WrestleMania 33 Preview: Bray Wyatt vs. Randy Orton

At WrestleMania, Smackdown Live presents us with the climax to the infiltration and decimation of The Wyatt Family when Randy Orton faces Bray Wyatt for the WWE World Championship. 

The title has never been engulfed in so much craziness. The storyline contained a burned down shack, a quasi-dead sister, a crusix that could double as a NWO Wolfpac-themed tennis racket, a charcoal covered baptism, tag team titles and enough espionage for a Tom Clancy novel. 

The madness began way back in October 2016. Randy Orton somehow became an infiltration specialist when he decided to break up the family from within. In the following months, Orton would gain Bray’s trust by helping him to win the Smackdown Live Tag Team Championships. Orton, Wyatt and Luke Harper proved to be great-yet short lived trio. Once Randy won the Royal Rumble, the writing was on the wall for who he would eventually face at Mania.

But then the feud really gets weird. Orton played the fake mind control card so well that Bray gave him the keys to the Wyatt Compound. Randy would set the Wyatt shack (and the internet) ablaze while taunting Bray with his unmistakable pose. It was truly hilarious. 

Oh yeah, and the legendary figure, Sister Abigail, had her remains destroyed in the fire which prompted Bray to baptize himself in her ashes. Wyatt also gained some unknown power from all of this chaos.

Mind you, none of this has anything to do with the match this Sunday. After all of the insane story elements, the most prestigious title in sports entertainment has somehow been lost in the process. Orton clearly wants the title, but Bray needs it. He’s faced every big name at Mania that the company has to offer, yet this is most important bout. I undoubtedly believe that Wyatt will be victorious. Orton as champion has no purpose.

Conversely, WWE has opened up the notion that Sister Abigail is (or was) a real being. Could we see her show up at WrestleMania? Will Luke Harper be involved in the match? Is Erick Rowan even worth mentioning? While Mania is usually the end of feuds, this one may go into Extreme Rules. The story has been too crazy to end with a clean finish.

Prediction: Wyatt hits his finisher after Orton is distracted by “someone” and retains the World Title.