WWE Champion Dies 'Unexpectedly' at Age 36
The sports entertainment world was left in shock and mourning at the abrupt news of the death of Windham Rotunda on Thursday night.
The news was broken by World Wrestling Entertainment chief content officer Paul “Triple H” Levesque.
“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,” Levesque posted to the social media platform X.
“Our thoughts are with his family and we ask that everyone respect their privacy at this time,” he said.
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…
— Triple H (@TripleH) August 24, 2023
No cause of death was given.
However, Fightful reporter Sean Ross Sapp reported that Rotunda’s death was a heart-related issue exacerbated by COVID-19.
“I was given permission to reveal that earlier this year Windham Rotunda (Bray Wyatt) got COVID that exacerbated a heart issues,” Sapp said in a post on X. “There was a lot of positive progress towards a return and his recovery. Unfortunately today he suffered a heart attack and passed away.”
I was given permission to reveal that earlier this year Windham Rotunda (Bray Wyatt) got COVID that exacerbated a heart issues.
There was a lot of positive progress towards a return and his recovery. Unfortunately today he suffered a heart attack and passed away.
— Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful.com (@SeanRossSapp) August 25, 2023
Rotunda, 36, had debuted on WWE’s main roster programming in 2010 as “Husky Harris,” a fairly nondescript character who was known more for his girth (hence the name) than anything else.
He was repackaged into the far more popular and successful “Bray Wyatt” character in 2012. The Wyatt character was a creepy, dark swamp cult leader and vividly different from the more kid-friendly offerings of WWE, immediately endearing Wyatt to WWE’s older fans.
When Bray and his “Wyatt Family” faction eventually dissolved, Rotunda was again repackaged, this time reaching deeper into the dark and macabre.
In 2019, he returned to the WWE after a brief absence as “The Fiend,” a horror movie monster alter-ego to Wyatt’s new “Mr. Rogers” personality. Wyatt would split time as both the horrific “Fiend” and the host of the “Firefly Funhouse,” a twisted parody of “Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood” (right down to the talking puppets).
You can see Wyatt dressed as “The Fiend” below in a tribute post from fellow wrestler Alexa Bliss:
WARNING: Some viewers may find the following image to be disturbing.
I’m just in shock. Extremely heart broken And at a loss for words. What I can say is what an amazing human being Windham is. An Amazing & kind friend. one of the most creative minds to ever walk this earth. Windham, you’ve brought so much joy and happiness to everyone around you.… pic.twitter.com/QELzyKKkNI
— Lexi (Kaufman) Cabrera (@AlexaBliss_WWE) August 24, 2023
Again, this new persona resonated with audiences worldwide.
But Rotunda also left an impression on his peers.
Fellow wrestlers from the past and present expressed shock and sorrow at his sudden death.
Posts from luminaries such as Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Ric Flair showed just how far Rotunda’s influence ran.
Im heartbroken over the news of Bray Wyatt’s passing. Always had tremendous respect and love for him and the Rotunda family. Loved his presence, promos, in ring work and connection with @wwe universe.
Very unique, cool and rare character, which is hard to create in our crazy… pic.twitter.com/i9zlbJIOL3— Dwayne Johnson (@TheRock) August 24, 2023
Flair also noted that the wrestling world lost another great mind, Terry Funk, this week, in addition to Rotunda.
When Your Great Friend And Someone Your Son’s Age Dies Within 2 Days, It Really Makes Me Reflect & Think About Life! Don’t Take Any Second For Granted! Rest In Peace Terry Funk & Bray Wyatt! pic.twitter.com/U2FpzeibmY
— Ric Flair® (@RicFlairNatrBoy) August 24, 2023
Rotunda, a three-time WWE champion, is survived by his wife and four children. His wife, Jojo Offerman, was a former WWE ring announcer, and he has two children with her. He had two kids in a previous marriage as well.
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