We all know that life ends for all of us at some point. It could be tomorrow, or it could be 50 years from now. Nobody knows when that endpoint is going to come. Unfortunately, that endpoint happened for Windham Rotunda, better known as Bray Wyatt, at the age of 36. Way too early for anyone to have their time be up.
As I’ve mentioned previously, Wrestling has been in my life since childhood, but never as consistently as it is today. There was a huge gap between the late 2000s and the early/mid 2010s when Wrestling was never on my mind. It was just a “childish phase” that was never admitted to still being enjoyed.
Then a new era of wrestling started popping up on my radar. WWE still had the household names of John Cena, Undertaker, Kane, and Brock Lesner, but names like CM Punk, Daniel Bryan, and a little faction called the Shield piqued my interest. What truly solidified my interest in returning to WWE was something different—something dark and dingy.
The Wyatt Family.
They were so different from anything else at the time. A company with larger-than-life superstars had just debuted three dudes from a swamp. The entrance was a spectacle, and Bray was captivating. Never had an entrance been as captivating since The Undertaker.
Life still got in the way of watching wrestling on a weekly basis back then, but I kept my eye on The Wyatts and WWE for a long time, watching from time to time when a busy work and home schedule allowed it. Enough for me to understand that this group didn’t hit the highs that they should have.
Wyatt kept trying new things with the group. Randy Orton had a fun stint, Braun Strowman debuted as a massive monster, and Matt Hardy brought a “WOKEN” version of his Broken character into a lovely tag team that should have been given more credence.
The dichotomy of silliness and seriousness was *chefs kiss* perfect. Bray’s quiet intensity blended with Matt’s quirky character. I’m a sucker for the Broken Matt Hardy character, and getting to see that in WWE was a joy, even despite the watered-down nature of it. They had wonderful chemistry together.
Then 2019 became the year of the Firefly Funhouse and the Fiend. All Elite Wrestling debuted a few months prior, but the best part of that year was Bray Wyatt. The creepiness of his kid’s show, with the amazing debut of one of the coolest characters I’ve ever seen: The Fiend. He wasn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but dark and spooky characters have always been a hit for me. It’s why I’ve been a House of Black member since day one.
But let’s re-live the greatness of Bray again, shall we?
WWE has been hit or miss my entire life. Not since the days of Stone Cold, The Rock, and early John Cena did WWE ever make me want to tune in every single week. Bray Wyatt in 2019 piqued my interest so high that a three-hour Raw was necessary to catch what he was going to do next. Even for a thirty-second clip!
That was the power of Bray Wyatt. He was a creative genius who never got the flowers he should have, for one reason or another. I have been a fan of the Wyatt family and every Bray iteration since day one. That’s why WWE’s treatment of the Fiend towards the end of the run sent me away from WWE for good. Bray was one of a kind, and I truly loved everything he ever put on screen.
It’s incredibly sad that he’s gone, but he will be remembered forever. Thank you, Bray Wyatt. Without your incredibly creative mind, I might not be the wrestling fan I am today. Your awesome characters kept me in the wrestling world and sparked my interest time and time again.
Rest in Peace, Windham.