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They're here. After weeks of teases and speculation, The Wyatt Sicks debuted on Monday's WWE Raw, but the faction was one member short of six.
The closing moments of the June 17 edition of WWE's flagship series perfectly encapsulated the allure and thrills that Bray Wyatt brought to professional wrestling.
It was exhilarating and bittersweet to see the work of the late Superstar live on and comforting to see Bo Dallas still committed to maintaining his brother's vision.
Even more, their arrival proved that Wyatt's approach to pro wrestling and the viral marketing campaign used ahead of his 2022 return still works. The five-minute segment was one of WWE's best cliffhangers of the year, creating positive buzz throughout the week.
The clip of the faction's reveal and backstage attack has generated 2.6 million views on WWE's YouTube channel, making it the highest-viewed video this month. The segment has also sparked a host of videos, articles and social media posts from fans eager to decipher every clue and uncover every Easter egg from this anticipated debut.
The mystery of the sixth member is the latest subject viewers are theorizing about online.
The Devil You Know
Wyatt 6 was Windham Rotunda's Twitter handle during his final stretch with WWE. It likely referenced the six incarnations of his wrestling persona, the basis for the puppets he introduced in 2019 and his last appearances.
The group using this name, led by Uncle Howdy, consists of five members inspired by the inhabitants of The Firefly Funhouse and aspects of his psyche. Dallas donned a look full of nods to iterations of his brother's character, including one of the gloves The Fiend wore with Bray on the front.
Nikki Cross seemingly took on the persona of Abby the Witch. Dexter Lumis is Mercy the Buzzard. Erick Rowan returned as Ramblin' Rabbit, and Joe Gacy is Huskus the Pig.
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All five members either have some connection to Wyatt or similarities to his storied career. Honestly, we could be here all day if we did a deep dive into each character, why they fit their new persona or the Easter eggs from their costumes.
For example, Gacy's NXT run drew comparisons to The Eater of World's stint with the gold brand. Husky Harris famously went down to FCW and reemerged on the main roster as the enigmatic cult leader, Bray Wyatt.
As such, Uncle Howdy's new acolyte is a kindred spirit to the man who successfully reinvented himself and the perfect representation of the period of his career Huskus the Pig symbolizes. Conversely, Ramblin' Rabbit took all of Wyatt's abuse but reluctantly remained loyal like Rowan, who left and rejoined his ranks many times.
In fact, his long-time disciple returned to WWE to join this version of The Wyatt Family. It's a brilliant metaphor for his history with The New Face of Fear and his many attempts to strike out on his own. The skull on the back of his jacket and mallet references his former tag team partner and friend, Brodie Lee.
In short, this all works because it's built on intricate callbacks that reward longtime fans for paying attention. As such, the closing segment started with the sound effects popularized during The Fiend's reign of terror, a familiar sea of fireflies and his trademark lantern.
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There was something so beautiful about watching Cross crawl out of the darkness and find it as a beacon to guide her back to the light. It's an ingenious establishing image and depiction of what Wyatt's legacy offers her and the others.
Even more, it's a message to the fans that the beloved Superstar lives on in our memories and the ideas he left behind. One could argue he is the sixth member and the missing piece of the puzzle.
Bully Ray suggested as much during a recent appearance on Busted Open Radio (h/t Ross W Berman IV of Wrestling Inc).
"The Wyatt Sicks, this is just my opinion, the sixth member is the actual leader, Bray Wyatt, who lives on through the lantern," he said. "I don't need to see another character."
Another Familiar Face
There's also a chance that the last member could be a returning Alexa Bliss. This would line up with some of the early clues we saw.
The initial QR code led to the acronym, "UEDNJ51A." There's a theory that it stands for the initials of the six members of the Wyatt Sicks. The U stands for Uncle Howdy, the E for Erick Rowan, the D for Dexter Lumis, the N for Nikki Cross, the J for Joe Gacy, the five and one equals six, and the A is for Alexa Bliss.
Additionally, she has a connection to the lore because of her alliance with The Fiend in 2020. Uncle Howdy also started to approach her and hint at a storyline with Wyatt before she went on maternity leave last year.
The five-time women's champion would be the biggest star of the group. So, it stands to reason that WWE could save her reveal for a bigger stage such as SummerSlam. This would also give it time to plant seeds and promote her ahead of the event.
This would be an excellent way to bring Bliss back into the fold and add more star power to Raw. Uncle Howdy's motivations are still unclear, but she seemingly factored into his original plans. So, she seems to be the most likely addition to this generation of the Wyatt family.
