WWE superstar Bray Wyatt, whose real name is Wyndham Rotunda, passed away Thursday at the age of 36, according to the company.
WWE is saddened to learn that Wyndham Rotunda, also known as Bray Wyatt, passed away on Thursday, August 24 at the age of 36. he said in a statement.
“Known for his captivating performances and incredible presence in the ring, Wyatt was a superstar of his generation and achieved many milestones in WWE, including becoming the WWE Champion in 2017,” the statement continued.
WWE Chief Content Officer Paul “Triple H” Levesque also shared the news of Rotunda’s death on Channel X, formerly known as Twitter.
“Just received a phone call from WWE Hall of Famer Mike Rotunda bringing us the tragic news that lifelong WWE Family member Windham Rotunda – aka Bray Wyatt – passed away unexpectedly earlier today. Our thoughts are with his family and we ask.” “Everyone respects their privacy at this time,” Levesque wrote.
The cause of death was not immediately provided.
Rotunda’s last match was against rising WWE superstar L.A. Knight at the premium live event Royal Rumble in January in what was billed as the first ever “Mountain Dew Pitch Black Match”. Rotunda has not performed since, reportedly due to health issues.
Tributes immediately began pouring in for Rotunda from his peers and friends on social media.
Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson wrote, “My heart is saddened by the news of Bray Wyatt’s death. I have always had tremendous respect and love for him and the Rotunda family. Loved his presence, his promotions in the ring and his connection with the @wwe world.” on X.
“A very unique, wonderful and rare character, hard to create in our crazy world of pro wrestling. We are still dealing with the loss of Goat, Terry Funk yesterday and now Bray today. My love, light, strength and mana to the Rotunda family and Funk and my family during this difficult and heartbreaking time.”
Alexis Cabrera, better known as Alexis Bliss, who performed alongside Rotunda during his incarnation of The Fiend, said she was devastated by his death.
“Just in shock. Really at a loss for words right now,” she wrote on social media.
Rotunda began his career with WWE under their developmental brand NXT in 2010 under the moniker Husky Harris. He moved to the main roster in 2014 as cult leader Bray Wyatt of the Wyatt Family faction whose members included Luke Harper, Erick Rowan, and Braun Strowman. He was regarded as one of the first speakers of his generation, baffling audiences with “Follow the Hawks” and often singing “He’s got the whole world in his hands”.
During his time with WWE, Rotunda won numerous championships, including the WWE Championship and the WWE Universal Championship.
Rotunda was released from the company in July 2021 but returned as much in October 2022. He has adopted the persona of The Fiend, a self-styled devil-like persona as Mister Rogers in Firefly Funhouse with maniacal dolls.
Rotunda, a third-generation wrestler, is the son of WWE Hall of Famer Mike Rotunda, who performed for the wrestling promotion under the name IRS.
Rotunda’s grandfather was known as Black Jack Mulligan, and Barry and Kendall Windham were his uncles.
Rotunda has performed alongside his brother Taylor Michael Rotunda, known professionally as Bo Dallas.
Rotunda is survived by his partner, former WWE ring announcer Jojo Offerman, and their two children. Rotunda also had two other children from a previous relationship.