Since the fall of last year, Alexa Bliss has been playing the role of horror character in a wrestling ring. It is something of a WWE cliché; with the likes of Papa Shango, The Boogeyman, Gangrel, and Mordecai being just a few examples of a list almost as long as the List of 1004 Holds. Of course, the likes of The Undertaker, Kane, and to an extent, Bray Wyatt are shining examples of this horror cliché. Alexa Bliss might count herself as one of the better ones, with her own horrific character outshining Bray Wyatt almost since she first donned the swing set and pigtails. As good as Bliss has been in this role previously, it is growing tiresome – with the ongoing feud with The Fiend almost feeling beneath her. It is time for Bliss to move on from this chapter and return to the living. Here’s why.
The Women’s Division Needs Alexa Bliss
Alexa Bliss is one of the more established names on the roster and that’s including both the men and women. An NXT graduate, Bliss debuted on SmackDown almost five years ago, proving to be one of the key signings of the inaugural draft of the infamously dubbed “New Era.” Since then, she has gone on to become a five-time Women’s Champion (3x RAW and 2x SmackDown Women’s Champion). She is a two-time WWE Women’s Tag Team Champion with former partner, Nikki Cross. She has been one of the true success stories among NXT promotions and is worthy enough to be a champion again one day.
However, her current “Female Fiend” character is preventing her from being a part of a women’s division on RAW which truly needs her. Yes, there are plenty of talented names; Asuka, Charlotte Flair, Rhea Ripley and Shayna Baszler are among the notable standouts. Not to mention Becky Lynch, should she choose to return to RAW. Soon enough, these same feuds will mean a requirement for a fresh injection of talent, and given Alexa Bliss has been away from the title scene for so long, she is perfect for the role.
Since becoming Bray Wyatt’s sidekick and, later on, his nemesis, Alexa Bliss has been exclusive to the men’s division, feuding with (and scoring a pin over) Randy Orton. Whereas she could quite easily return to the women’s division in the current incarnation of her character. To do so so would diminish the seriousness and legitimacy the WWE has been trying to build with its women’s divisions – both of which have headlined a WrestleMania in the past few years (Charlotte, Becky and Ronda Rousey at WresteMania 35; Sasha Banks and Bianca Belair at WrestleMania 37). Bliss is a terrific heel and does not require smoke and mirrors to make her appear so.
The Fiend Has Become an Enjoyment Vacuum
This one is subjective. There are many fans of The Fiend and there is no doubting his merchandise-selling ability. Over the past two-and-a-half years, he has captured world titles and been an interesting part of SmackDown and RAW. Unfortunately, over the past year, he has become something of an enjoyment vacuum and his feuds have become increasingly detrimental to both Bray Wyatt and his opponents. It might be because the suspension of disbelief his character requires from the audience to work has become difficult to maintain during a time when there is the legitimacy of characters like “Tribal Chief,” Roman Reigns. It might be because of the booking. Ultimately, it just does not feel right in current-era WWE. Sure, during the days where The Undertaker was crucifying his opponents, it might have worked. Right now, it does not.
This is not a knock on Bray Wyatt; he is clearly a talented and passionate creator of his own universe within the WWE Universe. His creative mind is a shining example of creativity that newer wrestlers should aspire to possess – Wyatt gets it. However, for whatever reason, The Fiend no longer works. The longer Alexa Bliss remains bound to this character, whether as ally or foe, the longer she, too, becomes untenable. She would bounce back, of course; she possesses both the ability and name value to not become terminally damaged, but her battle becomes more difficult the longer this goes on. When her feud with The Fiend inevitably concludes, she needs to begin the process towards becoming human (that being a non-slime spewing, Randy Orton-slaying demon of death) once more.
She Has Proven She is Too Good for This Role
Whereas this article is a critique of the current Fiend/Alexa Bliss feud and their respective characters, it has to be acknowledged that she has excelled in the role. Again, as mentioned earlier, she has outshone Bray Wyatt ever since she first appeared in the Firefly Fun House. She has proven time and time again that she is actually a pretty good actress. Maybe an acting career beckons when she hangs up her wrestling boots but, right now, Alexa Bliss is too good for this role.
Bliss does not need to be “Female Fiend” to achieve success and has proven her worth as someone who can play multiple roles of polar opposite characteristics. She has nothing else to prove. Given Vince McMahon is notorious for his preference of workers who can play a character as opposed to strict ring-work, there is no doubt that she will have impressed him, too. Now, it is time for Alexa Bliss to close this chapter; ditch the smoke and mirrors and shine like she has proven she can, without the horror movie cinematics.
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