WWE World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins offered his tribute to the late Bray Wyatt (Windham Rotunda) at a WWE live event in Cape Girardeau, Missouri shortly after his tragic passing this past August.
In a recent appearance on Mythical Kitchen’s “Last Meal” series, Rollins recalled how he realized at that moment that Wyatt’s spirit was present at the arena. He said,
“It really does feel like a family, and Windham was somebody that I loved and worked with very closely for many years. We came up in the business together and I was very close with him, so it was a huge shock that he had passed and left, it still doesn’t feel real sometimes. Most of the crew had gotten together on Friday for our SmackDown show and they were kind of able to grieve together and sort of breathe that collective sigh, talking about him, but I wasn’t there. I was home with my family and I didn’t have a chance to see everybody until the following day, it was a live event on a Saturday. I was a step behind, I felt like I had grieved and everybody else kind of already started that process and I was behind. I thought about doing something of his in the ring, and I was in there with Finn Balor, who is another good friend of mine. I didn’t tell him anything, I didn’t tell him about anything I was thinking or what I was going to do, I didn’t know what I was going to do. It kind of got to the point where if I was going to do something, it was going to be now or never and it sort of just came over me like this feeling, like his spirit was there, it just grabbed me and then I did way more than I expected to. I popped up and did his little spider thing that he used to do, I end up in the corner kind of upside down, I did his mandible claw, which he used to shove down my throat all the time. It was a very cathartic experience for me, kind of the beginning of the grieving process for me to let all of that out. I had a talk with the crowd afterwards and cried a lot, as you would. It was crazy man. Like I said, it still doesn’t feel entirely real to me. I expected us to go into the Hall Of Fame together, have our kids play together, those types of things and just to know that you’re not going to get that experience, it doesn’t feel real I suppose.”
On a recent edition of his “Monday Mailbag” podcast, Mike Chioda had a difficult time picking who was the better talent between Steve Austin, Hulk Hogan & John Cena.
Chioda was initially confused between Hogan and Austin but he finally decided to go with Austin.
You can check out some highlights from the podcast below:
On which of the three he picks as the all-time great: “I’m gonna have to say Austin, man. Even though Hogan was with the company for a lot longer, and the incredible match with The Rock — Icon vs. Icon and whatnot, and what Hogan went through with Andre … I want to say, Hogan, probably. God damn, I hate to say not even Hogan — I mean Hogan drew for us for many years.”
On Austin helping win the Monday Night War: “Austin drew, too, and he got the hell of the pops … he took [WWE] to another level. I mean, he came out with the beer trucks, the f**king cars, and he’d be pouring concrete into cars. You wanted to see s**t like that back then.”
On being part of Austin’s beer celebrations on live events: “I never got to drink one [beer] on live TV but at live events, he’d grab two [cans] and throw them to me real quick.”
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The wrestling world was left in shock and mourning when Bray Wyatt, also known as Windham Rotunda, tragically passed away in August. WWE World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins recently paid tribute to his late friend and colleague at a live event in Cape Girardeau, Missouri.
Rollins appeared on Mythical Kitchen’s “Last Meal” series and shared his emotional experience of feeling Wyatt’s spirit present at the arena. He expressed his deep connection with Wyatt, stating that they had worked closely together for many years and had a strong bond. Rollins described the shock of Wyatt’s passing and how it still feels unreal at times.
The WWE crew had gathered on Friday for their SmackDown show to grieve together and remember Wyatt, but Rollins couldn’t be there as he was with his family. The following day, during a live event, Rollins found himself in the ring with Finn Balor, another close friend. He hadn’t planned anything specific to honor Wyatt but felt a sudden surge of emotion and a sense of Wyatt’s spirit being present. Rollins ended up performing some of Wyatt’s signature moves, including the spider walk and the mandible claw. It was a cathartic experience for Rollins and marked the beginning of his grieving process.
After the match, Rollins addressed the crowd and openly cried, expressing his deep sadness and disbelief over Wyatt’s passing. He shared how he had expected to share many more experiences with Wyatt, such as entering the Hall of Fame together and watching their kids play together. The loss of those future moments made it even harder to accept the reality of Wyatt’s absence.
In a separate podcast, former WWE referee Mike Chioda discussed the greatness of three iconic wrestlers: Steve Austin, Hulk Hogan, and John Cena. Chioda initially found it challenging to choose between Hogan and Austin but ultimately settled on Austin. He acknowledged Hogan’s long tenure with the company and his legendary matches, including the iconic showdown with The Rock. However, Chioda credited Austin for taking WWE to another level during the Monday Night War. Austin’s captivating character, beer truck stunts, and overall popularity made him a standout talent.
Chioda also shared a behind-the-scenes anecdote about Austin’s beer celebrations. While he never got to drink a beer on live TV, Austin would often toss two cans to Chioda during live events. These moments added to the excitement and spectacle of Austin’s character.
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The passing of Bray Wyatt was a significant loss for the wrestling community, and his memory continues to be honored by his friends, colleagues, and fans. His impact on the industry will always be remembered, and his spirit lives on through the heartfelt tributes paid by those who knew and loved him.