10 Most Heartbreaking WWE Releases Ever

Bray Wyatt’s July 31, 2021 release stunned colleagues and fans alike when WWE cited “budget cuts” for parting ways with its most audacious creative force. Windham Rotunda had reinvented himself constantly—from leading the swamp-dwelling Wyatt Family cult to morphing into the twisted Fiend—and no performer dared blend horror, drama and professional wrestling with such cinematic flair.

Fans erupted on social media; Alexa Bliss, Braun Strowman and countless others publicly mourned losing a former World champion who still moved merchandise and ratings. The locker room’s whispers turned into a vacuum on Raw and SmackDown: investment in Wyatt’s dark odyssey felt abandoned, and WWE scrambled to fill the void

Nearly 15 months later, cryptic QR-code teasers led to a chilling return at Extreme Rules 2022, where the “White Rabbit” revealed himself in jaw-dropping fashion and reignited the Firefly Fun House’s cult following. Yet that triumphant chapter closed too soon. On August 24, 2023, tragedy struck when Rotunda died of a heart attack at just 36 years old.

Superstars across generations—from The Rock and Kane to Triple H—shared disbelief and grief, calling Wyatt a peerless visionary whose artistry transcended the ring. Bray Wyatt's departure was heartbreaking; his loss was devastating. Wrestling’s most daring storyteller is gone, and the business still echoes with the worlds he created.