History of Bray Wyatt in Timeline

Windham Lawrence Rotunda, known as Bray Wyatt, was a prominent American professional wrestler who competed in WWE from 2009 until his death in 2023. He was known for his charismatic and unsettling persona, characterized by his unique promos, in-ring style, and commitment to his character. Wyatt led the Wyatt Family faction and later portrayed "The Fiend", a terrifying alter ego, showcasing his creativity and versatility as a performer. His contributions to WWE and impact on the wrestling world were widely recognized.

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Full Timeline Career & Achievements

1983: Inspiration From Hysterical

In 1983, the film Hysterical starring Richard Kiel inspired the character of Uncle Howdy.

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1991: Inspiration From Cape Fear

In 1991, the film Cape Fear starring Robert De Niro inspired the character of Bray Wyatt.

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2005: State Wrestling Championship

In 2005, Windham Rotunda, also known as Bray Wyatt, won a state wrestling championship at 275 pounds while attending Hernando High School.

February 5, 2009: FCW Debut

On February 5, 2009, Windham Rotunda, using the names Alex Rotundo and Duke Rotundo, made his debut in a dark match on Florida Championship Wrestling (FCW).

June 2009: FCW Tag Team Championship Win

In June 2009, Windham Rotunda began teaming with his brother Bo Rotundo and together they won the FCW Florida Tag Team Championship.

June 2, 2010: NXT Debut as Husky Harris

On June 2, 2010, Windham Rotunda joined NXT as Husky Harris, paired with Cody Rhodes as his Pro.

September 2010: Feud with Percy Watson

In September 2010, while still wrestling as Husky Harris in FCW, Windham Rotunda began a feud with Percy Watson after attacking him during a tag team match.

2010: Birth of daughter with Samantha Pixley

In 2010, Windham Rotunda and Samantha Pixley had a daughter.

March 2011: Axl Mulligan Gimmick

In March 2011, Windham Rotunda adopted the gimmick of Axl Mulligan in FCW, a hockey mask-wearing character, however, the character never made it to FCW TV, and Rotunda continued to play Husky Harris character on FCW TV.

August 2011: Involved in Bo Rotundo's Feud

In August 2011, as Husky Harris, Windham Rotunda became embroiled in his brother Bo's feud with Lucky Cannon and Damien Sandow in FCW. The brothers teamed up to defeat Cannon and Sandow.

February 2, 2012: Second FCW Tag Team Championship

On February 2, 2012, Husky Harris and Bo Rotundo defeated Brad Maddox and Eli Cottonwood to win the vacant FCW Florida Tag Team Championship for the second time.

April 2012: Repackaged as Bray Wyatt

In April 2012, Windham Rotunda was repackaged as Bray Wyatt in FCW, initially associating himself with Eli Cottonwood.

July 11, 2012: NXT Debut as Bray Wyatt

On July 11, 2012, Bray Wyatt debuted on the rebooted NXT taped at Full Sail University, where he defeated Aiden English.

2012: Start of the Villainous Cult Leader Character

In 2012, Bray Wyatt's character became a villainous cult leader, believing himself to be the "nagging conscience of an immoral world".

2012: Marriage to Samantha Pixley

In 2012, Windham Rotunda married Samantha Pixley.

February 21, 2013: Return Match from Injury

On February 21, 2013, Bray Wyatt had his first match back from injury on NXT, where he defeated Yoshi Tatsu.

August 18, 2013: Victory Over Kane at SummerSlam

On August 18, 2013, Bray Wyatt defeated Kane in a Ring of Fire match at SummerSlam, marking his first main roster match. The victory was aided by interference from Harper and Rowan.

2013: Theme Song Debut

In 2013, Mark Crozer's "Broken Out In Love" became Windham Rotunda's theme song.

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2013: Birth of daughter with Samantha Pixley

In 2013, Windham Rotunda and Samantha Pixley had a daughter.

2013: Best Gimmick Award

In 2013, Windham Rotunda was voted as having the Best Gimmick by readers of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter.

2014: WrestleMania XXX

John Cena faced Bray Wyatt at Wrestlemania XXX in 2014.

January 5, 2015: Ambulance Match Win

On January 5, 2015, Bray Wyatt defeated Dean Ambrose in an ambulance match on Raw, effectively ending their feud.

January 24, 2017: Randy Orton vs. Luke Harper

On January 24, 2017, on SmackDown Live, Randy Orton faced Luke Harper. Orton defeated Harper, leading to Bray Wyatt delivering Sister Abigail to Harper, effectively exiling him from The Wyatt Family.

2017: Divorce Filing

In 2017, Samantha Pixley filed for divorce from Windham Rotunda.

January 22, 2018: Bray Wyatt vs. Matt Hardy at Raw 25 Years

On January 22, 2018, at Raw 25 Years, Bray Wyatt fought Matt Hardy, with Wyatt winning the match.

2018: Hiatus and Character Change

Following a hiatus from Summer 2018, Bray Wyatt began hosting the "Firefly Fun House" where he would perform as a friendly-mannered children's television show host.

2018: End of the Villainous Cult Leader Character

In 2018, Bray Wyatt's character as the villainous cult leader came to an end.

April 2019: Debut of the Firefly Fun House

In April 2019, Bray Wyatt began appearing in pre-recorded segments as the host of Firefly Fun House, a surreal children's program. During the initial segment, Wyatt destroyed a cardboard cutout of his old self with a chainsaw. The Firefly Fun House segments introduced characters such as Mercy the Buzzard, Abby the Witch, Ramblin' Rabbit and Huskus the Pig Boy.

May 2019: Birth of son

In May 2019, Windham Rotunda and JoJo Offerman had a son.

2019: Feud with Seth Rollins and Universal Championship Win

In 2019, The Fiend began a feud with Universal Champion Seth Rollins, culminating in a match at Hell in a Cell on October 6 that ended in a referee stoppage. After being drafted to SmackDown, The Fiend defeated Rollins on October 31 at Crown Jewel to win the Universal Championship.

2019: Hell in a Cell Match Criticism

In 2019, Windham Rotunda's Hell in a Cell match against Seth Rollins was heavily criticized for its booking and ending. It was also voted Worst Match of the Year by Wrestling Observer Newsletter readers.

2019: Debut of The Fiend

Soon after, in 2019, Bray Wyatt debuted a masked alter-ego called The Fiend, a demon clown who had supernatural characteristics and remembered all the wrongdoings that others had inflicted on Wyatt in the past.

January 26, 2020: The Fiend vs. Daniel Bryan at Royal Rumble

On January 26, 2020, at Royal Rumble, The Fiend defeated Daniel Bryan in a strap match, bringing their feud to an end.

May 2020: Birth of daughter

In May 2020, Windham Rotunda and JoJo Offerman had a daughter.

2020: Feud with Randy Orton and Firefly Inferno Match

In 2020, The Fiend reignited his old feud with Randy Orton, and at TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs on December 20, Orton defeated The Fiend in a Firefly Inferno match before setting his body on fire.

March 21, 2021: The Fiend Returns at Fastlane

On March 21, 2021, at Fastlane, The Fiend returned as a tweener, sporting charred skin and singed clothes. He attacked Randy Orton during his intergender match with Alexa Bliss, allowing Bliss to win.

September 2022: "White Rabbit" Teases

In September 2022, WWE began playing an a cappella version of "White Rabbit" by Jefferson Airplane at live events and during commercial breaks, alongside QR codes hidden in various locations, all referencing Wyatt.

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2022: Return with Uncle Howdy

After Wyatt returned in 2022, a new character called Uncle Howdy would appear, based on Richard Kiel's portrayal of Captain Howdy in the 1983 film Hysterical. Howdy would be portrayed by Wyatt's real life brother Taylor, better known as Bo Dallas.

2022: Engagement to JoJo Offerman

In 2022, Windham Rotunda and JoJo Offerman were engaged.

February 17, 2023: Wyatt and Howdy Attack Hit Row

On the February 17, 2023, episode of SmackDown, Bray Wyatt and Uncle Howdy attacked Hit Row. Wyatt also challenged the winner of Brock Lesnar vs. Bobby Lashley at Elimination Chamber to a match at WrestleMania 39.

2023: Death

In 2023, Windham Rotunda passed away.

2023: Jey Uso Adopts Fireflies Entrance

In late summer 2023, Jey Uso adopted the "fireflies" entrance, originally popularized by Windham Rotunda, at the start of his match against Damian Priest at Backlash France.

April 1, 2024: Documentary Release: Bray Wyatt: Becoming Immortal

On April 1, 2024, WWE released the documentary Bray Wyatt: Becoming Immortal, narrated by Mark Calaway, examining Windham Rotunda's career and personal life.

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April 2024: Plans to Revive The Fiend Character Revealed

In the April 2024 documentary Bray Wyatt: Becoming Immortal, it was revealed that Windham Rotunda had been planning to revive the character of The Fiend with a new mask, outfit, and props.

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June 2024: Taylor (Bo Dallas) returns as Uncle Howdy

In June 2024, Windham Rotunda's brother Taylor (Bo Dallas) returned as the Uncle Howdy character and began leading the faction The Wyatt Sicks, implying that WWE intended to honor Wyatt's vision of leading a faction with wrestlers portraying real versions of his Firefly Fun House puppets.

2024: WWE Hall of Fame Honor

During the 2024 WWE Hall of Fame induction ceremony, Windham Rotunda was honored by his family. The crowd showed his traditional "fireflies," and his music was played.