WWE Battleground 2016: The Wyatt Family vs. New Day full match preview

The Wyatt Family vs. The New Day

The New Day started it. They could have left well enough alone and let the returning Wyatt family having their moment on the June 20th Raw. But whether it be hubris or stupidity, they didn’t.

Instead, they decided to interrupt the returning Family and mock them like the New Day loves to do. And in their defense, underestimating the Wyatt Family is understandable. For all of Bray’s hypnotic promos that may or may not have much substance, the Wyatts haven’t shown that they should be taken seriously. In 2016 alone, not only did the all powerful Wyatt Family (at time with Luke Harper, their best wrestler) lose to Kane, Big Show, & Ryback but they also were utterly humiliated by the Rock at WrestleMania. Add that to the fact that no one who has ever come up against the Wyatts ended up any worse for the wear and you can understand why New Day picked this creepy trio as a target for their barbs.

But for all of The Wyatt Family’s history of coming up short, there’s still a threat there. There always is when you have a charismatic speaker that people are willing to follow. And one third of the Wyatt Family immediately understood. It’s clear in the video above that Xavier Woods realized that maybe Bray Wyatt isn’t one to take lightly. So when Bray declared it’s time that "New. Day. Falls," Woods listened closely.

His New Day mates; however, did not see it. They were content in continuing to go on with their New Day antics, even dressing up like the Family to mock them. And Woods was willing to roll with it, suppressing his fears and worries for a bit. But Brother Bray saw through it. And the following week, when The New Day made light of Bray’s challenge to a match at the Family compound, Woods snapped.

With respect to his brothers, he told them that he didn’t think they could survive if they didn’t start taking Bray Wyatt seriously. If they went into the compound match without being 100% focused, they wouldn’t survive. And he was so serious that he left his Trombone Francesca II in the ring, even after forgiving her for her tawdry night with Enzo Amore.

Xavier did join Big E and Kofi at the compound. And despite multiple attempts of murder against them and nary a dilapidated boat to hide behind, The New Day were able to hold their own against a pickaxe wielding Bray, a shirtless monster Braun Strowman, and Erick Rowan (who may have recently murdered someone). Both teams were beaten and bruised but it looked like the tag champions were ready for round two. That’s when Bray revealed that he had followers everyone in this swampland. When legions of sheep masked followers with lanterns made themselves known, New Day opted to retreat, which was the only move they had.

Perhaps it was because he faced his fears or maybe it was because he was super occupied with Pokemon Go, but the following Monday, Xavier was more of himself. He had jokes and he showed little fear in a 6 on 6 tag match with Enzo Amore, Big Cass, and John Cena against the Wyatt Family and Club. But maybe it was false comfort surrounded by verbose men like himself because when he found himself one on one on SmackDown against Bray, he did not seem as confident.

Now they will fight for the last time tomorrow in a non-title match. New Day will try to prove that positivity can overcome even the New Face of Fear. Bray will make his last move on the Raw brand trying to fulfill his decree that New Day falls. And Braun Strowman will look ahead to life after the Wyatts since he was split from them in the draft. He may even need to find a new compound to live in.

These teams will clash Sunday night at Battleground on the WWE Network on 8 EST. Keep it here on CagesideSeats.com for all of your Battleground coverage.