Bray Wyatt's passing is a tragedy – but his legacy is one to be proud of
‘Let me in.’
That was the catchphrase of the Fiend, the best-known alias of Bray Wyatt, the WWE superstar who has died at the age of just 36.
And millions of us did, watching Bray, real name Windham Rotunda, surpass all the pressure of being a third generation wrestler by creating a long lasting legacy and establishing himself among fans and peers as a genuine creative genius, eliciting the kind of reaction and passion that most artists, in any field of entertainment, could only dream of.
As a fan, I was entranced by Bray from the beginning, and a huge part of my love for wrestling over the last decade came from his characters and constant reinvention.
He not only pushed boundaries creatively as much as arguably any wrestler in the past 20 years, but managed to strike a bond with the outcasts and become almost perpetually ‘over’ with the wrestling community.
#BrayWyatt re-introduced himself to the #WWE Universe tonight on SmackDown!
His return at Extreme Rules in October 2022 and the aftermath was the culmination of over a decade’s work, building on what’s to come to create something truly special. He had become something far beyond wrestling, a horror movie villain brought to life with so much depth, and breath of fresh air.
I first encountered the Bray character first emerged in WWE’s development territory NXT 11 years ago as a backwoods cult leader, as he managed to create a grounded, terrifying and gritty persona all in one, flanked by his Wyatt Family ‘sons’ Erick Rowan and the late, great Luke Harper, who was also taken too soon.
By the time Bray and his Family transitioned to Monday Night Raw and the main roster, the aura surrounding them was incredible with a horror-tinged approach much more reminiscent of iconic characters like The Undertaker.
His tragic death means we will never get the resolution of his character, but it does mean the enigma of Bray will live on for generations
It felt like WWE truly had lightning in a bottle here, as Bray and the Wyatt Family formed an instant connection with myself and other fans. It was clear from those initial appearances – and the early days in NXT – that this was something special.
Despite comparisons to the greats – Undertaker, Mick Foley and more – Bray forged his own path with an unrivalled ability to evolve and reinvent himself.
It didn’t always hit, of course – his WrestleMania 33 match with Randy Orton was criticised for the bizarre projections of bugs and creepy crawlies onto the ring itself – but no matter how fans reacted to Bray, it was never boring.
Never one to settle, Bray took the character in a drastically different direction in 2019, again using unnerving vignettes to introduce the new person, he evolved into a children’s TV presenter, the sinister host of the Firefly Fun House encouraging viewers to ‘let me in’ while teasing a dark secret.
That secret was The Fiend, a demonic and terrifying masked alter ego. High profile losses to Goldberg and Randy Orton – and THAT Hell In A Cell match with Sell Rollins – hurt the character, but Bray always found a way.
But for me, while I appreciated all his body of work, I believe his true magnum opus came during the pandemic when WrestleMania was forced to take place behind closed doors in April 2020.
Rather than having a traditional match with rival John Cena, the two instead met in a Firefly Fun House Match, which ended up being one of the most creative and surreal pieces of television as a whole, with Bray portraying different versions of Cena in a bid to drag him to the dark side.
We had taken him in as The Fiend, and now fans were taking him in as Windham.
The introduction of Uncle Howdy – played by his real-life brother Bo Dallas – was a fascinating wrinkle, with fans wondering if he was meant to be a real person or another part of Bray’s troubled mind.
Sadly, we’ll never get the end of the story, with Bray suddenly taken off screen in February with what we now know was due to a battle with Covid which exacerbated a heart condition.
In a very fitting moment, one of Bray’s final appearances back in January saw The Undertaker pass the torch to him in the ring on Raw’s 30th anniversary show, with what was meant to be a sign that Bray could take over from one of WWE’s most iconic characters.
His tragic death means we will never get the resolution of his character, but it does mean the enigma of Bray will live on for generations, inspiring more potential creative geniuses in this most creative of entertainment forms.
For years, Bray Wyatt gave us twists, turns, new personas, and kept us on the edge of our seats, while never letting us lose sight of the human underneath.
His death is a tragedy for his friends, family, and millions of fans.
Let him in.
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