Bray Wyatt needs to win this match.
Bray Wyatt hasn’t gotten a victory on a pay-per-view since Extreme Rules at the beginning of May. It’s a streak that I believe will end on August 17 at SummerSlam. With Bray’s loss to Cena at Payback and his inability to capture the title at Money In The Bank, I think a lot of fans expected Wyatt to come out on top in his first encounter with Chris Jericho, but the Fozzy frontman proved those fans wrong when he beat Wyatt at Battleground. That loss, however, and maybe even his previous two were simply building to this point to prove himself.
In the past week, Jericho has defeated both Erick Rowan and Luke Harper, stipulating that both men will be barred from ringside in the upcoming contest. Seemingly, this would take the edge away from Wyatt, making it more of an even playing field for both men. That is what will make a victory for Wyatt all the sweeter. To not only defeat as decorated a wrestler as Chris Jericho, but to do so without the aid of his Wyatt Family brethren is a feat that just may wipe the slate clean and make up for recent pay-per-view losses. Although, obtaining that victory may be difficult. Bray has to get past the nine time Intercontinental Champion, someone who already has a victory over him.
Chris Jericho prides himself on being one of the greats. He has been in the ring with the best of the best and beaten them, so it’s no surprise that upon his return to the ring he is embroiled in a feud with one of the most promising wrestlers to come along in quite some time. However, the sad truth of it all is that Chris Jericho isn’t getting any younger. He’s 43 now and seems to be dedicating more and more of his time to his band Fozzy. It makes these moments, when he does get back in the ring, mean more. Jericho always sets out to make an impact, and what better impact could he make then to slay the demented dragon that no one, with the possible exception of John Cena, has been able to overcome? To finally put Bray Wyatt in his place, that would be another great moment in the career of Chris Jericho, and further prove that, not only does he “still got it”, as he has said many times, he’s never lost it baby!
What if he can’t slay the dragon though? What does it mean for Y2J if he can’t ultimately overcome Bray Wyatt? With the rising popularity of Fozzy, his runs on television shows like Dancing With The Stars and various hosting gigs, plus his podcast, it’s clear that Jericho likes to keep himself busy and if he stopped wrestling he would probably be fine. However, is this that time? Jericho is not only facing someone who is 16 years younger than he, but he is facing a man who is one of the best competitors to come along in recent years. A loss here may not phase Jericho, but it may be a stumbling block. Not the final nail in the coffin of his wrestling career, but with age and other commitments piling up, it may be the first nail.
Looking at his opponent, what would a loss mean for Wyatt? Initially, I had said that a loss to Cena wouldn’t hurt Bray too much, but now, after failing to capture the title at Money in the Bank, and already falling to Chris Jericho once, another pay-per-view loss may send Wyatt further down a slippery slope. He can play all of the mind games he wants. He may have the whole world in his hands and a legion of fans singing along, but all of that means very little if he can’t secure a victory. He then becomes a lost shepherd, a dragon without fire. Bray Wyatt cannot afford to lose, Bray Wyatt needs to win this match.
Photo via WWE.com
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