Uncle Howdy's WWE Debut: Why This Creepy Character Needs To Debut At SummerSlam  (2024)

Uncle Howdy’s Wyatt Sicks faction made their on-screen WWE debut on Monday Night RAW in June 2024, making their presence known with a bloody, violent, scary, and impactful introduction to the WWE audience. Fast forwarding several weeks later, Uncle Howdy has yet to have a match in WWE (even dating back to the first spell for the gimmick in 2022 and 2023) and anticipation is building for his eventual in-ring debut. There is one place in particular which makes the world of sense for Howdy to compete in his first WWE match - the SummerSlam 2024 premium live event in Cleveland, Ohio.

WWE Should Not Wait Too Long For Uncle Howdy To Make His Debut

Fans Got Restless Waiting For Uncle Howdy's Return To WWE

• Many WWE fans were getting bored of the teases for Uncle Howdy's comeback
• Waiting too long for an in-ring debut could lead to disinterest
• Uncle Howdy doesn’t need to wrestle often

When booking a spooky gimmick like Uncle Howdy, WWE needs to be very careful with how they approach it. Thus far, the arrival of Bo Dallas/Uncle Howdy has been presented wonderfully, with a memorable debut for his faction and some stirring vignettes in the following weeks. After weeks of entertaining yet repetitive booking, WWE cannot draw this out. Triple H has been more a fan of longer term storytelling in WWE, which could be seen clearly with the months and months of teasers, clues, and easter eggs for Howdy’s re-emergence.

Some members of WWE’s fanbase were getting tired of waiting for the Wyatt Sicks to come out on WWE TV, so waiting even longer for a first match for Howdy could bring about more of the same. Howdy is a hot act right now, which is certainly an accomplishment after how poorly he was booked in 2022/2023, so capitalizing on a debut whilst momentum is in full swing would be the smart choice to make. Debuting Howdy wouldn’t necessarily mean him competing each and every week, and there can be a wait for his second match if WWE wanted. Giving fans a glimpse of his dominance and destruction in the ring would be wise, and it would build anticipation for whenever he steps in the ring next.

Debuting At SummerSlam Would Make Uncle Howdy Feel Like A Big Deal

SummerSlam Is One Of WWE’s Big Four PLEs

• SummerSlam is one of WWE’s biggest shows every year
• Uncle Howdy appearing at SummerSlam would make it clear he means business
• More eyes would be on Uncle Howdy at SummerSlam

Although WWE has done well to make many of their B-shows feel more grandiose - heading to other countries for big international shows for instance - the ‘big four’ still retain a more special feeling about them. SummerSlam is still level for second place with the Royal Rumble behind WrestleMania in WWE’s list of biggest shows, so booking Uncle Howdy on the card would certainly make a statement.

Not that it would be a bad thing for Howdy to debut at the Bash in Berlin event after SummerSlam or another PLE coming up, but it would be much better for him to appear in an event the scale and size of SummerSlam. Under Triple H, PLE cards have been much shorter, making it more of an achievement and big deal to find yourself on the card, so getting that opportunity at SummerSlam will make fans believe that Howdy is a surefire star. There is a perfect opponent in place too for SummerSlam, which is Chad Gable. He has had a very strong 2024, building a lot of momentum as a heel and the first target of the Wyatt Sicks, so Howdy vs. Gable would be a match worthy of a show like this.

Uncle Howdy’s Debut At SummerSlam Would Echo The Fiend's Debut

Bray Wyatt’s Alter Ego Debuted At SummerSlam 2019

• In 2019, The Fiend arrived at SummerSlam to take on Finn Balor
• The Fiend’s debut was one of the most striking in WWE history
• WWE should run it back with booking Uncle Howdy like the Fiend

One of the biggest reasons why Uncle Howdy should wrestle at SummerSlam is due to the significance it would be in paying more homage to the memory of Bray Wyatt. The Wyatt Sicks has Wyatt’s soul ingrained in it, from the name of the group to the Firefly Funhouse characters, to the story being told for Bo Dallas/Uncle Howdy. Back in 2019, Bray Wyatt’s alter ego of The Fiend made his in-ring debut against Finn Balor in a thrilling spectacle at SummerSlam. A bone-chilling entrance and a scarily dominant performance led to fans being in awe of this character.

Calling back to this by having Bo Dallas’ alter ego of Uncle Howdy wrestling at the same show five years later would be an emotional but stirring thing to see. Booking the debut in a similar fashion would be a smart move too, as it worked wonderfully with Wyatt back in 2019. Of course, WWE would then have to be wary with how they proceed, as the previous regime booked The Fiend poorly after his debut. However, up until that point, everything was perfect, and Triple H should take on what worked well for The Fiend and apply that to Howdy.