Wyatt Sicks release ends chapter of Bray Wyatt’s legacy, but not the book | Column
Nikki Cross, Joe Gacy, Dexter Lumis, Erik Rowan, and Bo Dallas (The Wyatt Sicks) were part of the post-WrestleMania 42 WWE roster cuts on Friday, closing a chapter in Bray Wyatt’s legacy, but definitely not ending the book.
If anything, Wyatt’s influence in wrestling may prove to be an ongoing series rather than a completed volume.
Bray wasn’t the kind of wrestler that gets over with hardcore fans who watch a lot of wrestling and generally tend to prefer in-ring work over creative characters. He wasn’t the kind of wrestler who was putting on five-star bangers, but to a segment of the audience, he was special.
Specifically, his Firefly Funhouse character and The Fiend really landed with a segment of the audience.
Popularity of Bray Wyatt’s Firefly Funhouse, Fiend, and White Rabbit campaign
Dave Meltzer reported in late 2019 that Wyatt had surpassed everyone on the WWE roster to become the company’s top merchandise seller following seven months of Firefly Funhouse segments and The Fiend being presented as an unstoppable force. During that period, WWE also released a Firefly Funhouse playset on WWEShop.com priced at $99.99 that reportedly sold out instantly.
They also marketed a custom Fiend championship belt that retailed for $6,499.99.
Then when Wyatt returned in 2022 with the mysterious White Rabbit campaign and QR codes that led fans to hidden clues and riddles, the Wyatt effect was felt again. PWInsider reported Wyatt’s return generated 1.86 million YouTube views across WWE videos, 1.2 million Twitter views, 437,045 Instagram likes, around 500,000 Facebook views, and 73,000 TikTok views.
However, the audience segment that loved Bray and was willing to pay high prices for his merchandise didn’t get into the Wyatt Sicks the way they did the Firefly Funhouse or Fiend, although I’m not sure the group was ever given the same opportunity to get over.
Wyatt Sicks debut created immediate buzz
The Wyatt Sicks made quite an impression with their debut on the June 17, 2024 episode of Raw as live-action versions of Wyatt’s Firefly Funhouse characters.
The closing segment of that show featured what many viewers interpreted as a mass casualty incident, with Chad Gable and others shown motionless backstage.
The debut created the same buzz that Bray did, but lengthy absences and a lack of clear direction dictated the story of the group’s run afterward.
For the remainder of 2024, the Wyatts feuded with American Made and then Karrion Kross and his Final Testament stable. An injury to Bo Dallas/Uncle Howdy then took the group off television until May 2025.
Last summer, the Wyatts won the tag titles from the Street Profits and sat atop the division for the remainder of the year, eventually entering what would be their final storyline in WWE against The MFTs.
The group never returned to the buzzworthy status they had after the June 17 debut and didn’t capture that same segment of the audience that Bray had.
This is not to say the run was a failure, however. While it didn’t get over enough to last, it was something needed for the segment of the population that was impacted by Wyatt’s death.
For those fans that scrounged up all their money to buy the Firefly Funhouse set, or a Fiend mask or title, Wyatt’s death at 36 years of age hurt, and probably still hurts. While those fans didn’t know Bray, they connected to his art. Seeing that art continue on WWE programming for two years after his death was likely comforting to those fans.
The Wyatt Sicks release is not the end of Bray Wyatt’s influence in wrestling
I don’t believe we’ve seen the last of Bo Dallas in wrestling, or others from the group. Also, Alexa Bliss carried on Bray Wyatt’s legacy at WrestleMania this year, wearing several Wyatt-inspired items as part of her ring gear.
We will see some of those fans who were so invested in the Firefly Funhouse begin their own wrestling careers. Those same fans may have gravitated to Jake Roberts in the 80s, or Raven in the 90s, but for their generation, Wyatt was their guy. Their favorite. And they’ll bring parts of him back. It’s actually already started.
Brodie Lee Jr. vs. Joey Janela
If you’re a wrestling fan who hasn’t seen Brodie Lee Jr. vs. Joey Janela from Spring Break this year, stop what you are doing, order the show on Triller, and watch it.
Brodie Lee/Jon Huber/Luke Harper’s role in the Wyatt Family is an important part of this story. Lee’s own story branched away from Wyatt’s when he went to AEW and has its own tale of tragedy and influence. Both the Wyatt and Brodie Lee stories were part of the Janela vs. Brodie Lee Jr. match, and it was beautiful.
The tributes that the 14-year-old son of Brodie Sr. did for both his late father and for Wyatt were a work of art. Whoever put that match together needs to get some type of award. It was proof that Wyatt and Lee’s legacy will live on through their influence in wrestling.
You’re never truly gone until you are forgotten, and the next generation of wrestlers are not going to let that happen for either Wyatt or Brodie.
Ian Carey is a writer from Toronto, Ontario, Canada, whose work has been featured in NOW Magazine, The Huffington Post, and more. A lifelong wrestling aficionado born in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, he has covered the industry for a decade and a half. He joined the f4wonline.com team in 2019.