WWE superstars react to Bray Wyatt's (36) shocking death: 'I'm heartbroken,' says The Rock

• WWE superstar Bray Wyatt has died after suffering a heart attack.
• Wyatt - his real name is Windham Rotunda - comes from a family engraved in professional wrestling.
• Windham is a former WWE champion who was loved by fans and colleagues.

WWE superstar Bray Wyatt, real name Windham Rotunda, died at the age of 36 on Thursday.

The wrestler, who was loved within the WWE organisation, contracted Covid-19 earlier this year, which exacerbated a heart condition.

He suffered a heart attack on Thursday, which led to his death.

Sean Ross Sapp from Fightful.com said on X, formerly known as Twitter, that the family permitted him to disclose what transpired with Windham, saying: "I was given permission to reveal that earlier this year, Windham Rotunda (Bray Wyatt) got Covid that exacerbated heart issues. 

"There was a lot of positive progress towards a return and his recovery. Unfortunately, he suffered a heart attack and passed away."

Rotunda has been absent from WWE television shows for much of 2023, with outlets speculating about his position within the company (i.e. contracts). A return had been rumoured for some time, including the recent SummerSlam pay-per-view, but it did not come to fruition.

Rotunda and his brother, Taylor Rotunda, better known as Bo Dallas, are both signed to the WWE.

Superstars react

Former WWE superstar-turned-executive Triple H first broke the news about Rotunda's passing.

'The Game', who now heads Operations and Creative, received a call from Mike Rotunda, Windham and Taylor's father, informing him of the news.

Triple H 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 [away]. Our thoughts are with his family, and we ask that everyone respect their privacy at this time.”

The post sent shockwaves throughout the entire wrestling community, with WWE athletes, and those from other promotions, sending their heartfelt condolences to Rotunda's family.

Among those reacting to Rotunda's sudden passing was WWE Hall of Famer Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson. The in-ring performer-turned-Hollywood star's family and the Rotundas share a rich history, making the impact a tad more personal than for others.

"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 the WWE universe.

"Very unique, cool, and rare character, which is hard to create in our crazy world of pro wrestling."

Wyatt's WWE run - in brief

Given that their father, grandfather, and uncles were all professional wrestlers, it was no surprise that Windham and younger brother Taylor would continue the family legacy.

But it was the senior of the two who'd garner more success, being called up to the WWE's developmental territory, Florida Championship Wrestling (FCW), in 2009, with a debut on the main roster following in 2013.

During the (Monday Night) RAW show on 8 July in 2013, Bray Wyatt made his shock appearance, along with members of The Wyatt Family. The members comprised Wyatt, Erick Rowan, and Luke Harper - the latter died on 26 December 2020. Braun Strowman joined at a later time.

The faction was 'feared' by the other superstars, but fans immediately liked their uniquely different approach to the art of professional wrestling.

With the Wyatt family's storyline ending, WWE repackaged Wyatt in 2019, with him being more friendly and hosting the 'Firefly Funhouse'. It wasn't long before Wyatt's sinister side came to the fore, with the debut of 'The Fiend' sending further shockwaves throughout the WWE universe.

The fans loved and adored Wyatt, and the rest of the locker room appreciated his dedication to his craft. Sadly, health issues kept Wyatt's on-screen appearances down to a minimum, with a brief return occurring in 2022, with another 'hiatus' this year.

Rotunda was known for always wanting to push the envelope in keeping fans interested and his characters fresh, and to a large degree, WWE gave him the freedom to work with Creative to achieve it.

In his last press conference for the WWE, Rotunda explained the legacy he wants to leave behind.

"There are some people that like new concepts and people that take risks and things, and there are people who don't just because they don't.

"(Wrestling is) a sport to some and it's a show to others. But I think the beautiful thing about wrestling, this industry, is that there's something for everyone, and I've always prided myself on the fact that I've been willing to take risks and do things that no one's ever done.

"Because, in my opinion, if you're not willing to do that, what are you doing here?

"It's about leaving a legacy for me, and I would do pretty much anything, especially if no one's ever done it before, because I know that people will notice.

"And it's fun for me."

Rotunda enjoyed storylines with greats like The Undertaker, John Cena, Randy Orton, Brock Lesnar, and Kane and shared the ring with them. In addition to being a WWE tag team champion, he held the WWE Championship once and the WWE Universal Championship twice.