“Let me enter!”
These are the famous words of Windham Rotunda, better known to professional wrestling fans as Bray Wyatt. That’s what he asked WWE fans to do: let his creative vision into their minds and enjoy his unconventional ideas. Many fans did so, which made Wyatt’s character — self-advertised as “the new face of fear » — so loved.
That’s why August 24, 2023 was so painful for wrestling fans, when Rotunda died from complications of a heart attack at age 36. His life and legacy are explored in the new documentary “Bray Wyatt: Becoming Immortal,” premiering on Peacock. as a sort of precursor to the two-day WrestleMania XL in Philadelphia.
Full disclosure: I’m a huge fan of Bray Wyatt’s character. I even dressed up as Wyatt’s terrifying character/alter ego, “The Fiend”, for Halloween a few years ago. He liked my post on social media, which was an ultimate fan moment.
Watching the documentary was a bit personal. I wanted to know more about how a former college offensive lineman at Troy, who was a big fan and dreamed of playing for the Oakland Raidershas become one of the most innovative minds in professional wrestling.
I’m usually skeptical when a company releases a documentary about one of its own stars. How deep will he delve into the person? Will it show the difficult aspects of their personality? It is, however, one of WWE’s best productions in terms of exploring the best and toughest sides of Rotunda, who connected with creative minds in WWE who sometimes didn’t know how to translate his bizarre plans into in-ring intrigue. Rotunda had his vision and didn’t want to see it changed, and some of the missteps WWE made that frustrated Rotunda are also shown.
My skepticism was relieved because the Rotunda was multi-faceted. There are looks at his early taste for horror, such as the “Goosebumps” series of novels, as well as books by Stephen King. Through interviews with family, friends, and never-before-seen interviews with Rotunda, the film takes fans from his roots to his death and legacy.
It’s been less than a year since Rotunda’s death, but the documentary doesn’t feel rushed.
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WWE Superstar Windham “Bray Wyatt” Rotunda Dies at 36
The documentary offers a refresher on Rotunda’s legacy in the industry as Wyatt, a three-time WWE Champion and two-time Tag Team Champion. Rotunda was a third generation professional wrestler. His father, Mike Rotunda, is an industry legend who was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame on Friday along with Wyatt’s uncle, Barry Windham, for their work as a team as US Express. His grandfather is fellow WWE Hall of Famer Robert Windham, better known in the ring as Blackjack Mulligan.
In the documentary, fans learn that after a failed Husky Harris character early in his WWE career, Rotunda had a friend growing up named Brae White and a cousin named Wyatt – which led to the new name and new character. Also discussed are the details of his costumes. There were secret messages in his new “The Fiend” gear addressed to his children and his fiancée, former WWE ring announcer JoJo Offerman. And then there’s the impact he had on his younger brother, Taylor, who wrestled in WWE as Bo Dallas and, more recently, Uncle Howdy. An Easter egg is shown at the end of the documentary, teasing Taylor’s return to wrestling as Uncle Howdy.
There is also the positive energy that Rotunda transmitted not only to his fans, but also to his peers. Who would have guessed that the film’s narrator Mark Calaway – WWE Hall of Famer The Undertaker – struggled with his confidence and found it while working on a storyline with Rotunda that led to a match at WrestleMania 31?
Rotunda’s creativity not only elevated his own career, but also helped give a spark to many established WWE stars. His final match took place on February 23, 2023 in Rockford, Illinois during a non-televised live WWE event. Shortly after, he tested positive for COVID-19 and had heart problems following his bout with the disease. The documentary reports that Rotunda, before his death, was equipped with a medical vest to help him in the event of a cardiac arrest. He was not wearing the vest at the time of his death.
The emotions of Rotunda’s colleagues and family are felt everywhere. He connected with so many people in a unique way and allowed wrestlers to have fun while working.
WWE was Rotunda’s playground. One of his most memorable ideas was Bray Wyatt as host of “Firefly Fun House,” a children’s show that seemed to shake up Pee-wee Herman’s “Pee-wee’s Playhouse.” It was a space where the unorthodox felt comfortable, a place where light jokes, dark humor and moments of psychological thriller mixed together.
“Now that I think about it, you should be afraid of the dark.” 😉
An unexpected return of Firefly Fun House… and it’s just as disturbing as we remember. #BrayWyatt @RealLAKnight #Smack down pic.twitter.com/qVsqRUc9Ok
– WWE (@WWE) January 21, 2023
Viewers learn that some of his ideas literally came from childhood dreams. He borrowed from old WWE characters, films, and his own imagination to create a world where wrestling fans were welcome.
This film will make viewers feel like they know more about the iconic character of Bray Wyatt and how he came to be. Most importantly, they will get to know Windham Rotunda, the man behind so much joy for wrestling fans.
(Photo: Alex Bierens de Haan/Getty Images)