The sudden and unexpected passing of Windham Rotunda, known commonly in the WWE as Bray Wyatt, continues to impact the wrestling world. Superstars and fans alike have been sharing lots of emotional and one-of-a-kind stories about the athlete, and the follow-up episode of SmackDown paid homage to his legacy in a big way. The tributes for Wyatt didn't end there, as even WWE's unofficial rival AEW found ways to honor the talented wrestler during its All In pay-per-view on August 27.
Much like the WWE acknowledged the death of Bray Wyatt's former Wyatt Family stablemate Brodie Lee even as he was then a part of AEW, the Tony Khan-led organization worked in some tributes to the recently deceased wrestler even though The Fiend was never officially involved with its roster in any way. Here's how the love was shared, both from former talents with ties to the WWE.
Reneé Paquette Quoted Bray Wyatt During The Pre-Show
Before Reneé Paquette handled various commentary duties for AEW, she was doing the same for the WWE under the name Reneé Young. Paquette was in the WWE at the same time as Wyatt, and her husband Jon Moxley was known to have had some feuds against the superstar back when he was wrestling as Dean Ambrose. It's of little surprise she'd want to pay homage to Wyatt, and found the perfect way to do so during the All In pre-show, where she quoted the superstar. Here's a clip below:
Renee started of the AEW ALL IN pre show with a quote from Bray Wyatt 🥺 pic.twitter.com/dI0X69bithAugust 27, 2023
The quote Reneé Paquette used is part of a poem that Windham Rotunda posted on Instagram a couple of months before returning to the WWE a year after his unexpected release. Check out the post below, which is a perfect example of the level of creativity Wyatt brought to pro wrestling:
Credit to Reneé Paquette for such a subtle nod to the fallen superstar, and for anyone who had a hand in clearing it for usage. AEW deserves some love for making its record-setting event about the sport of pro wrestling as a whole, and not just something entirely brand-focused unto itself.
House Of Black Paid Homage To Bray Wyatt During Their Entrance
Later in the event, Bray Wyatt got a more specific nod when World Trios Champions House Of Black emerged. Malakai Black, Brody King, Buddy Matthews, and Julia Hart made their way to the ring surrounded by Wyatt's "fireflies" in the audience, and brought a lantern to leave on the ramp in Wyatt's honor:
#AEW World Trios Champions #HouseOfBlack have made their presence known at Wembley StadiumOrder #AEWAllIn LIVE on PPV now!🇺🇸: https://t.co/mUn4tim61a🔗 https://t.co/p1Cr3Sb7zg@malakaiblxck | @snm_buddy | @brodyxking | @TheJuliaHart pic.twitter.com/e9BWiMXbZdAugust 27, 2023
It's on brand for the House Of Black to work Bray Wyatt into their entrance, but also relevant, considering Black and Matthews both worked in the WWE at the same time as the superstar. Unfortunately, House Of Black could not retain their Trios titles and dropped them to The Acclaimed in a big match. In any case, there is no doubt their entrance will be one of the big moments fans look back on, especially those hoping to see the WWE continuing to honor Wyatt at upcoming events.
Those looking to watch the AEW's All In pay-per-view can check it out via Bleacher Report and purchase the full event. Those sad they missed out on the event will get another chance to attend next year, as Tony Khan confirmed All In will happen again in London in 2024.
