History of Bray Wyatt in Timeline
Windham Lawrence Rotunda, known as Bray Wyatt, was a prominent American professional wrestler. He gained significant recognition during his time in WWE from 2009 until his death in 2023. Wyatt was known for his innovative and captivating character work, which included the cult leader Bray Wyatt persona and the terrifying Fiend. His performances and unique storytelling abilities made him a memorable figure in professional wrestling.
1983: Captain Howdy Inspiration
The character called Uncle Howdy would appear, based on Richard Kiel's portrayal of Captain Howdy in the 1983 film Hysterical.
May 23, 1987: Windham Lawrence Rotunda's Birth
On May 23, 1987, Windham Lawrence Rotunda, who is better known as Bray Wyatt, was born.
1991: Cape Fear Inspiration
The Wyatt character drew comparisons to Robert De Niro's portrayal of Max Cady from the 1991 film Cape Fear.
February 5, 2009: FCW Debut
On February 5, 2009, Windham Lawrence Rotunda made his debut in Florida Championship Wrestling (FCW) in a dark match.
June 2009: FCW Tag Team Championship Win
In June 2009, Windham Lawrence Rotunda, teamed with his brother Bo Rotundo and won the FCW Florida Tag Team Championship.
2009: Tenure in WWE Began
In 2009, Windham Lawrence Rotunda, would begin his career with WWE.
June 2, 2010: Joined NXT as Husky Harris
On June 2, 2010, Windham Lawrence Rotunda joined NXT under the name Husky Harris, with Cody Rhodes as his Pro.
September 2010: Feud with Percy Watson in FCW
In September 2010, Windham Lawrence Rotunda, began a feud with Percy Watson in FCW, after attacking Watson during a tag team match.
2010: Birth of Daughter with Samantha Pixley
In 2010, Bray Wyatt and Samantha Pixley welcomed a daughter.
March 2011: Axl Mulligan Gimmick
In March 2011, Windham Lawrence Rotunda adopted the gimmick of Axl Mulligan, a hockey mask-wearing character, in FCW.
August 2011: Feud with Lucky Cannon and Damien Sandow
In August 2011, Windham Lawrence Rotunda, became involved in his brother Bo's feud with Lucky Cannon and Damien Sandow in FCW.
February 2, 2012: Second FCW Tag Team Championship Win
On February 2, 2012, Windham Lawrence Rotunda and Bo Rotundo defeated Brad Maddox and Eli Cottonwood to win the FCW Florida Tag Team Championship for the second time.
April 2012: Repackaged as Bray Wyatt
In April 2012, Windham Lawrence Rotunda was repackaged as Bray Wyatt in FCW.
July 11, 2012: NXT Debut as Bray Wyatt
On July 11, 2012, Windham Lawrence Rotunda debuted as Bray Wyatt on the rebooted NXT.
2012: Beginning of the Wyatt Character
In 2012, Bray Wyatt began developing the character of a villainous cult leader.
2012: Marriage to Samantha Pixley
In 2012, Bray Wyatt married Samantha Pixley.
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 win.
2013: Birth of Daughter with Samantha Pixley
In 2013, Bray Wyatt and Samantha Pixley welcomed a daughter.
2013: Main Roster Debut of the Wyatt Family
In 2013, Bray Wyatt returned to the main roster, leading the Wyatt Family, consisting of Luke Harper and Erick Rowan.
2013: Theme Song Debut
In 2013, Mark Crozer's "Broken Out In Love" became Bray Wyatt's theme song.
2013: Feud with Daniel Bryan
In 2013, The Wyatt Family feuded with Daniel Bryan, leading to Bryan briefly joining their group.
2014: Wrestlemania XXX
In 2014 John Cena defeated Bray Wyatt at Wrestlemania XXX.
January 5, 2015: Defeated Dean Ambrose in Ambulance Match
On January 5, 2015, Bray Wyatt defeated Dean Ambrose in an ambulance match, concluding their feud.
2016: Drafted to SmackDown
In 2016, Bray Wyatt was drafted to the SmackDown brand during the WWE draft, while Braun Strowman was drafted to Raw.
January 24, 2017: Orton defeats Harper, Wyatt exiles Harper
On January 24, 2017, Luke Harper faced Randy Orton on SmackDown Live, with Orton winning the match. Following the match, Bray Wyatt delivered Sister Abigail to Harper, exiling him from the Wyatt Family.
2017: Divorce Filing
In 2017, Samantha Pixley filed for divorce from Bray Wyatt. It was reported that Wyatt was dating WWE announcer JoJo Offerman at this time.
January 22, 2018: Wyatt defeats Hardy at Raw 25 Years
On January 22, 2018, Bray Wyatt defeated Matt Hardy at Raw 25 Years, continuing their feud.
2018: Hiatus and Character Change
In 2018, Bray Wyatt took a hiatus and returned in 2019 with a character change, hosting the Firefly Fun House.
2018: End of the Wyatt Family Era
In 2018, the original Bray Wyatt character had effectively ended.
April 2019: Debut of Firefly Fun House and The Fiend Persona
In April 2019, Bray Wyatt began appearing in pre-recorded segments as the host of the "Firefly Fun House," showcasing a new, surreal character. During these segments, he also teased his sinister alter ego, "The Fiend."
May 2019: Birth of Son
In May 2019, Bray Wyatt and JoJo Offerman welcomed their first son. Wrestler Braun Strowman is the child's godfather.
2019: Debut of The Fiend
In 2019, Bray Wyatt debuted his masked alter-ego called The Fiend.
2019: End of Theme Song Era
In 2019, Bray Wyatt stopped using Mark Crozer's "Broken Out In Love" as his theme song.
2019: Hell in a Cell Match Criticism
In 2019, Bray Wyatt's Hell in a Cell match against Seth Rollins was heavily criticized for its booking and ending, with many feeling it damaged The Fiend's character. It was later named Worst Match of the Year by Wrestling Observer Newsletter readers and won the Gooker Award.
2019: The Fiend's Emergence and Universal Championship Win
In 2019, Bray Wyatt, as The Fiend, attacked Finn Balor, initiating a series of attacks on WWE legends. This culminated in a feud with Seth Rollins, leading to The Fiend defeating Rollins at Crown Jewel on October 31 to win the Universal Championship.
January 26, 2020: The Fiend defeats Daniel Bryan at Royal Rumble
On January 26, 2020, The Fiend defeated Daniel Bryan in a strap match at Royal Rumble, ending their feud.
May 2020: Birth of Daughter
In May 2020, Bray Wyatt and JoJo Offerman welcomed a daughter.
2020: The Fiend's Feud with Orton and Draft to Raw
In 2020, Bray Wyatt's character, The Fiend, began a feud with Randy Orton, leading to a Firefly Inferno match at TLC in December. The Fiend was also drafted to the Raw brand in October.
2020: Worst Gimmick Award
In 2020, The Fiend was recognized as the Worst Gimmick of the year by Wrestling Observer Newsletter readers, making Bray Wyatt the only performer to win both Best Gimmick and Worst Gimmick with the same character.
March 21, 2021: The Fiend returns at Fastlane
On March 21, 2021, The Fiend returned at Fastlane, sporting a new charred look and attacked Randy Orton during his intergender match with Alexa Bliss.
September 2022: "White Rabbit" Teases Begin
In September 2022, WWE began playing "White Rabbit" at live events and during commercial breaks, with QR codes hidden on Raw and SmackDown, all hinting at Bray Wyatt's return.
2022: Engagement to JoJo Offerman
In 2022, Bray Wyatt and JoJo Offerman became engaged.
February 17, 2023: Wyatt and Howdy attack Hit Row
On February 17, 2023, Bray Wyatt and Uncle Howdy attacked Hit Row on SmackDown, followed by Wyatt challenging the winner of Brock Lesnar vs. Bobby Lashley to a match at WrestleMania 39, which never occurred.
August 24, 2023: Windham Lawrence Rotunda's Death
August 24, 2023, marked the untimely death of Windham Lawrence Rotunda, known as Bray Wyatt, during his tenure with WWE.
2023: Death
Bray Wyatt passed away in 2023. He had been engaged to JoJo Offerman.
2023: Posthumous Voice Cameo
In 2023, Bray Wyatt had a posthumous voice cameo as a prison guard in the film Diary of a Wimpy Kid Christmas: Cabin Fever, released a few months after his death.
April 1, 2024: Documentary Release
On April 1, 2024, WWE released a documentary titled Bray Wyatt: Becoming Immortal, narrated by Mark Calaway, which examines Bray Wyatt's career and personal life.
April 2024: Plans for The Fiend Revival Revealed
In the April 2024 documentary Bray Wyatt: Becoming Immortal, it was revealed that Bray Wyatt had been planning to revive the character of The Fiend with a new mask, outfit, and props.
June 2024: Uncle Howdy Returns to Lead The Wyatt Sicks
In June 2024, Bray Wyatt's brother Taylor (Bo Dallas) returned as the Uncle Howdy character and began leading The Wyatt Sicks faction, honoring Bray Wyatt's vision.
October 2024: New Attire Added to WWE 2K24
In October 2024, new attire and appearance that Bray Wyatt had planned to use for a new iteration of The Fiend were added to WWE 2K24.
2024: Hall of Fame Honor
During the 2024 WWE Hall of Fame induction ceremony, Bray Wyatt was honored by his family, with the crowd showing his traditional "fireflies" and his music being played.
