The wrestling world lost one of its brightest burning stars. Windham Rotunda, otherwise known as Bray Wyatt, passed away at just 36 years old. Not only did we lose a generational creative mind, but a father, husband, brother, son, and friend. He will be dearly missed by those who cared for him, and by fans of his work.
With his passing, it made me think to myself exactly why a lot of his programs were so widely divisive to the wrestling community. There are those rabid fans that enjoyed his wacky and sometimes horrifying brand of storytelling, and there are those who staunchly stand against that kind of “smoke & mirrors” production.
Rarely, though, could you find someone who had no opinion at all. Windham, for all the highs & lows of his illustrious and all too short career, was someone who made people think. He stretched beyond the limits of the imagination for many people, and broke barriers between horror and wrestling that we didn’t think were possible.
Wyatt’s storytelling was not everyone’s cup of tea, but to deny that he stood out would be a crime against him and his work. From his use of props ranging from decrepit looking puppets through the aesthetic of his iconic lamp. The man knew how to tell stories in and outside the ring.
During the lead in to his latest run in WWE, we saw an incredibly innovative use of non-traditional wrestling media that signal’s his return. His adaptation of ARG-type storytelling with mysterious QR codes, forcing fans to solve clues that led to key coordinates which teased his reemergence, and even eerie voice messages. The man knew how to keep viewers on their toes and keep the viewer engaged even when not on screen.
In a business that focuses heavily on regurgitating the same stories in new and innovative ways, Bray Wyatt was a necessary change of pace. He not only had a uniquely individual approach to match structure and character definition, but expanded beyond the presented physical manifestations of the characters we’ve grown to know each week.
He went past the realm of “wrestling heel” and delved into the villains of fiction. He was more akin to an amalgamation of Batman’s rogues gallery than he would’ve been to “supernatural” wrestling bad guys of the past. He used a sinister visage, combined with a great mental understanding of the insecurities his opponents faced, and cut them down piece by piece. He turned their greatest fears against them, and in a sport that bleeds vanity, sometimes that was as simple as forcing them to look in the mirror.
All too often, in a world full of over stimulation, we never truly experience solitude. Being alone with just the thoughts in our head is intimidating. We’re never made to look in the mirror and ask ourselves, “who am I?”.
Suffice to say, Bray Wyatt’s greatest weapon was never his overwhelming physical power, or his elaborate masks. It was introspection. He forced anyone that stood in opposition to him, to dig into their own mind. Forced these characters to come face to face with who they truly were, and sometimes, they couldn’t handle who they saw looking back at them.
I can see a future where Bray Wyatt inspires a generation of young wrestlers that love horror, to incorporate some of these ideas into their future work. He laid the groundwork for the expansion of wrestling storytelling that can grab attention from outside audiences. In just 14 years, he’s left an indelible mark on pro wrestling.
Windham Rotunda is surely to be often imitated, but he will never be duplicated. He stood out amongst an avalanche of already colorful characters. He forced a seemingly overwhelming corporate force to bend to his whim, and used that to share his vision, passion, and creativity with us all.
He was one of a kind and truly did have the whole world in his hands.
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