Windham Rotunda, better known to his fans as “Bray Wyatt” was one of the greatest wrestlers to the WWE Universe. From the scary, lone-wolf shticks fans loved to see every week to the schemes that were combined with other wrestlers and characters, Windham never failed to make his fans enjoy his presence. Rotunda died of a heart attack on August 24th this year, at the age of 36.
Windham was a third generation wrestler, after his grandfather ‘Blackjack Mulligan,’ his father ‘Mike Rotunda,’ and two of his uncles ’Barry Windham,’ and ‘Kendall Windham.” While in the WWE, Windham Rotunda previously went under the ring name of Husky Harris. He wrestled as a part of a faction called ‘The Nexus.” Alongside ‘Harris’ was his younger brother, Taylor Rotunda, also known in the WWE as ‘Bo Dallas.” They wrestled in a tag team of their own, going on to hold the FCW Florida Tag Team Championships. Windham Rotunda first debuted in FCW in April 2009. Two years later, Rotunda began his career with the WWE in NXT on June 10th, 2011.
In 2012, Rotunda became a part of one of the greatest teams in the WWE, known as “ The Wyatt Family,” (2012-2014, 2015-2017). This was where Windham came into the WWE under a new ring name, ‘Bray Wyatt.’ This team consisted primarily of himself, Erick Rowan, Braun Strowman, and the now late Luke Harper. The team went on to defeat many of WWE’s other top tag teams such as The Shield, a team consisting of Randy Orton and John Cena among many others. Wyatt also racked up notable single wins against the likes of Cena, Orton, AJ Styles, and Kane. Wyatt had returned late last year to thunderous applause after being released from the WWE in 2021.
Over the course of his WWE career, Wyatt won the WWE Championship, the WWE Raw Tag Team Championship, the Smackdown Tag Team Championship, and the WWE Universal Championship. His character also evolved, in the case of the Bray Wyatt character, he was a mysterious backwoods cult leader before he became a vicious monster known as the Fiend. His bizarre promos and psychological warfare on his opponents set him apart from the typical WWE mold.
Rotunda left behind a remarkable impact on the fans and those around him. When he made his way to the ring, the lights would dim and his music would play. The fans would turn the lights on their phones and wave them in the air. He also would lead the crowd in a chorus of “He’s got the whole wide world in his hands.” He would dub the fans as his Fireflies and Wyatt boasted a massively popular fanbase that now mourns his sudden passing. His colleagues and others mourned his death on social media and the WWE held a tribute for Wyatt on the August 25th episode of Smackdown Live.
Rotunda is survived by his fiance Joseann Offerman and his four children, as well as his brother and father; but that doesn’t mention the other friends, extended family, or fans who adored the world and characters he created.
