Very sad news this morning as Windham Rotunda, better known to WWE fans as Bray Wyatt, passed away unexpectedly at the age of 36.

The news was broken by Triple H on Twitter, with journalist Sean Ross Sapp later revealing that the cause of death was a heart attack, triggered by heart issues that were exacerbated by COVID earlier this year:

Just received a call from WWE Hall of Famer Mike Rotunda who informed us of the tragic news that our WWE family member for life Windham Rotunda – also known as Bray Wyatt – unexpectedly passed earlier today. Our thoughts are with his family and we ask that everyone respect their…

— Triple H (@TripleH) August 24, 2023

I was given permission to reveal that earlier this year Windham Rotunda (Bray Wyatt) got COVID that exacerbated a heart issues.

There was a lot of positive progress towards a return and his recovery. Unfortunately today he suffered a heart attack and passed away.

— Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful.com (@SeanRossSapp) August 25, 2023

Even though he was presented to audiences as a heel/bad guy, Bray Wyatt was an instant fan favourite owing to the incredible vibe and aura he brought alongside his Wyatt Family crew. He was unreal on the mic and very passionate about what he did. He had a natural affinity for the business which I guess comes from being the son of WWF/E legend Irwin R Schyster AKA IRS.

Wyatt actually returned to WWE in 2022 after spending some time away, but was taken off TV again not too long ago which everyone thought was down to injuries. No one had a clue that what he was dealing with was far more serious, let alone life-threatening. Every WWE fan fully expected him to turn up again at some point and get involved in his next feud. Brutal to know that’s never going to happen now, and brutal to receive this news just a day after the news that WWE/ECW legend Terry Funk died.

Our thoughts go out to the entire Wyatt family, including his wife and four kids, and his friends and fans. WWE are usually very good at putting together tributes for deceased wrestlers so I’m sure they’ll come up with something great for him.

For the fan who is suing WWE after claiming they went deaf due to the pyrotechnics at Wrestlemania, click HERE.