Wrestling On FanNation

Bray Wyatt Embodied The Spirit of Pro Wrestling

The sudden passing of Bray Wyatt is a piercing blow to the heart of pro wrestling

Justin Barrasso

Bray Wyatt Embodied The Spirit of Pro Wrestling
Bray Wyatt Embodied The Spirit of Pro Wrestling /

SI.com’s Week in Wrestling is published every week and provides beneath the surface coverage of the business of pro wrestling.

Bray Wyatt made people believe in the mystique and aura of pro wrestling

Bray Wyatt instantly seized hold of your attention as soon as he uttered the words, “We’re here.”

And that marked only the beginning of an iconic entrance, performance, and lasting impression.

As The Wyatt Family would make their entrance, Wyatt would saunter out, lantern in hand, flanked by an eerie-faced Luke Harper and sheep mask-wearing Erick Rowan. Beside those two behemoths, Wyatt looked fairly average sized. But the character Wyatt crafted was full of misdirection; as we soon learned, nothing about the man was average.

Courtesy WWE
Courtesy WWE

Contents

  1. The (Online) Week in Wrestling
  2. Should CM Punk wrestle at All Out?
  3. Tweet of the Week

Wyatt was Windham Rotunda, a third-generation pro wrestler, and he passed away far too soon last week at the age of only 36. His death was reportedly due to a “weak lower part of his heart”, which feels incongruous. As Wyatt, he provided a distinctive, singular heartbeat to a profession that had once dominated by eccentricity.

In his greatest role, Rotunda made a mark that will long outlive his years on earth. There were the back-to-back WrestleMania moments against John Cena and The Undertaker; his magical moments with Daniel Bryan; a compelling story with Randy Orton; and a fearlessness of Roman Reigns. There were the sinister promos that were overflowing with kernels of truth, and a commitment to his craft that few have ever displayed.

So uniquely talented, Wyatt’s rough, raspy voice will be synonymous for the next century among wrestling fans whenever “He’s Got The World In His Hands” plays. It is a children’s song, but for wrestling fans, a solemn reminder of a brilliant performer taken too soon.

Wyatt later evolved into The Fiend. He oversaw the chaotic (but deep) Firefly Funhouse, constantly warning people of imminent danger. Those moments helped define his essence. His unpredictability added to every appearance.

As Wyatt, Rotunda reached his destiny. He became what he had always dreamed of–someone in pro wrestling who perpetually captured people’s attention. He was a throwback, one that would have thrived in his father Mike Rotunda’s generation, or with his uncle, the wildly underrated Barry Windham, or even amidst a different time, surrounded by his grandfather Blackjack Mulligan and the stars of a nearly forgotten era.

Courtesy WWE
Courtesy WWE

In the manner of only a precious few before him, Wyatt sparked emotion to the point where he grew into an unforgettable fixture of pro wrestling. Sadly, like too many legends preceding him, he also left us far too soon.

In the build to WrestleMania 30, Wyatt promised to destroy the legacy of John Cena. Instead, he laid the foundation for his own. Seeing Cena tied up in the ropes wearing the sheep mask, or watching Wyatt’s iconic paranormal activity-esque crab walk with an odd blend of hesitation and admiration, or taking a Sister Abigail (the type of finisher a star needs to reach the next level, and Rotunda mastered it) were all moments of glory for wrestling fans. This was why we watched every week, for hours on end, in search of moments like that. With Wyatt, we witnessed the next great star reveal himself.

Only this past January, The Undertaker returned on Raw and shared the ring with Wyatt. The former rivals looked eye-to-eye, and Taker clearly took hold of Wyatt’s attention when he whispered into his ear. His words were inaudible to those listening, but that conversation was not for an audience of one. It was a reminder to Wyatt that there was no one in wrestling quite like him, which was nothing but the truth.

Courtesy WWE
Courtesy WWE

The first time I spoke with Wyatt was March of 2017. This was during the buildup to WrestleMania 33 when Wyatt was defending the WWE title against Randy Orton. Oddly, at least from my perspective, Wyatt always felt above the title. His real championship mettle ran exceedingly deeper, a rare trait in an industry where everyone is fighting to be champ. During our call, Rotunda exceeded my already high expectations as he articulated what pro wrestling could be.

“That generic outlook of what a WWE champion should be is a joke to me,” he said. “The casual fan walks in and expects to see a guy in short trunks with abs and a shaven body. I do not believe in that. When you watch UFC, there is not a cliché champion who looks the same every time.

“I am a well-spoken, educated person, and I’m also an extremely accomplished athlete. For me, it’s disrespect and a slap in the face when people say I broke a mold as champion or I don’t fit as champion. I know what I’m capable of, and I knew I’d be here.”

Rotunda was born to do this. The fact that he failed earlier in his career to connect as Husky Harris only emboldened his belief that he would make it to the top of the industry. And he fulfilled that prophecy, despite it all ending too fast.

No matter how much “The Face of Evil” wanted to be feared, his legacy tells a different story. Wyatt is one of the most revered wrestlers of his era, creating masterpieces on the mic and in the ring that will forever breathe life into pro wrestling.

The (Online) Week in Wrestling

  • John Cena is back in WWE on SmackDown through the end of October. Will he tease one more run at the title, focus more on elevating younger talent, or (hopefully) a combination of the two?

Trinity forced Deonna Purrazzo to tap out at the end of Impact’s Emergence on Sunday, capping off an excellent weekend in wrestling.

The NWA women’s title changed hands on Sunday night, as Kenzie Paige ended Kamille’s 813-day reign with the title.

Does The Miz do a better version of LA Knight than LA Knight? This feud is a lot more layered than it appears, but I’m hoping Knight keeps his momentum.

Becky Lynch and Trish Stratus should conclude their feud this Saturday at Payback in a steel cage. I can’t be the only one eager to see Lynch back in the title picture. She also had a powerful tribute to Bray at the end of Raw.

Cody Rhodes’ tribute to Terry Funk was beautiful.

Should CM Punk wrestle at All Out?

Courtesy AEW
Courtesy AEW

I don’t think we’ve seen the end of CM Punk in AEW.

There will eventually be consequences for the Punk-Jack Perry incident from All In. The timing adds a new level of complexity, as Punk is beloved in Chicago and AEW holds its entire week of shows there with Dynamite, Collision, and All Out.

Punk is by no means a regular fixture on Dynamite, but it would not have been too out of the ordinary to see him make an appearance in a pre-taped segment to help build toward this Sunday’s All Out pay-per-view. Could the investigation conclude before Saturday’s Collision? It seems unlikely, but it is hard to speculate.

Wrestling cards are always subject to change, but if Punk is bound to serve a lengthy suspension, is it worth exploring a different route to get there? Major League Baseball employs a method where a suspended player can appeal and then serve the applicable punishment. Would that work here? Or is it simply too tenuous a situation to put Punk back on live TV with a hot mic?

There are no certainties in how this is going to unfold, other than a legion of fans in Chicago eagerly awaiting to hear “Cult of Personality”. And yes, if you’re wondering why this feels similar, it is because we have watched Punk in situations like this before.

My prediction? Purely a gut feel, but I think Punk will wrestle at All Out. This is purely my opinion, but I don’t think he will appear before that. I envision the live crowd exploding when he is introduced on Sunday, which would be a moment to remember.

But this is not a wrestling angle. Ultimately, AEW needs to do what is best for its long-term success. Time will soon tell which approach that will be.

Tweet of the Week

Big E’s stories about Windham Rotunda have been wonderful.

Published
Justin Barrasso
JUSTIN BARRASSO

Justin Barrasso has been writing for Sports Illustrated since 2014. While his primary focus is pro wrestling and MMA, he has also covered MLB, NBA, and the NFL. He can be reached at JBarrasso@gmail.com and followed on Twitter @JustinBarrasso.

Home/Wrestling News