Bray Wyatt made a massive return to WWE during Extreme Rules in 2022, much to the excitement of fans worldwide. Sadly, Wyatt passed away last year, leaving a tremendous void in the wrestling community. In fact, Jeff Hardy has now revealed that Bray Wyatt wanted to bring the Willow character to WWE.
Jeff Hardy achieved a level of success only a handful of pro wrestlers have managed in their careers and one of his most iconic characters is undoubtedly his Willow gimmick, which he debuted in TNA and Hardy made it clear that he would bring back the character before he retires.
While speaking on the Keepin’ It 100 podcast, Jeff Hardy shared that there were talks about bringing his Willow character to WWE with Bray Wyatt. He remembered a backstage moment when he, Matt Hardy as “Broken” Matt, and Bray Wyatt were getting ready to team up. During that time, Jeff Hardy and Bray had a conversation, and Bray mentioned bringing the Willow character in future WWE storylines, especially with his Fiend character.
This idea made Hardy really excited since Willow had been a big part of his past in wrestling. He imagined a match between Willow and the Fiend, but it never happened. Hardy also talked about Bray’s unique presence, especially how he said “Follow the buzzards.” Bray’s connection to darker themes always made Hardy think about deep things like death, which makes Bray’s passing feel even more unreal to him.
“I had a few conversations. One of my favorite backstage moments of all time was when me, Matt—Broken Matt—and Bray all met up when they were about to start teaming. I just remember around that time, there was a moment when I was sitting with Bray, like on a bus during a tour or something. He said, ‘I don’t know,’ and I think he was talking about some Fiend stuff for the future. But I said, and he mentioned something like, ‘Maybe we could bring Willow in.’ He really wanted to bring Willow.
That just, the wrestling fan in me and the younger version of me—because Willow was my main deal back in the day—I got so excited. I thought, one day, I could mix it up with him, Fiend and Willow but none of that happened. Just even the way he would say ‘Follow the buzzards,’ his essence, his presence—it always kind of made me think about, you know, death and stuff. He was kind of in tune with that. So, for him to be gone now… it’s just unreal.”
Jeff Hardy has confirmed that he plans to bring back The Willow character in TNA as well. Regardless, it is a shame that The Fiend and Willow never got to square off against each other on WWE television, and it will always remain a big regret for fans and Jeff Hardy alike.
What’s your view on Bray Wyatt wanting to bring Willow to WWE? Do you feel it should have happened? Let us know in the comments section below!
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