It was recently announced by the Chief Content Officer of WWE, Paul “Triple H” on social media that WWE star Bray Wyatt, known for his exceptionally creative mind in the world of professional wrestling, who pushed boundaries with innovative characters, passed away on Thursday at the age of 36.
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Wyatt’s actual name was Windham Rotunda and he had been inactive in WWE for several months due to a health issue which was never released to the public at the time. He was associated with WWE since 2009, and took brief breaks in 2021 and 2022 when he was repackaged in a stunning manner. Rotunda played a crucial role in boosting the show’s popularity rating back in September 2022. When he returned to WWE creating an energizing atmosphere for the audience, weaving an enthralling tale filled with intriguing characters.
Levesque wrote in an X tweet, formerly known as Twitter, announcing that he just got off the phone with Mike Rotunda’s father, who gave them the incredibly sad news that today they lost a member of their WWE family in Bray Wyatt, also known as ‘The Fiend.”
Rotunda came from a wrestling family. His father, Mike, achieved fame under his real name and other promotions apart from WWE, including as Irwin R. Schyster (I.R.S.). Rotunda’s uncle, Barry Windham, was one of the most respected wrestlers of the early 1980s and 1990s, and his late cousin, Luke Harper (real name Jonathan Huber), was a former member of The Wyatt Family stable. Rotunda’s brother, Taylor, also wrestles for WWE and previously used the moniker “Bo Dallas.”
Life and Legacy of the Beloved WWE Superstar Bray Wyatt
Wyatt’s marriage to former WWE ring announcer JoJo Offerman resulted in two children, and he had two more children from a previous marriage. He had the honor of being a WWE Universal Champion on two occasions and also held the prestigious title of WWE Champion in the past.
Starting his progression program with WWE as “Husky Harris,” Rotunda aligned himself with Bray Wyatt, who led a cult-like faction of followers with an eerie allure. The Wyatts, including Bray Wyatt’s real-life brother Bo Dallas and the late Luke Harper, gained popularity in WWE’s developmental brand NXT and eventually made a splash in WWE’s main roster in 2014.
Rotunda was highly regarded on the roster as one of the most talented performers, especially for his mic skills in storytelling. He began incorporating the use of catchphrases like “Follow the buzzards” and lyrics from songs, starting with “He’s got the whole world in his hands.” During his entrance, he was engulfed in darkness before he appeared with a lantern, keeping fans holding their cell phones at bay while his eerie music played.
In 2019, Rotunda chose to do something different and invent the character “The Fiend,” the mask resembled a terrifying clown face. Bray Wyatt still had a friendly children’s mascot called “Firefly Fun House,” but The Fiend, a darker alteration, took over his wrestling persona. The enigmatic aura of The Fiend during matches divided opinions, as its nearly unbeatable nature was both captivating and controversial.
Returning to WWE in 2021 after a previous departure as Bray Wyatt the year before, Rotunda played a character of a good man who seemed to be hunted by past demons like The Fiend and “Eater of Worlds” Bray Wyatt. While Rotunda battled health issues and was absent from television in February, the storyline was still unfolding.
On Thursday, Dwayne Johnson, famously known as “The Rock,” shared a tweet: “Sending my deepest sympathies to his family and dear ones. Rest in peace, Brodie Lee of the Wyatt Family.” Wyatt, whose real name was Windham Rotunda, was a third-generation professional wrestler, following the footsteps of his grandfather (Blackjack Mulligan), his father (Mike Rotunda), and his two uncles (Barry Windham and Kendall Windham). His brother, Bo Dallas, remained active in WWE for many years
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