AEW World Champion Swerve Strickland hopes to one day have a creative mind for wrestling that matches that of the late Windham ‘Bray Wyatt’ Rotunda.
Rotunda died in August 2023 at the age of 36. He had been pulled from WWE programming earlier that same year due to health issues. Before then the three-time WWE World Champion had been feuding with Bobby Lashley and a match had been planned for WrestleMania 39 in SoFi Stadium.
Swerve Strickland on Bray Wyatt
Rotunda’s tragically young passing came less than a year after his return to WWE in October 2022. In the weeks before his return at the Extreme Rules PLE, WWE teased something with their popular ‘White Rabbit’ mystery. Speaking to Adrian Hernandez, Strickland reflected on the White Rabbit.
“It was small things and it was layered and sprinkled out… Bray was just patient with that and he was meticulous and he was calculated.”
The AEW World Champion admitted to being very impressed with the White Rabbit, and hopes he can have a similarly creative mind for the business.
“Everything that he did, it came from him. I was always appreciative of that. For me, I would hope to have such a deep mind like that.“
What’s To Come?
While Rotunda is no longer with us, the enigmatic White Rabbit mystery has been revitalized with the ongoing QR code mystery. It is believed that the series of clues is building to the return of Uncle Howdy, as played by Bo Dallas. The former NXT Champion is expected to return alongside a faction consisting of Nikki Cross, Erick Rowan, Joe Gacy, and Dexter Lumis.
As for Strickland, he will defend the AEW World Championship later today at Double or Nothing 2024. Strickland will defend the title against Christian Cage in the champion’s first title defense on pay-per-view.
