Luke Harper Laments Lack Of ‘WrestleMania’ Plans, Frustration With Wyatt Family
At the moment, there’s nothing official in store for Luke Harper at WrestleMania 33. After losing to AJ Styles in a number one contender match for former ally Bray Wyatt’s WWE Championship, Harper was nowhere to be found on this week’s episode of SmackDown Live. But in his own mysterious way, he said that he’s got something in store as we draw closer to WWE’s biggest pay-per-view of the year.
Speaking mostly in character, Harper was interviewed earlier this week by Fox Sports, and the very first question he was asked was about his recent loss to AJ Styles for the right to face Bray Wyatt for the WWE Championship, and Randy Orton’s subsequent win over Styles for that same spot on the WrestleMania card. With Luke Harper not having anything scheduled for WrestleMania 33, the 37-year-old big man admitted to being very disappointed about how things have turned out.
“Obviously it makes me bitter. Very, very bitter. I feel like I have a right to that spot also. I feel like Randy Orton gave up that spot – and he won it fair and square, but I don’t know if AJ Styles won it fair and square. Personally I’m very, very, very bitter about the situation.”
Given this lack of definitive direction heading into ‘Mania, Harper added that he plans to “take (things) into my own hands” and make his own opportunities.
“Honestly, I don’t think there’s a big plan for me, so I guess I’ll have to make one.”
Luke Harper On WWE Not Having Big Plans For Him For WrestleMania, Time With Wyatts Being… https://t.co/pA9z0mDv2r
— WrestlingINC.com (@WrestlingInc) March 10, 2017
It’s not sure what Luke Harper could possibly mean by creating his own opportunities. But Cageside Seats reported last week that that could mean Harper realigning himself with Bray Wyatt. According to the publication, this would make sense following Randy Orton’s betrayal of Wyatt on last week’s SmackDown Live, and WWE Creative’s apparent decision to keep Luke in the mid-card.
The Inquisitr wrote earlier this month that that may indeed be a possibility. With original member Erick Rowan nearing his return to the ring, speculation is rife that the WWE Universe may get to see a Wyatt Family reunion, as Harper and Rowan help Wyatt in his ongoing feud against Orton.
But would such a reunion take place so soon after Harper’s fallout with Wyatt and erstwhile Family member Orton? In his interview with Fox Sports, Harper admitted that it was often “frustrating” to be with the Wyatt Family, while also suggesting that the Wyatts’ short-lived 2014 disbandment was “a bit of a tease,” and that he may not have been ready for a big singles push at that time. But since the recent Wyatts fallout, Harper has been in singles competition for about six to seven weeks, a period that has been “very eye-opening” for him.
One thing that also upsets Harper about where he is right now is his comparative anonymity, and how he is often mistaken for the similarly-hirsute Bray Wyatt, or even the oft-injured Rowan.
“Even to this day I’ll go to an airport and someone will say ‘hey Bray Wyatt!’ or ‘hey Erick Rowan!’ They don’t know who I am. And that’s very frustrating, because I’m part of a group.”
At this point, there’s a good chance that Luke Harper may be at WrestleMania 33 as part of the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal, a match many believe former Wyatt Family colleague Braun Strowman would be winning. Harper put Strowman over as a “tremendous” performer who’s learned how to use his great size and surprising athleticism, but he added an interesting aside that may have likely been in character, and a possible hint at both men having a confrontation at the upcoming battle royal.
“That really hurts me to say, because I don’t really like (Strowman). So hopefully at some point down the line I’ll get back near him and have a few words with him.”
It's Thursday. You know what that means.
— Brodie Lee (@ThisBrodieLee) March 9, 2017
Looking at the statements he made in his Fox Sports interview, it’s easy to see that Luke Harper has plans for WrestleMania 33, regardless whether WWE has its own plans for him or not. But just like he refused to give a definite answer for the meaning of his Twitter catchphrase “It’s (place day of week here), you know what that means,” it would seem that he’s keeping his cards close to his chest and preferring to let the WWE Universe know what those plans are when they actually get carried out.
[Featured Image by WWE]