On April 1st 2024, WWE and Peacock released a documentary surrounding the life and career of Windham Rotunda a.k.a. Bray Wyatt. The feature included previously unreleased interviews and footage from Rotunda’s career, as well as interviews from his family and friends.
The curtain was pulled back on Windham’s life, and a number of interesting new points emerged. These are the top takeaways from Bray Wyatt: Becoming Immortal.
Windham Rotunda Hated The Husky Harris Character
This will come as no shock to those who followed Windham Rotunda’s early career, but it was officially confirmed in this documentary that he hated the ‘Husky Harris’ character.
He felt that the character was an unnecessary comment on his physique, and didn’t enjoy portraying him on-screen.
Rotunda was always a team player and continued to bring Harris to life, although Triple H noticed that he was unhappy and decided to help him find his niche.
Thankfully, the Husky Harris gimmick was short-lived and Bray Wyatt would be born.
The Bray Wyatt Character Was An Homage To A Childhood Friend “Brae White”
Windham’s family and friends delved into the conception of the Bray Wyatt character throughout the first half of the documentary. It was revealed during this section that the Bray Wyatt character was named as an homage to a childhood friend of Rotunda’s.
The name was derived from Brae White, a friend of Windham’s from his childhood. Also, the Wyatt surname was a nod to his cousin with the same name.
The ‘Firefly Funhouse’ Match Was Put Together Inside A Week
One section of the feature was dedicated to highlighting the ‘Firefly Funhouse’ match.
As WWE WrestleMania 36 was forced to take place in an empty arena, it gave the performers much more leeway when putting together their matches. Namely, the match between The Fiend and John Cena on Night Two.
Backstage footage from the creation of the ‘Firefly Funhouse’ match showcased the creativity of Windham Rotunda and Cena, with Cena heaping praise onto Rotunda.
The match was so impressive that many would’ve assumed that it was carefully pieced together over multiple weeks. However, it was all written and filmed in less than a week.
Nick Manfredini, a former WWE writer, explained the match came together in “around two days”, which was a testament to the exceptional creative mind of Windham Rotunda.
Uncle Howdy’s Design Was From A Childhood Nightmare of Windham’s
The man who took the lead in this documentary was Taylor Rotunda, Windham’s younger brother. Better known to WWE fans as Bo Dallas, he went into great detail about their relationship, both professionally and personally.
One major point of discussion was his work as Uncle Howdy and his connection to the planned return of Bray Wyatt in early 2023.
Taylor explained that the design of the Uncle Howdy character and mask was based on a nightmare that Windham had as a child. This insight into the mind of Windham Rotunda was an interesting one and served to showcase how he drew from his own life for inspiration.
A New Fiend Character Had Been Designed Prior to Windham’s Passing
The closing segment of the documentary highlighted the plans for Wyatt’s return that had been halted due to his unfortunate passing.
As the feature came to a close, it was revealed that Windham had been working on a new design for The Fiend, along with designer Jason Baker, which would have been used during his eventual return.
The costume was fitted with motorized eyes and featured a creepier design than previous iterations. Windham’s final creation was arguably his best, and it is a shame that it will likely never be featured on WWE television.
More From LWOS Pro Wrestling
Header photo – WWE – Stay tuned to the Last Word on Pro Wrestling for more on this and other stories from around the world of wrestling, as they develop. You can always count on LWOPW to be on top of the major news in the wrestling world, as well as to provide you with analysis, previews, videos, interviews, and editorials on the wrestling world. You can check out an almost unlimited array of WWE content on the WWE Network and Peacock.
