Bray Wyatt's sudden passing continues to impact the pro wrestling world, with tributes to the wrestler being showcased even by rival organization AEW. Seth Rollins couldn't make the first SmackDown taping after Wyatt's death to pay his respects alongside other wrestlers, but he still managed to honor the legacy-carrying athlete after the fact at a WWE house show over the weekend. It was a lovely tribute by the superstar, who had an emotional breakdown following his match.
Much like Rey Mysterio did during his bout on SmackDown, Seth Rollins used some of Bray Wyatt's signature moves in the ring during his match. While it wasn't aired on TV proper, fans shared video of the moment online, which can be checked out below, with Rollins doing the vintage Wyatt "look back" at his opponent.
Seth Rollins pays tribute to Bray Wyatt pic.twitter.com/7rrFQCwwFdAugust 27, 2023
Doing the look back ahead of the patented Curb Stomp was an awesome transition, and I wouldn't mind seeing that more in the future as a permanent honor. Seth Rollins also performed Wyatt's "spider walk" in the ring, and while it's a bit odd to see someone do it who isn't the "Eater Of Worlds," it was still a fantastic way of paying tribute.
Following the match, Seth Rollins broke down in tears and cut an emotional promo about appreciating the "fireflies" he sees during his music and how they always reminded him of Wyatt even before the wrestler's passing:
Every time I do my entrance and this song comes out, I see some lights in the crowd. Even before this week I always thought of Windham And in some weird way, it was a tribute to him or something that I took for him, but I promise you guys I'll always think of him for the rest of my career every single time I see these fireflies. I ain't got much time to see a therapist or talk to anybody about this, so I appreciate all of you here tonight.
Reading the words is powerful, but it's not quite like seeing the promo delivered to a crowd of "fireflies." Seth Rollins voice was full of sadness, and there even seemed to be tears as he spoke to the people of Cape Girardeau and thanked them for showing up to see him perform and talk about his friend:
Here’s the full Seth promo about Bray #WWECapeGirardeau #WWE pic.twitter.com/vAFEndsFqLAugust 27, 2023
There's definitely something a bit sad about Seth Rollins joking that his busy WWE schedule doesn't afford him time in therapy to process Bray Wyatt's passing. Clearly he was very emotional in the ring, but it seems like there was something therapeutic about being able to pay his respects during his match and see the crowd react to it.
Why Wasn't Seth Rollins At SmackDown?
The WWE made accommodations for wrestlers who weren't expected to appear on SmackDown to show up for the tribute show and be a part of it, but Seth Rollins was not among them. The wrestler took to X ahead of the show and explained that he wouldn't be coming to Kentucky for the show, and it was because of a past conversation he had with Bray Wyatt after the passing of Brodie Lee years ago:
Truth is, I still don't really know what to say. Windham was a unique cat. He was a simple yet deeply complex individual and I loved him. I loved working with him, but mostly I just loved being around him. He was always joyful. Just, these eyes that drew you in and a smile and a laugh and a presence that just made you happy. We're all going to miss that. I've been thinking mostly about his family, his kids. I thought about going to SmackDown tonight, but that would entail leaving my family a day early. I just keep going back to the conversation I had with him on the phone when Brodie passed a few years ago...We ended the conversation with I love yous and goodbyes, and he said, 'You just go hug on that baby girl,' talking about my daughter. So I just feel like that's what I should be doing. Windham I love you, man. I will miss you, we will all miss you. I'll see you down the road hot boy.
Seth Rollins usually brings his talents out over on Monday Night Raw, so it will be interesting to see if he'll have any more tributes for Bray Wyatt, assuming he's present at the show. It's unlikely he'll be the only one with words and moves to share in that respect, so it will be interesting to see what other superstars who weren't present have to say about the fallen superstar.
Monday Night Raw airs on USA Network on Mondays at 8:00 p.m. ET. The upcoming WWE event Payback is just around the corner, and while the wrestling world is still in a place of mourning, it will be interesting to see what storylines emerge in the final days leading up to the big event.
