How did Dusty Rhodes help Bray Wyatt develop his character? Exploring inside story

WWE legend Bray Wyatt was hailed as a true master of performance and delivery. Having captivated the entire pro wrestling world, Wyatt became an ever-glowing firefly before his untimely demise in August 2023. Although what the late Windham Rotunda brought to the table was his original creation, he received massive help from another WWE legend in Dusty Rhodes.

The American Dream had a hand in molding modern-day pro wrestling into its current shape. Notably, the newly released Peacock documentary titled ‘Bray Wyatt: Becoming Immortal’ highlighted the role of Dusty Rhodes in bringing The Fiend to life. Footage from the documentary showed WWE Intercontinental Champion Sami Zayn talking about Rhodes’ push for Wyatt.

"I think Dusty gave him just a lot of room to explore and to find that character and to find the voice," said Zayn. [23:40 - 23:45]

Windham Rotunda’s brother, Taylor ‘Bo Dallas’ Rotunda, also noted that Dusty Rhodes identified the flair Wyatt had.

"Dusty knew there was something special there and he wasn't going to let it go. He knew Windham had something that was going to change the business." [23:45 -23:55]

The documentary also included a clip of the late Dusty Rhodes, who passionately talked about the development of The Fiend.

"Studying with Bray as we started to enlighten the world who this Bray Wyatt character was. Windham is such a unique kid that he understands. It's who he believes that. That's who he is. That's what makes him so good," said The American Dream. [23:56 - 24:13]

After seeing what the Wyatt Character was capable of, Dusty Rhodes called former WWE Creative Executive Chris Chambers, saying that he would love it. True to Rhodes’ words, Chambers said that Wyatt’s character belonged in the movies.

Notably, The American Dream was impressive enough to give Rotunda a lot of creative freedom. In fact, he also paired him with other developmental superstars to create the Wyatt Family.

---

When Dusty Rhodes allowed Bray Wyatt to give rise to the first fireflies

In the new documentary, Dusty Rhodes showed a lot of faith in the creative genius of Windham Rotunda. When he noted that Bray Wyatt needed an adoptive family of his own, Rhodes didn’t hesitate and provided him with Luke Harper and Erick Rowan.

To add to the lucidity and bizarreness of Wyatt’s character, Rhodes also directed shooting in the woods near a lake and letting Rotunda’s imagination run wild.

The portrayal of Bray Wyatt was a success right from the beginning. However, having Luke Harper and Erick Rowan by his side made his character more convincing. Thus, the cult leader character of Wyatt got his first two fireflies, whose influence later expanded into the entire WWE Universe.