(WKBN) – The WWE and pro wrestling world is in mourning Thursday night as one of WWE’s top stars has died.
WWE Chief Content Officer Paul “Triple H” Levesque announced on Twitter that former WWE world champion Bray Wyatt has died at the age of 36:
“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 earlier today. Our thoughts are with his family and we ask that everyone respect their privacy at this time.”
Triple H on Twitter
Wyatt, whose real name is Windham Rotunda, first competed in the WWE as Husky Harris in Season 2 of WWE NXT in 2010.
After a hiatus, he reappeared as Bray Wyatt leading ‘The Wyatt Family’ alongside Luke Harper and Erick Rowan. Wyatt went on to have high-profile matches at WrestleMania with John Cena, The Undertaker, and Randy Orton.
In 2019, Wyatt debuted ‘The Fiend,’ a clown-like alter ego that captivated WWE audiences. Wyatt was a three-time world champion in WWE.
Wyatt’s former stable mate Luke Harper, whose real name is Jon Huber, passed away in December 2020.
Wyatt returned to WWE in October 2022. His last televised match was when he defeated LA Knight in a Mountain Dew Pitch Black Match at Royal Rumble 2023 in January.
Wrestling reporter Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful Select tweeted that Wyatt had COVID-19 earlier this year and that exacerbated heart issues. Sapp said that there was positive progress towards him recovering and returning to the ring. Sapp said that Wyatt suffered a heart attack Thursday and passed away. Wyatt’s family gave him permission to release the news.
