Bray Wyatt was the ring name of Windham Rotunda, an American professional wrestler who performed for World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) from 2009 to 2023. He was known for his creative and innovative characters, such as the leader of The Wyatt Family, a cult-like faction, and The Fiend, a nightmarish masked persona. He was a three-time world champion in WWE, holding the WWE Championship once and the Universal Championship twice. He was also the son of WWE Hall of Famer Mike Rotunda and the grandson of wrestler Blackjack Mulligan.
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Death News
Bray Wyatt, one of the most charismatic and creative wrestlers in WWE history, passed away on August 24, 2023, at the age of 36. The cause of his death was a heart attack, which was triggered by COVID-19 complications and a pre-existing heart condition. Wyatt had been away from WWE since April 2023, after losing a match to Randy Orton at WrestleMania 37.
He may also have suffered from mental health issues or substance abuse problems. Some fans have also blamed WWE for mistreating him and causing him stress and depression.
According to ESPN, WWE chief content officer Paul “Triple H” Levesque said that Wyatt’s death was unexpected and asked for respect for his privacy. CNN reported that Wyatt died on Thursday but did not provide any details about the location or circumstances of his death.
Bray Wyatt Biography
Windham Rotunda was born on May 23, 1987, in Brooksville, Florida. He attended Hernando High School, where he excelled in football and wrestling. He also played football for Troy University and College of the Sequoias.
Bray Wyatt’s parents were Mike Rotunda, a WWE Hall of Fame wrestler, and Stephanie Rotunda, a nurse. Bray Wyatt had two brothers, Taylor Rotunda, who also wrestled for WWE as Bo Dallas, and Mika Rotunda, who worked as a sports broadcaster.
Bray Wyatt’s grandparents were Blackjack Mulligan, a legendary wrestler, and Sandra Gray.
| Name | Windham Lawrence Rotunda |
|---|---|
| Ring name(s) | Bray Wyatt, The Fiend, Husky Harris |
| Date of birth | May 23, 1987 |
| Date of death | August 24, 2023 |
| Cause of death | Heart attack due to COVID-19 complications |
| Spouse(s) | Samantha Rotunda (m. 2012; div. 2017) |
| Partner | JoJo Offerman (2017–2023; his death) |
| Children | 4 |
| Parent(s) | Mike Rotunda (father) |
| Relatives | Bo Dallas (brother), Barry Windham (uncle), Kendall Windham (uncle), Blackjack Mulligan (grandfather) |
Career Journey
He signed a developmental contract with WWE in 2009 and debuted as Husky Harris, a member of The Nexus, a group of rebellious rookies. He reinvented himself as Bray Wyatt in 2012, adopting a charismatic and sinister cult leader persona. He formed The Wyatt Family with Luke Harper and Erick Rowan, and later added Braun Strowman to the group.
He feuded with some of the top stars in WWE, such as John Cena, Randy Orton, Roman Reigns, Daniel Bryan, and The Undertaker.
He won his first world title at Elimination Chamber 2017, defeating John Cena and AJ Styles in a six-man match. He lost the title to Randy Orton at WrestleMania 33 in a match that featured projected images of insects on the ring mat.
He introduced a new character in 2019 called The Fiend, a demonic alter ego that emerged from his Firefly Fun House segments. The Fiend wore a grotesque mask and wielded a lantern shaped like his severed head.
Rise to Success
He won his second world title at Crown Jewel 2019, defeating Seth Rollins in a Falls Count Anywhere match. He lost the title to Goldberg at Super ShowDown 2020 in less than three minutes.
He won his third world title at SummerSlam 2020, defeating Braun Strowman in a Falls Count Anywhere match. He lost the title to Roman Reigns at Payback 2020 in a Triple Threat match that also involved Strowman.
He had his last match at WrestleMania 37 in April 2023, losing to Randy Orton after being distracted by Alexa Bliss, his former ally who turned on him. He was released by WWE on July 31, 2023, due to budget cuts.
| Year | Event | Achievement |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | NXT Season 2 | Debuted as Husky Harris |
| 2012 | NXT | Debuted as Bray Wyatt |
| 2013 | Raw | Debuted as leader of The Wyatt Family |
| 2014 | Royal Rumble | Eliminated Daniel Bryan |
| 2014 | WrestleMania XXX | Lost to John Cena |
| 2014 | Hell in a Cell | Attacked Dean Ambrose |
| 2015 | Royal Rumble | Eliminated six superstars |
| 2015 | Elimination Chamber | Won the WWE Tag Team Championship with Luke Harper |
| 2016 | Survivor Series | Won the men’s elimination match for Team SmackDown |
| 2017 | Elimination Chamber | Won the WWE Championship |
| 2017 | WrestleMania 33 | Lost the WWE Championship to Randy Orton |
| 2018 | Raw | Won the Raw Tag Team Championship with Matt Hardy |
| 2019 | Raw | Debuted as host of Firefly Fun House |
| 2019 | SummerSlam | Debuted as The Fiend and defeated Finn Balor |
| 2019 | Crown Jewel | Won the Universal Championship from Seth Rollins |
| 2020 | WrestleMania 36 | Defeated John Cena in a Firefly Fun House match |
| 2020 | SummerSlam | Regained the Universal Championship from Braun Strowman |
| 2020 | Payback | Lost the Universal Championship to Roman Reigns |
| 2021 | WrestleMania 37 | Lost to Randy Orton |
Bray Wyatt Death News
Bray Wyatt’s death shocked the wrestling world and sparked an outpouring of tributes from his colleagues, peers, and fans. Many praised him for his creativity and talent and expressed their condolences to his family.
Some of the notable messages were:
- Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson: “I’m heartbroken over the news of Bray Wyatt’s passing. Always had tremendous respect and love for him and the Rotunda family.”
- John Cena: “Bray Wyatt was one of the most innovative and captivating performers I ever shared the ring with. He was a friend and a brother and I will miss him dearly. Rest in peace.”
- Randy Orton: “Bray Wyatt was more than just an opponent to me. He was a friend and a mentor who helped me grow as a performer and as a person. I’m honored to have been part of his journey and I’m devastated by his loss. My thoughts are with his family and his fans.”
- Alexa Bliss: “Bray Wyatt was a genius and a visionary who inspired me and many others. He was also a kind and gentle soul who always made me laugh and smile. I’m grateful for the time we spent together and I’m heartbroken by his passing. I love you, Bray.”
- Braun Strowman: “Bray Wyatt was my brother and my leader. He gave me a chance to shine and he always had my back. He was one of the best in the business and one of the best human beings I ever met. I’m crushed by his death and I’ll never forget him.”
Bray Wyatt Wife
Bray Wyatt was married to Samantha Rotunda from 2012 to 2017. They had two daughters, Kendyl and Cadyn. They divorced after Samantha accused Bray of having an affair with WWE ring announcer JoJo Offerman.
Bray Wyatt and JoJo Offerman started dating in 2017 and had two sons, Knash and Hyrie. They were engaged in 2019. According to a source, they got married in 2020.
Kids
Bray Wyatt had four children from two relationships:
- Kendyl Rotunda, born in 2011, daughter of Bray Wyatt and Samantha Rotunda.
- Cadyn Rotunda, born in 2013, daughter of Bray Wyatt and Samantha Rotunda.
- Knash Sixx Rotunda, born in 2019, son of Bray Wyatt and JoJo Offerman.
- Hyrie Von Rotunda, born in 2020, son of Bray Wyatt and JoJo Offerman.
Approx. Net Worth
According to Wealthy Persons, Bray Wyatt had an estimated net worth of $12 million as of 2023. He earned most of his income from his wrestling career, as well as from endorsements, merchandise sales, and appearances.
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