Thursday, at the age of 36, WWE superstar Bray Wyatt, who captivated wrestling fans with his sinister persona and brought the acclaimed “The Fiend” character to the ring, passed away.
Paul “Triple H” Levesque, chief content officer for WWE, announced Wyatt’s demise on social media.
“Just received a call from WWE Hall of Famer Mike Rotunda who informed us of the tragic news that our WWE family member for life Windham Rotunda – also known as Bray Wyatt – unexpectedly passed away earlier today,” said Levesque. “Our thoughts are with his family, and we ask that everyone respect their privacy at this time.”
Under the ring moniker Husky Harris, Wyatt entered WWE’s developmental brand NXT in 2010 as a third-generation wrestler. He later joined the Nexus faction, which feuded with John Cena.
But Wyatt ascended to fame as the leader of the Wyatt Family, a cult-like organization with dangerous ideologies that included the deceased Luke Harper and Erick Rowan.
At the time, the faction’s entrance was among the finest in WWE, with the lights off and the audience illuminating the arenas with flashlights to create a forest-like atmosphere. Years later, Braun Strowman joined the group.
After the Wyatt Family disbanded, Wyatt unveiled the Firefly Fun House, a series of clips broadcast in a children’s program format in which he portrayed a cheerful, fun character with a few sinister moments.
Wyatt donned a disguise resembling a demon with red eyes and debuted as “The Fiend” in the ring when he succumbed to his malevolent nature.
The character and the Firefly Fun House were praised for their cinematography and ability to portray a movie-like persona, particularly as WWE went through no-fans shows as the COVID-19 pandemic started.
During this period, he joined forces with Alexa Bliss. Wyatt would capture the Universal Championship at SummerSlam 2020, and he would be the last person to wield the title prior to Roman Reigns.
Following a lengthy absence following WrestleMania 37, brief messages displayed during WWE programming hinted that Wyatt would return in 2022.
In October of that year, at the conclusion of Extreme Rules, Wyatt made his resounding return to WWE. This time, he unveiled a new, yet still dark, persona with the mention of “Uncle Howdy,” and subsequently engaged in a dispute with LA Knight. Wyatt would overcome LA Knight at the Royal Rumble in an intense “Pitch Black match.”
That would be Wyatt’s final match, as he would abandon on-air shows to cope with a reported injury. In his more than a decade with WWE, he was a WWE champion, WWE Universal champion twice, and Raw Tag Team Champion alongside Matt Hardy.
Wyatt is survived by his ex-ring announcer wife, two daughters, and two sons.
WWE wrestlers honor Bray Wyatt
Several current and former professional wrestlers expressed their astonishment over the news on social media and commended Wyatt for his career achievements and fun-loving work ethic.
The Rock is Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. Johnson stated that he has always had regard and affection for Wyatt and his family, while also lamenting Terry Funk’s passing. Johnson and Wyatt participated in a segment alongside John Cena at WrestleMania 32.
“Very unique, cool, and uncommon character, which is difficult to create in our wacky pro wrestling world.” Still processing the loss of the goat, Terry Funk, and now Bray. Johnson extended his love, light, strength, and vitality to the Rotunda and Funk families during this difficult and sorrowful time.
Bliss, who was with Wyatt during his “The Fiend” persona and his WrestleMania 37 match, described herself as “extremely heartbroken” upon learning of his passing.
“All I can say is that Windham is an incredible human being. She exclaimed, “Awesome friend and one of the most creative minds to ever walk the earth.”
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