Windham Rotunda, the WWE superstar more commonly known as Bray Wyatt, has passed away. The wrestling world was blindsided by the news of the 36-year-old passing, as he was rumored to be returning to the company at some point in the near future. Now, a day after mourning the loss of Terry Funk, the wrestling world is once again memorializing a great talent.
News of Wyatt's passing came via Triple H, who announced the death of the WWE superstar. Few details are known at this time, but he shared what he learned from Wyatt's father and former WWE superstar Mike Rotunda:
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 earlier today. Our thoughts are with his family and we ask that everyone respect their…August 24, 2023
It was only ten days ago that Mike Rotunda gave a public comment that he expected Bray Wyatt to return to the WWE "shortly." While we still don't know many details about the reported illness or what caused Wyatt to miss a good chunk of the year, the encouraging words of his father might point to an unexpected passing. There were rumors of Wyatt returning for months, alongside his brother, Bo Dallas, who had taken on the persona "Uncle Howdy."
Bray Wyatt was a one-time WWE champion, a two-time Universal champion, and a SmackDown and Raw tag-team champion. Wyatt was widely seen as one of pro wrestling's top modern superstars and thrived on his in-ring charisma to give life to creepy characters. Wyatt had a long run of success under his faction, The Wyatt Family, as well as his split persona, The Fiend.
As an in-ring performer, Bray Wyatt had feuds against many of the biggest talents in pro wrestling today. John Cena, Bryan Danielson, Jon Moxley, Seth Rollins, and Roman Reigns all had memorable moments with the superstar, who remained popular with pro wrestling fans after his unexpected release from the WWE in 2021. Despite spending over a year away from the company following his release, Wyatt received a roar of cheers from the Extreme Rules audience when he made his grand return.
Fans were eager to see Bray Wyatt return, especially after it seemed as though the WWE was ready to build the wrestler toward a championship run worthy of his creative characters and matches. Unfortunately, Wyatt began to miss shows shortly after a feud with rising superstar L.A. Knight. Wyatt was ultimately pulled from the match card of WrestleMania 39, where he was set to take on Bobby Lashley. Despite random sightings of Wyatt out in public, the WWE never gave an official update on what was happening with him behind the scenes.
CinemaBlend would like to offer its condolences to the family and friends of Bray Wyatt and wish them well during this difficult time. Here's hoping the WWE will appropriately honor his legacy and all he brought to the company during his time with it.
