At present, Cody Rhodes is reveling in his triumphant return to WWE, and former organization stars like Adam Cole and Bryan Danielson continue to thrive with their careers over at AEW. All the while, it’s easy to forget that one of the biggest names in the pro wrestling industry remains a free agent. Windham Rotunda, commonly known as Bray Wyatt, hasn’t been in the ring in quite some time. The situation might be confusing to some fans, considering that he left World Wrestling Entertainment as one of the top stars in the business. There's been plenty of speculation since and, now, we may know why Wyatt hasn’t been signed by another organization.
The latest reports regarding Bray Wyatt's return to wrestling allege that there are organizations that are interested in signing him. Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer claims that there's a very specific reason why a deal has yet to be made. The industry insider told an inquiring fan on Twitter that potential agreements have been somewhat hindered by the sum of money the star is apparently asking for:
His asking price is very high. https://t.co/VNZJAy9hn4April 19, 2022
So at the moment, it appears that neither WWE or AEW (and maybe even Impact Wrestling, based on past rumors) are willing to offer the entertainer what he's asking for. While the terms professional wrestling contracts aren’t usually common knowledge, Wrestling Observer (via Sportskeeda) reported that the star's final agreement with the WWE was a four-year deal value at $3 million, per year. It’s been reported that this deal similar to the one Kevin Owens signed when he re-upped with WWE but again, this hasn't been confirmed by the organization itself.
Given that the salaries of World Wrestling Entertainment's talent aren’t publicly known, it’s hard to say where Bray Wyatt’s contract fell in comparison to the brand's other stars. What is known, however, is that Wyatt was one of the its most popular superstars for years and frequently found himself in main event matches, in which he was pitted against John Cena and other major stars. I’d wager that many wrestling fans agree that Wyatt is worth the money for any wrestling outfit, especially during a time of fierce competition between AEW and WWE. So it’s hard to imagine many reasons why a company wouldn’t pay unless the asking price is astronomically high.
One potential cause might be tied to rumors regarding the 34-year-old wrestling champ's demeanor outside the ring. While Cody Rhodes had nothing but positive things to say when CinemaBlend spoke to him about Bray Wyatt, there have been claims that he's difficult to work with behind the scenes. Sources also claim his weight was an issue and may have factored into his release.
It’s been over a year since he wrestled in WrestleMania 37 (available with a Peacock premium subscription). Even so, the fact that fans are still asking about his return should be telling in terms of how popular he still is. Only time will tell if an organization is willing to take on the fan-favorite competitor. Right now, all fabs can do is wait and hope that eventually finds his way back to the ring somehow.
Though Bray Wyatt is still sitting out, most of his greatest matches are now available to stream on Peacock.
