The entire World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) universe is in a state of shock at the tragic and untimely passing of an ultra-popular WWE superstar and future Hall of Famer, Bray Wyatt.
Known behind the curtain by his real name Windham Rotunda, Bray Wyatt was one of the most beloved characters in WWE. His mysterious, yet appealing horror film-inspired characters captured the fancy of legions of fans.
The WWE superstar started his career in 2009 under the moniker Alex Rotundo in the company’s developmental program known as Florida Championship Wrestling (FCW).
Just after a year in the developmental program, Wyatt came up to the main roster, now wrestling under the alias ‘Husky Harris’ as a part of a popular wrestling faction Nexus. Due to his speed and agility despite his billed frame of 6.3 feet and 285 lbs (129 kg), Wyatt was endearingly called a “tank with a Ferrari engine” by his Nexus teammates.
Wyatt returned to the main roster and was heavily repackaged to become the mysterious character who became an instant hit among WWE fans across the globe. Wyatt introduced the WWE universe to three more popular wrestlers Luke Harper (AKA Brody Lee), Eric Rowen, and Brawn Strowman, as a part of the popular WWE faction ‘The Wyatt Family.
After showcasing numerous variations of the same character for almost eight years, Wyatt once again heavily rebranded himself with a darker, more sinister character known as ‘The Fiend’.
This character was Bray Wyatt’s “alter ego” with a much more brutal, explosive, and character-driven wrestling style. The character’s aesthetic elements such as the red and black tights, large leather overcoat, golden dreadlocks, and a pale white mask with bright yellow eyes and a frightening smile that stretched ear to ear, made him a new wrestling sensation among the fans.
In his final days in WWE, Wyatt returned as ‘Uncle Howdy’ — an amalgamation of all of the characters that he presented in the past. During that time, Wyatt notably feuded with LA Knight.
In his illustrious career, Wyat has won the WWE World Heavy Championship once, the Universal Championship twice, and the Tag Team Championship twice. Along with that, Wyatt was the top merchandise seller in WWE due to his iconic character and artwork.
Behind the stage, Wyatt was revered and loved by his co-workers and associates dearly. Numerous wrestlers including WWE legends such as Mick Foley, Matt Hardy, Ric Flair, The Rock, and Triple H have paid tribute to him on social media.
