WWE announced the sad news over the night and in the early hours of the morning that Windham Rotunda, better known as Bray Wyatt, had tragically passed away, aged just 36.
Wyatt had been away from TV for the last few months, but it wasn’t publicly known why he wasn’t featuring on television programme, that was until a report emerged saying he was dealing with a life and career threatening illness.
It was later revealed that Wyatt had COVID earlier this year, and in the early hours of the morning, he tragically passed away due to a heart attack.
WWE’s statement on Bray Wyatt
Since the tragic passing, WWE have released the following statement on their official website: “WWE is saddened to learn that Windham Rotunda, also known as Bray Wyatt, passed away on Thursday, Aug. 24, at age 36.
“Known for his captivating performances and incredible in-ring presence, Wyatt was a defining Superstar of his generation and accomplished many feats in WWE, including becoming WWE Champion in 2017. From his leadership of The Wyatt Family alongside Luke Harper, Erick Rowan, and Braun Strowman, to his enthralling time as “The Fiend,” Wyatt embarked on an incredible career and saw several iconic rivalries with Superstars such as John Cena, Randy Orton and The Undertaker. WWE extends its condolences to Rotunda’s family, friends and fans.”
Unsurprisingly, hundreds of tributes have been posted online due to the shocking news and also the shock nature of the news. From fans to colleagues to former Superstars, everyone seems deeply saddened and touched by the news of Wyatt’s passing.
It was actually Triple H who broke the news for many WWE fans, as he wrote on his official Twitter account: “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 privacy at this time.”
This tragic loss comes just one day after the news that WWE legend Terry Funk had passed away. Funk had died in a hospital near Phoenix at the age of 79.
The Rock pays tribute to Bray Wyatt
One of the most emotional tributes, and one of the biggest in terms of names, is the tweet posted by none other than Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson. The WWE legend immediately took to his own personal social media account to post his tribute to Wyatt, someone who he had shared the ring with on a couple of occasions.
The Rock posted: “I’m 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 world of pro wrestling.
“Still processing losing the goat, Terry Funk yesterday and now Bray today. My love, light, strength, & mana to the Rotunda family and Funk family during this tough, heartbreaking time. As always, ‘thank you for the house’.”
