Corey Graves 'Fell Apart' When Windham Rotunda Died, Talks WWE Revival As Bray Wyatt

As the wrestling world continues to mourn the loss of Bray Wyatt, who tragically died at just 36 years old, Corey Graves took some time to honor the man behind the persona, Windham Rotunda, during his "After the Bell" podcast. 

He described how there was a whole generation of WWE staff who had started their journey in Florida Championship Wrestling (FCW) — WWE's former developmental territory — who were mourning the loss of the Windham Rotunda they had grown with.

Graves spoke of the personal impact he felt from the news, which he needed to talk to his therapist about, as he got back to his hotel room after the show and "fell apart." He said that he "really sat with it" and considered the loss of someone who had been such a constant throughout his WWE career. 

Graves acknowledged Rotunda's first main roster run as Husky Harris, as well as his subsequent demotion back to FCW. A setback that could have demoralized anyone, he said that Rotunda instead took to recreating himself in the Bray Wyatt persona, which was a stark contrast to the person everybody had grown to know.

"He took the constructs of being a WWE Superstar and turned it on its head in a way that, I think, will be felt for years to come. He sort of opened this door from a creative aspect within our business that had never been opened before." 

Graves spoke of the "Fiend" persona, which was created as an extension to Wyatt's character. He said the character was so captivating that even his son, who isn't a WWE fan, found it to be "the coolest thing that he had ever seen." To that point, he shared an anecdote from the Christmas period three years ago where he and his kids listened to the character's entrance music on repeat as they took decorations down.