The pro wrestling world got a massive setback with the unfortunate passing of Bray Wyatt, full name Windham Rotunda, on August 24, 2023. His death left the WWE universe stunned, and the Stamford-based promotion paid tributes to the late ‘Wyatt Family Leader’ on this week’s SmackDown episode.
Most of the planned segments went pretty smoothly, as they connected emotionally with the fans. But WWE made a major fumble during the Bray Wyatt tribute on the August 25 show. This happened during the match between United States Champion Rey Mysterio and Grayson Waller.
The fumble was pointed out by a Wyatt fan when an audience member posted a clip from the match. Referring to the mistake the promotion made during the match, someone from the WWE universe wrote, “No one from the announcers mentioned that tribute spot,, disappointment”.
No one from the announcers mentioned that tribute spot,,disappointment
— Don Ahmed🍍 (@DonBuri92) August 26, 2023
It must be noted that the video clip was of the close line and senton Rey performed during his match against Waller. As these moves were from Bray’s book, it was the Hall of Famer’s way of giving a memorable tribute to the departed soul. But, as the SmackDown commentary team didn’t point out that spot, it led to backlash from Wyatt’s fans.
Bray Wyatt’s close friends also appeared on SmackDown
While the Stamford-based promotion fumbled by not referring to Wyatt during the US Champion’s match, the other segments of the show were great. The entire roster came together to pay tribute to the departed soul, and to do so, Bray Wyatt’s close friends also appeared on this week’s SmackDown.
They were none other than his members in ‘The Wyatt Family’, Braun Strowman and Erick Rowan. Both of these superstars were seen during the opening segment of the show, as the company showed Wyatt and the late WWE legend Terry Funk on the big screen. This was followed by a 10-bell salute for both departed souls.
It was followed by a video package about Wyatt’s legacy, as the crowd chanted to thank the iconic performer and started singing, “Whole world, in his hands!” After this, the lights went low, and the camera focused on the rocking chair. As the show progressed further, the fans got to look at Bray Wyatt’s promos in his early years as the leader of The Wyatt Family.
After some time, ‘X’ tributes for Bray were shown, and a video of him in The Firefly Fun House was also played on the screen. Even before the start of the episode’s main event, LA Knight gave a special promo in memory of Bray.
In the promo, the fan-favorite performer explained how Wyatt helped him progress as a performer. All in all, with just one day to prepare for the tribute show, Triple H’s company did pretty well to celebrate the legacy of Bray Wyatt.