A TERRIBLE DISAPPEARANCE
He was only 36 years old… After contracting Covid-19 in early 2023, his already battered heart grew fragile. A week before his death, Bray Wyatt had been hospitalized for a heart problem. On that terrible Thursday, August 24, three years ago, the WWE wrestler told his girlfriend he was going to take a nap, but he never woke up. His alarm sounded and wouldn’t stop. It was at that moment that Jojo Offerman found her man in bed, not breathing and turning blue. She quickly called for help, and his mother tried to resuscitate him in vain.
Distressed, Bray Wyatt’s widow waited a few weeks before breaking his silence. In a poignant message, she paid tribute to her late partner in mid-September:
“I’ve written and rewritten this message so many times because there aren’t enough words in this world to describe Windham and what he meant to me. But I’ve also avoided it because, in a strange way, it makes all of this feel too real. The love of my life is gone and it hurts. He was everything I’d always wanted and everything I never thought I needed, and I told him that every day. I’m so grateful that he let me love him fiercely. But I’m so lucky that he loves me fiercely in return. He was the best person I’ve ever known, my best friend and my soulmate. Windham truly gave me a love that will last a lifetime, and oh baby, I am grateful for that. He was the kindest, the funniest, and the most caring man in the world. He made me feel more special every single day.”
He made sure everyone felt special, which was one of the millions of things I loved about him. Our bond was magical, something only the two of us could understand. And that beautiful bond gave birth to two perfect babies. He was also the BEST dad to Knash, Hyrie, Cadyn, and Kendyl. Family meant EVERYTHING to him. Windham knew me better than I knew myself and always knew how to calm my thoughts, just as I did for him. He was the only person in the world with whom I could be myself without any excuses, and not only did he accept that, but he loved it. I cry because I wish we had more time, baby, but I smile because I was lucky to be loved by you for the time we had. I will love you forever, Windham. I will always show our children how amazing their dad was. I will always make sure they know how much you loved them. And I will always make you proud, just as you have made me proud. I love you forever, baby, until we meet again.”
THE WWE TRIBUTE
This passing shook the world of wrestling. Bray Wyatt, a wrestler so unique, had just left this world while still having so much to offer. At the following SmackDown, WWE’s tribute to one of its flagship stars was grand. The show opened in silence. All the wrestlers gathered before the entrance stage to pay their respects. His closest friends, Braun Strowman and Erick Rowan, could not hold back their tears. The bell rang ten times that night in Louisville, Kentucky, in honor of Bray Wyatt but also for Terry Funk, who had died the same week. The tribute concluded with the iconic chair placed at the entrance, in front of the tearful fans.
We will say it again and again: he held the entire world in his hands. Bray Wyatt was unlike any other wrestler. Whether with the Wyatt Family, as the Fiend, or simply solo, he racked up victories and the crowd always stood behind him. His 2017 world championship will remain in the history books. Bray Wyatt’s last match was in January 2023, at the Royal Rumble against LA Knight. The final feud of the former world champion. During SmackDown on August 25, 2023, the Megastar spoke in an emotional moment.
He stated:
“As I stepped into this room tonight, I saw everyone here raising the Fireflies. And it made me reflect, it pulled a little time from my memory, because I think back to how sometimes your greatest enemies can turn out to be your greatest allies.”
“Well, I’ll be honest about this: Bray Wyatt and I have lived through hell. That guy did everything imaginable, and I returned the favor in every possible way. And all this time, you know what he was doing? He was preparing me to face anything. And I’ll be honest: I held up pretty well tonight, until I saw pictures of his family. I must admit, it breaks my heart. But when I look around me, I hear him, I feel him.”
“Again, when I saw each of these Fireflies here tonight, I knew you could all sense Bray Wyatt’s spirit in this room. I’m not going to go on stage and pretend that he and I were best friends, but I will reiterate that exact feeling. Thank you, Bray.”
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