Jim Cornette says ex-WWE Champion will be booed in AEW if he uses his old gimmic

[Liz]

Former WWE Champion Bray Wyatt may not be able to use The Fiend gimmick in AEW, as per Jim Cornette.

Wyatt has not signed with another promotion since being released by WWE last year. He was a three-time world champion during his 12-year run with the company.

While speaking on Jim Cornette's Drive Thru, Cornette stated that Wyatt will have to start from scratch with his gimmick and won't be able to use The Fiend character if he joins AEW.

"What do you do to a guy in the wrestling business after you've f****ng burned him alive on national television? He's pretty much done. He's going to start over somewhere, doing something if he wants to stay in the wrestling business. And nobody's going to give him seven figures a year to start over and do something different. And The Fiend would be roundly booed out of the building in AEW."

Cornette continued:

"Maybe the guy Bray Wyatt, they'd love him. They can't do The Fiend. The fans wouldn't like it and they don't have the budget. They ain't going to pay Bray Wyatt millions of dollars to try something from scratch. So, he's in a little bit of a pickle." [From 2:50 to 3:44]

Cornette heavily criticized The Fiend gimmick, which he felt was a "phony" and "fake" character that strayed too far from reality. It is no secret that the former wrestling promoter has always preferred products grounded in a more competitive sports-based setting.

AEW President Tony Khan said last year that although he knows Wyatt, he hadn't discussed him joining AEW. Khan, however, didn't close the door for the former WWE Champion to join AEW.

"He's a great wrestler, and I have to be honest, we haven't talked at all. I've known him in personal life, but in reality, we haven't talked. But you never know," said Khan.

A possible reason for Wyatt not joining AEW is his salary demands, which recent reports have stated are "very high".