Bray Wyatt's origin was heavily influenced by the real-life story and work of a former WWE star, reveals veteran
Bray Wyatt's influence on the WWE Universe is uncanny. He went from working with the Nexus in 2010 as Husky Harris to becoming one of the most novel acts of all time - a backwoods cult leader.
Sinn Bodhi, better known during his time with the Stamford-based promotion between 2007 and 2009 as Kizarny, recently revealed some things never heard before about Wyatt, real name Windham Rotunda.
While Waylon Mercy (a former WWE Superstar) and the lead character Max Cady of Martin Scorsese's film Cape Fear are often cited as influences behind the Bray Wyatt character, it seems there is more to it.
Windham Rotunda did not want to wear trunks - something the Husky Harris character did on WWE television - as he was "chubby." So when he discussed his concern with Bodhi, the latter suggested that he wear a Hawaiian shirt and spoke about having a "family."
On The Snake Pit, Jake Roberts brought in Bodhi, who talked about the late legend during the latter's early days, taking notes from the veteran himself:
"So if you got a Hawaiian shirt or coveralls or something, you know, the Hawaiian shirt is very Cape Fear, which is very Charlie Manson and Charlie Manson, you know, he needs a family. When I did the circus stuff, what was really creepy was the animal masks and he [Bray Wyatt] was like, ‘Holy sh*t’, and he would write all this down. He would just ask questions and we would just laugh and giggle about all sorts of weird sh*t." [H/T: WrestlingNewsCo]
Check out a former WWE Champion's recent heartfelt message and throwback post to an off-screen Wyatt Family moment here.
Sinn Bodhi believes Bray Wyatt "earned" the backstory of Sister Abigail in WWE
Bray's 'Sister Abigail' origin was also discussed on Jake Roberts' podcast. As it turns out, according to Bodhi, the story was influenced by a deeply personal account of his.
Bodhi's finisher was named Tallulah Belle after his late sister, albeit a fictional one. Bray was allegedly fascinated by the story the veteran shared - "because when I hit you with the Tallulah Belle, just like her, you're not getting up" - and the dark nature of it.
"I love him and I don't want to say anything ill of him. I was just a little bit upset when I saw Abigail, and he knew about it. We talked about it and we had a lot of back and forth about it over the years and he's a sweet guy. He was never anything but charming and apologetic about it. We never got to see eye to eye and we never had closure," Bodhi said.
He concluded:
"It was and it is and it’s always going to be a fu**ing cross for me to bear. So I will just simply say to the fans as respectfully as I can say that Abigail is both of our sister. I think he [Bray Wyatt] earned it. He did me better than me." [H/T: WrestlingNewsCo]
Former WWE Superstar and current top AEW talent Samoa Joe recently spoke about coping with the loss of his "brother," Bray Wyatt. Read more here.
Did you enjoy The Wyatt Family's stories and vignettes on WWE television? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.