Bray Wyatt and 4 other WWE wrestlers who died in the middle of their careers

The wrestling world was stunned by the tragic passing of Windham Rotunda, the WWE wrestler known by his ring name Bray Wyatt. He was 36 years old, and the reported cause of death was a heart attack. Paul Levesque (Triple H), former WWE wrestler and Chief Content Officer, announced his death on his X account (formerly Twitter).

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

Even Hollywood star and former wrestler Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson paid his respects to the wrestler.

Im heartbroken over the news of Bray Wyatt’s passing. Always had tremendous respect and love for him and the Rotunda family. Loved his presence, promos, in ring work and connection with @wwe universe.
Very unique, cool and rare character, which is hard to create in our crazy… pic.twitter.com/i9zlbJIOL3

— Dwayne Johnson (@TheRock) August 24, 2023

Wyatt's Journey in WWE

Beginning his WWE journey in 2012, Bray Wyatt remained with the company until 2021 when he was released. He made a comeback in 2022 and had been part of WWE since then.

Wyatt held immense popularity among fans and was a significant draw for the audience. His character as the demon 'Fiend' earned widespread acclaim. Notably, Wyatt's loss of the WWE Universal Championship title to Hall of Famer Bill Goldberg in 2020 at Super Showdown in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, led to considerable criticism of WWE.

Wyatt's last appearance was at the Royal Rumble in January 2023, where he faced LA Knight. Although he won the match, he did not feature in subsequent storylines due to undisclosed reasons.

Demise of wrestlers in their prime is a tragic occurrence, prompting questions about the physical toll professional wrestling takes. Importantly, Bray Wyatt is not an isolated case.

Other wrestlers have also passed away during their WWE careers. Here are four wrestlers who died around the age of 40:

1. Luke Harper

Known by his ring name Luke Harper, Jonathan Huber passed away in October 2020 at the age of 41 due to idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.

Harper entered WWE alongside Bray Wyatt in 2012 as part of the Wyatt family.

However, Luke Harper left WWE in 2019 to join All Elite Wrestling (AEW). His wife stated that his death was unrelated to Covid-19, as he had tested negative multiple times.

2. Eddie Guerrero

One of WWE's most beloved wrestlers, Eddie Guerrero, passed away on November 19, 2005, at the age of 38.

Guerrero was highly esteemed for his in-ring theatrics and charisma.

Reports indicated that Guerrero collapsed while brushing his teeth. He was discovered by his cousin Chavo Guerrero, who rushed him to the hospital. An autopsy report later revealed that Eddie's death resulted from acute heart failure due to atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease.

3. Umaga

Edward Smith Fatu, known by his ring name Umaga, was another formidable wrestler whose career was cut short.

Umaga, aged 36, passed away due to a reported heart attack.

Part of the Anoa’i family, a prominent Samoan wrestling dynasty that produced luminaries like The Rock, Roman Reigns, Solo Sikoa, and The Usos, Umaga's departure was a significant loss.

4. Yokozuna 

Yokozuna, another renowned Samoan wrestler, passed away at a young age. He died in October 2000 at 34 due to pulmonary edema.

He was found dead in a UK hotel, where he was staying for a wrestling event.

During the paramedics' check-up, it took six individuals to move his body. Initially believed to be a heart attack, further examination revealed severe lung fluid blockage as the cause of death.