Bray Wyatt tribute episode of SmackDown boosts product to new heights
WWE honored the memory of Bray Wyatt, as well as Terry Funk, last Friday on SmackDown with a special tribute show. The ratings are in for the August 25 episode of the blue brand, and it was watched by millions.
Wyatt, whose real name is Windham Rotunda, passed away on August 24 at the age of 36. Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful Select reported that the former WWE champion had COVID-19 earlier this year, which exacerbated issues with his heart. He was on the road to recovery when he reportedly suffered a heart attack and passed away.
Tributes poured in for Wyatt and his family from colleagues and fans around the world. WWE paid tribute with a special episode of SmackDown, giving him and Funk a 10-bell salute.
According to Wrestle Ops, the tribute show had a total of 2.647 million viewers, with over a million in the 18-49 demographic. It was SmackDown's highest rating since December 2020.
Bray Wyatt is survived by his parents, Mike and Stephanie Rotunda, and his siblings, Taylor (Bo Dallas) and Mike Rotunda. Wyatt also left his partner JoJo Offerman and their two kids named Knash and Hyrie. He has two older daughters from his first marriage, Kendyl and Cadyn.
More details about Bray Wyatt's unfortunate death
According to police records obtained by TMZ Sports, Bray Wyatt was taking a nap when JoJo Offerman noticed that he didn't wake up to the sound of his alarm clock.
Wyatt was reportedly not breathing and turning blue when 911 was called, and her mother, Stephanie Rotunda, began performing CPR. He was later declared dead at the hospital. He was also set to visit the doctor the day he died and was advised to wear an external heart defibrillator.
Police found the external heart defibrillator inside Wyatt's car. However, it's unknown if wearing the device would have saved his life.
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