Joseph Sawyer, known to WWE fans as Joe Gacy, believes the Wyatt Sicks lost valuable momentum when WWE temporarily paused the faction during a period when Taylor Rotunda was unavailable.
Speaking with Bryan Asbury on Developmentally Speaking, Sawyer also discussed conversations about potentially involving Alexa Bliss and Braun Strowman with the group, as well as the possibility of the former Wyatt Sicks members continuing to work together following their WWE departures.
Joe Gacy Says WWE Pause “Killed Our Momentum”
Sawyer said the Wyatt Sicks often operated without knowing much about the company’s longer-term creative direction for the faction.
“It was a little week by week, to us anyway. I don’t know if they had a plan. If they did, they never really voiced it to us.”
One area Sawyer wishes WWE had explored further was the individual personalities within the group. He recalled filming alternate versions of the Wyatt Sicks’ VHS-style videos alongside Samuel Shaw, formerly Dexter Lumis, and Nikki Cross in which the three were given considerably more dialogue.
“Me, Sam and Nikki all shot different versions of those tapes that didn’t really see the light of day. We all shot versions where we talked a lot more. I don’t know what decisions went into not using those versions.”
Sawyer said that became particularly frustrating when Rotunda, who portrayed Uncle Howdy, was temporarily unavailable. Rather than continuing with the other members, Sawyer said WWE effectively stopped the faction’s progression.
“The first short period where Taylor had to be out for a little bit, it was literally just kind of like they pressed pause on us. We’re all like, ‘What’s going on? Why can’t we just do this or this or this?’ We were pitching stuff, and they were like, ‘We’re just going to wait.’ I’m like, ‘Why are we waiting? It’s kind of killing us.’ It killed our momentum the first time they hit pause on us.”
Sawyer said the group proposed using short weekly vignettes to develop individual members while Rotunda was away.
“If we’re not wrestling, let us do a vignette every week. Let us have a vignette where we explain why Nikki Cross is in the Wyatt Sicks. Next week, why is Dexter Lumis in the Wyatt Sicks? We were pitching stuff like that, and they just weren’t letting us do it. I don’t know why.”
“Give us 30 or 60 seconds on the show. It doesn’t even have to be all of us in a promo. Just one week somebody, next week somebody. That would have given us a big chance to develop ourselves individually, and it could have hooked people a little bit more on us.”
The group also discussed branching into separate programs while maintaining the Wyatt Sicks identity. Sawyer compared the idea to WWE’s presentation of Judgment Day, where individual members could pursue different stories before regrouping when necessary.
“It’d be nice for me and Sam to be able to do some stuff over here while maybe you have Rowan and Taylor over here doing something, kind of the way they were booking Judgment Day, where everyone was involved in different things.”
“I guess they saw us as one act. I don’t know why. We could have been more, but for some reason somebody there just saw us as one piece.”
Alexa Bliss And Braun Strowman Were Discussed
Sawyer was also asked whether WWE discussed other wrestlers potentially becoming involved with the Wyatt Sicks beyond the five members who ultimately formed the group.
While he said he was not aware of other alternatives for the finalized lineup, Sawyer recalled some discussion involving Braun Strowman and Alexa Bliss.
“I think there was always a little bit of a talk of Strowman maybe being involved even at some point. And then the obvious would be Alexa being involved as well. There was more talks about that a little later as well. That didn’t end up happening.”
Sawyer added that Bliss was mentioned as early as the group’s first meeting, although he was never given a timetable for her potential involvement.
“Even the first meeting, there was talk of Alexa later, but there was really never a timeline on that.”
Joe Gacy Teases More Wyatt Sicks Reunions After WWE
The Wyatt Sicks were released by WWE in April, but Sawyer says his history with the group may continue as he establishes himself under his new name.
Sawyer has already reunited in the ring with Samuel Shaw, with WrestlingHeadlines previously covering the former WWE Tag Team Champions working together following their departures.
“I’m doing a little bit of both. I’m treating it as kind of a return to singles, but there is some plans for the Wyatt 6 family to come back together for some stuff. I did do a tag match with Sam last week and we have some other stuff coming up that’s planned. So, I think me and Sam are going to be doing some tag team wrestling.”
Beyond his continued partnership with Shaw, Sawyer indicated that something involving additional members of the former faction could eventually materialize.
“There might be something in the works with the rest of the family. Nothing concrete yet, but I think we’re all open to still sticking together.”
Sawyer said the former Wyatt Sicks members recently reunited together at WrestleCon for the first time since leaving WWE.
“It was amazing seeing everybody, and it was like we never left each other. We all just clicked again like we did. So, it was really good seeing them, and I really hope there is more for us to do together.”
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If you use any portion of the quotes from this article, please credit Developmentally Speaking with Bryan Asbury, with a h/t to Wrestling Headlines for the transcription.
