The specter of Sister Abigail rose once more at WWE‘s Extreme Rules event. Somewhat oddly for a show taking place in mid-July, Extreme Rules 2020 was branded “the Horror Show” by WWE, and while the pay-per-view certainly wasn’t that bad, reaction has been decidedly mixed. Solid WWE Championship and Tag Team title matches sat alongside the baffling stipulation of Seth Rollins and Rey Mysterio’s “eye for an eye” match. Asuka vs. Sasha Banks was probably the highlight of the night in terms of in-ring action, but the ending has proved highly controversial, with Bayley deciding that donning a black and white jersey automatically bestows the powers and authority of a WWE referee.
Once again, WWE opted to include a cinematic match on their Extreme Rules card. Popularized by Matt Hardy during his time in Impact, these pre-filmed bouts have become a vital during the current pandemic, with both WWE and AEW making full use of the format. Extreme Rules 2020 saw Bray Wyatt take on the Universal Champion, Braun Strowman, in a “swamp match.” As expected, Wyatt subjected his former follower to all manner of Wyatt family antics, including trippy hallucinations, a doppelganger and a “dilapidated boat” reference. Wyatt won the fight (seemingly, at least) with the return of The Fiend from the murky depths.
The swamp match was also significant for a scene involving Sister Abigail. Back when Wyatt was in his cult leader gimmick, “Sister Abigail” was the unseen, God-like figure of the Wyatt family, and fans speculated feverishly over which female wrestler could take on this role once Sister Abigail finally debuted in the flesh. Unfortunately, the closest Abigail came to manifesting was Bray himself donning an unconvincing disguise during a feud with Finn Balor. In the swamp match, however, Sister Abigail appeared to Braun in the form of Alexa Bliss. Reminding the Universal Champ of their flirty time together as an inter-gender tag team, the black-veiled Bliss tried to tempt Braun to “come home.”
The choice of Bliss in the Sister Abigail role is significant as she was one of the big names touted as a potential real identity for Bray Wyatt’s mysterious spirit. Unfortunately, the context of the swamp match is unreliable. During his time in Wyatt’s domain at Extreme Rules 2020, Braun witnesses various paranormal sights, and the vision of Alexa as Sister Abigail is likely one of them, designed to lull Braun into danger. In terms of WWE canon, the Finn Bálor feud’s explanation that Wyatt was Sister Abigail seems to remain in place, even if the story was one of the final nails in the Wyatt character’s coffin.
However, the sight of Bliss as Sister Abigail has certainly piqued fan interest, and could lead to a full story further down the line. Bray now flits between his various personas, and there’s evidently still a hunger for Sister Abigail answers from the audience. Alexa Bliss has been involved in an entertaining duo with Nikki Cross for some time, but could be due a shake-up soon. Revealing that Bliss has been Sister Abigail all along or having her possessed by the ghost of the Wyatt family overlord could reinvigorate her character while also adding a new facet to the feud between Wyatt and Braun. Alternatively, WWE could simply be giving fans a taste of what almost transpired back in 2016.
