Bray and he is playing it up on purpose? Sorry, man. Should have clarified. I meant to ask for more details about the "people" internally drawing that comparison. Are there any specifics or details about WHO is buying into or putting over this idea? I'm not a rumor mill guy, and I don't read any reports or Observers or anything like that. So, unless I run across it here or on another board I happen to frequent, then I don't usually hear about it. Strikes me as an odd comparison, too. No built-in baddie for Bray to immediately oppose, as with the evil foreigner that helped establish the "American Dream" moniker in the first place. No go-to threat like Gary Hart and his troops. No hometown, homegrown, super sympathetic victims like the Grahams to save from the perils of said evil. None of that exists with the Bray deal. He's just a guy that's getting cheers and noticeable reactions. The Dusty equation was filled to the brim with showmanship and overflowing with charismatic charm, but there was a lot more that went into the success of the turn than that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
(BP) Posted July 1, 2014 Report Share Posted July 1, 2014 The Wyatt Family vs the Authority seems like an easy go-to. I always assumed it's why they never directly associated them. If they don't want Bryan as champion, they sure as hell don't want Bray. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loss Posted July 1, 2014 Report Share Posted July 1, 2014 It was something Dave dropped on WOR I think last week. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smack2k Posted July 1, 2014 Author Report Share Posted July 1, 2014 I still think they're going to turn him. There just isn't a rush to do it. If they weren't, Bray would stop celebrating with the crowd after he hits certain spots, doing the hometown thing for the cheap pop, etc. Very true Loss, but I also think that again it fits his character as a "cult" type leader trying to bring everyone under his area of influence and herd the "sheep" together...making him a face, to me, will completely destroy that and Harper and Rowan's kind of horror movie crazy bastards thing into two big dudes with dirty clothes and a sheeps mask that little kids could end up buying at merchandise....no thanks... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt D Posted July 1, 2014 Report Share Posted July 1, 2014 I can see what they might think they can do. For one, Vince loves hillbillies. I could see him pushing that way with it. Not quite Hillbilly Jim but more "We're going to take you behind the woodshed." I also wouldn't be surprised if they don't think they can't siphon off some of Daniel Bryan's stuff onto him. He's a bearded misfit too and maybe the fans can relate to that, with the sing-along gimmick not that far off from Yes in some ways. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bierschwale Posted July 1, 2014 Report Share Posted July 1, 2014 The Wyatt Family vs the Authority seems like an easy go-to. I always assumed it's why they never directly associated them. If they don't want Bryan as champion, they sure as hell don't want Bray. The Bryan turn, and most obviously the segment from the last RAW of 2013 where he "joined" them, felt like absolute foreshadowing for a face turn and a Corporation-Ministry redux feud. It was all about how Bryan had no recourse but to give in to Bray because of "the machine" that had kept him down. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loss Posted July 1, 2014 Report Share Posted July 1, 2014 I still think they're going to turn him. There just isn't a rush to do it. If they weren't, Bray would stop celebrating with the crowd after he hits certain spots, doing the hometown thing for the cheap pop, etc. Very true Loss, but I also think that again it fits his character as a "cult" type leader trying to bring everyone under his area of influence and herd the "sheep" together...making him a face, to me, will completely destroy that and Harper and Rowan's kind of horror movie crazy bastards thing into two big dudes with dirty clothes and a sheeps mask that little kids could end up buying at merchandise....no thanks... If he's not going to turn babyface, he should stop doing those things. It undermines the babyfaces he works with by turning the crowd against them. I don't understand preferring him as a heel when he is purposely trying to be loved. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillThompson Posted July 1, 2014 Report Share Posted July 1, 2014 Is he deciding to do those things, or being told to do those things? I think that's an important distinction to make, and in this day and age where everything has to be run by someone I'm pretty sure he's not purposely trying to be loved, but doing what he's being told to do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loss Posted July 1, 2014 Report Share Posted July 1, 2014 Regardless of whose decision it is, my point was that he should stop doing them for the reasons I outlined above. I agree that he's probably not the one calling the shots, but the end result is still what it is. It's not so much a criticism of him, unless he's the one doing that stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
(BP) Posted July 1, 2014 Report Share Posted July 1, 2014 He's spent most of the year with Cena where he was going to get cheered regardless. I don't know how a Jericho feud will work promo wise because Jericho can be guilty of a lot of the same comedy stuff Cena does when he's a face. Bray's promos are part of a larger issue of heels knowing that getting face reactions will get them a push faster than real heeling will. It's been like that for a long time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smack2k Posted July 2, 2014 Author Report Share Posted July 2, 2014 Regardless of whose decision it is, my point was that he should stop doing them for the reasons I outlined above. I agree that he's probably not the one calling the shots, but the end result is still what it is. It's not so much a criticism of him, unless he's the one doing that stuff. I get what you are saying, but they could use this to his advantage, to draw everyone in and then do something horrible that turns everyone against him... I am just stuck because as much as I agree with you from your reasons, which to me would fit ANY other face, his character fits this act PERFECTLY...he doesnt care if someone agrees or not right now, he is preaching his message and the more that like it and agree with it, the more powerful he gets....Jim Jones-esque (without the Kool-Aid and death of course...) so that is why its hard for me to say one is better than the other in this case.... A face turn is bad because they'd have to switch his act up, which would completey undermine what his character has been until now. If they kept this act as is and turned him face, that gets into a weird "cult leaders are great" kind of thing (if that makes sense), and I dont know if stock holders and others would ike a cult leader being portayed as a good guy to get behind. The crowd can get behind him now all they want, but to forceably say "he is a great guy now" would unfortunately be bad when they are public...I HATE that that is even a thought, but the reality is what it is and people in today's era wont take huge chances with things that people can jump on as bad....I think I am blowing this out of proportion but the thought of it is what makes me think its a BAD idea to make him face as there is no win with it... If they chang him up to a good guy and drop his "cult" thing, it will dull him and he'll fade quickly as a face (to me anyway). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SomethingSavage Posted July 2, 2014 Report Share Posted July 2, 2014 Changing the nature of the character would only neuter him. Changing the guys across the ring from him wouldn't do any damage though. Keep Bray the same. Just change who and what he's fighting. That's it. Simple as that. Happened with the Shield - ironically enough, WHEN they went to war with the Wyatts. To be frank, once he goes babyface, he's going to eventually evolve as a character and the bizarre aspects WILL get toned down. But rushing it would do damage to the act, if anything. Call me crazy, but I think Bray could remain heel and get A LOT of mileage out of the old bait & switch tactic. Tease giving the fans the things, the spots, and the moments they want - only to rip them away. This functions at the character level, too. Yes. He's essentially a cult leader, but establishing dominance and making the rules goes hand-in-hand with that. They could even talk it up like he's "testing the faith" or loyalty of the sheep that follow his way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lee Casebolt Posted July 2, 2014 Report Share Posted July 2, 2014 Call me crazy, but I think Bray could remain heel and get A LOT of mileage out of the old bait & switch tactic. Tease giving the fans the things, the spots, and the moments they want - only to rip them away. This functions at the character level, too. Yes. He's essentially a cult leader, but establishing dominance and making the rules goes hand-in-hand with that. They could even talk it up like he's "testing the faith" or loyalty of the sheep that follow his way. Far from being crazy, I think that would make him a much better heel than he's been thus far. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dawho5 Posted July 2, 2014 Report Share Posted July 2, 2014 I think you guys are forgetting that you don't need to act like a face to be a face. Remember Austin during the Attitude Era? He did all the same stuff he had done as a heel, but the crowd loved him and he got cheers for it. Like was mentioned earlier, put him up against heels and have him do the same stuff he did as a heel. With a little of that teasing of what the fans want. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loss Posted July 2, 2014 Report Share Posted July 2, 2014 I agree with everything being said. As a sidenote, I have to ask what exactly Bray's message is. I'm still not sure I know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dylan Waco Posted July 2, 2014 Report Share Posted July 2, 2014 I am not a fan of Bray's promos. At all. But I think the entire point is that you don't know what his message is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DMJ Posted July 2, 2014 Report Share Posted July 2, 2014 I think his message has been pretty clear - he's madman trying to "take over the world" through terror and violence via his cult of brainwashed hillbillies. Does this explain everything? No, but I'm not sure what else needs to be explained or if he needs to come out and say this directly as his actions have made this clear (to me at least). I don't expect we'll get more backstory or much "shading in" of his character in a PG WWE as, compared to the Kane origin story, for example, I agree with Dylan that the WWE is purposefully keeping things somewhat vague regarding the details of how Bray brainwashes people, how he came to be, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt D Posted July 2, 2014 Report Share Posted July 2, 2014 He's the manifestation of a curse that Kevin Sullivan cast against the Mulligans in 1984. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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