Uncle Howdy Gets Physical On WWE SmackDown
A few weeks after his first in-person appearance, Uncle Howdy actually stepped into a wrestling ring and got physical on the 12/30 "WWE SmackDown" in Tampa, Florida.
The mysterious figure appeared during a face-to-face promo confrontation between Bray Wyatt and LA Knight, which led to Wyatt accepting Knight's challenge to a match at the Royal Rumble. The segment began with Wyatt apologizing for attacking a cameraman the previous week, as the former Universal Champion admitted his demons got the better of him yet again. Just then, Knight showed up and mocked Wyatt for being a "fraud" and a "broken down loser" while questioning if Wyatt was "paying one of his goons" to dress up like Uncle Howdy and carry out attacks on his behalf in the backstage area.
Knight's insults didn't sit well with Wyatt, who – after accepting the challenge for the Royal Rumble – vowed to remind Knight and the rest of the world "how cruel I can be if I feel like it." Just as Wyatt continued to get aggressive in his tone, the lights went out and a cryptic message aired imploring Wyatt to "embrace the dark." The message was interspersed with images of Wyatt's old gimmicks, following which Uncle Howdy walked down the ramp.
Uncle Howdy proceeded to remove his leather jacket and hat before entering the ring. He initially stood beside Wyatt, with the two men staring down Knight. However, Uncle Howdy unexpectedly dropped Wyatt with a Sister Abigal, eliciting loud boos from fans at the arena. A shocked LA Knight retreated from the ring as Uncle Howdy grabbed his heat and walked to the back. A video clip of Uncle Howdy getting physical can be seen below.
Uncle Howdy just attacked #BrayWyatt! 🤯#SmackDown pic.twitter.com/7FD0kTQUCr
— WWE on FOX (@WWEonFOX) December 31, 2022
Uncle Howdy first showed up on the 10/28 "WWE SmackDown" during a segment where Wyatt "addressed his demons" and claimed he no longer needed "to hide behind masks." In subsequent weeks, the mysterious figure continued to implore Wyatt to "stop lying" and reveal his true self. On November 25, Uncle Howdy teased unmasking himself, and directed fans to a message from Wyatt's psychiatrist, who claimed that the wrestler was "a danger to himself and others."