Uncle Howdy’s Wyatt 6 Deemed Likely to Fail After “Horrible Gimmicks” of Rumored Members

Uncle Howdy and his cryptic messages are all over WWE social media. WWE’s X profile and WhatsApp Channel has been home to quite a few strange QR codes and teases, with fans scrambling to decipher their meaning. In fact, a message posted on WWE website even revealed the date, the ‘Wyatt 6’ faction will debut. Although there is a high anticipation of what is to come next, Wrestling Observer’s Bryan Alvarez shared his apprehensions.

Uncle Howdy’s appearance has been teased for a while now alongside other members of the Wyatt 6. They faction is expected to carry the legacy of the late Bray Wyatt and have its own twist with Uncle Howdy leading the charge. But will the faction get over?

Will Uncle Howdy’s stable flop after launch?

Host Mike Sempervive and Bryan Alvarez discussed the ‘Wyatt 6’ and their imminent debut, on the June 12 edition of Wrestling Observer Live. Talking about his disappointment from the Firefly Fun House segments, which featured Alexa Bliss and Bray Wyatt, Sempervive was more hopeful for the ‘Wyatt 6.’

He said, “I am cautiously optimistic now, with this new regime having full control over this. Maybe they can move it forward in a way that makes it really interesting week after week after week when it comes to them not only appearing in pre-taped things but also in the ring for matches.”

A criticism of Bray Wyatt-related segments was that while they excited the fans, they didn’t translate into great in-ring stories. As a result, the ‘Wyatt 6’ members competing regularly could be a welcome change and build their in-ring characters. With Triple H leading the creative, there is a good chance, that like many others, they will be given a proper opportunity to prove themselves. However, Alvarez has his doubts.

Alvarez said he couldn’t recall the last time Uncle Howdy, Nikki Cross, Dexter Lumis, and Joe Gacy (the rumored members of the faction) delivered a good segment, which is why he thinks Wyatt 6 may not deliver as much as the teasers are setting them up to.

He then added, “This will be something else. It is the synergy of a whole bunch of horrible gimmicks being put together to perhaps make a great gimmick. We’ll see.”

While there may be interest in his characters now, many of Uncle Howdy’s segments when he was Bray Wyatt were confusing rather than being memorable. Dexter Lumis had a good run in NXT with his segments with Johnny Gargano’s family providing comedic relief, but it didn’t translate to the main roster. Joe Gacy’s run as Schism’s leader was solid, but nothing spectacular.

Coming to Nikki Cross, she went from her unhinged gimmick to a superhero gimmick, “Nikki A.S.H,” and even captured the RAW Women’s title but reverted to her previous gimmick shortly after.

While their gimmicks may have had varied success, there is no doubt that this is a talented bunch and if booked right could give WWE the perfect faction to follow the iconic Wyatt Family.

There is also a precedent for characters, such as Uncle Howdy, not going over with the fans due to their gimmick being closely associated with another superstar. Imposter Kane and Fake Undertaker are two of WWE’s grand failures in that sense. But there is also an example of the actual Kane who was brought in to feud with The Undertaker, had a similar gimmick, but got over due to his consistent booking at the top of the table. Which way Uncle Howdy and his ‘Wyatt 6’ will go is what WWE have to decide.

It’s a matter of concern for the promotion and the stable because their return is close. WWE has allegedly spilled the date and venue for the return of Uncle Howdy and his faction.

When and where is Howdy & Co. expected to show up?

There have been instances when Howdy has shown up in the background of WWE’s weekly show to tease fans. However, there hasn’t been an official return yet. This is probably because the Stamford-based company has grand aspirations for the stable.

On Monday Night Raw 06/03, a QR surfaced on the screen as usual. When scanned, fans were led to a page and once the word “secret” was clicked, it led them to a distorted picture of Uncle Howdy.

The tags on the image secretly revealed specific coordinates. The coordinates pointed to Corpus Christi in Texas, where RAW arrives on June 17, two days after the Clash at the Castle PLE in Scotland, UK. Earlier, Uncle Howdy took over WWE’s website and the URL on the WWE.com post read “71enuj,” which is June 17 backwards.

Uncle Howdy’s debut may appear exciting, but it will be the trajectory of the narrative afterward that can determine the quality of the story. Only time will tell whether Bryan Alvarez’s concerns about the storyline come into play. What do you make of the wrestling journalist’s insights? Let us know in the comments.