The Wyatt Family was an American
professional wrestling
Professional wrestling, often shortened to either pro wrestling or wrestling,The term "wrestling" is most often widely used to specifically refer to modern scripted professional wrestling, though it is also used to refer to Real life, real- ...
stable
A stable is a building in which working animals are kept, especially horses or oxen. The building is usually divided into stalls, and may include storage for equipment and feed.
Styles
There are many different types of stables in use tod ...
in
WWE
World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) is an American professional wrestling promotion. It is owned and operated by TKO Group Holdings, a majority-owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. A global integrated media and entertainment company, ...
originally composed of
Bray Wyatt
Windham Lawrence Rotunda (May 23, 1987 – August 24, 2023), better known by his ring name Bray Wyatt, was an American professional wrestler, best known for his tenure in WWE from 2009 until his death in 2023.
Rotunda was a third-generati ...
,
Erick Rowan
Joseph Ruud (born November 28, 1981) is an American professional wrestler, better known by the ring name Erick Rowan. He is signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown brand and is a member of The Wyatt Sicks.
Having previously wrestled ...
, and
Luke Harper
Jonathan Huber (December 16, 1979 – December 26, 2020) was an American professional wrestler known as Brodie Lee. Huber performed under the ring name Luke Harper in WWE from 2012 to 2019, and as Mr. Brodie Lee in All Elite Wrestling (AEW) ...
.
Portrayed as a
villainous cult
Cults are social groups which have unusual, and often extreme, religious, spiritual, or philosophical beliefs and rituals. Extreme devotion to a particular person, object, or goal is another characteristic often ascribed to cults. The term ...
from the
bayou
In usage in the Southern United States, a bayou () is a body of water typically found in a flat, low-lying area. It may refer to an extremely slow-moving stream, river (often with a poorly defined shoreline), marshy lake, wetland, or creek. They ...
s of the
Deep South
The Deep South or the Lower South is a cultural and geographic subregion of the Southern United States. The term is used to describe the states which were most economically dependent on Plantation complexes in the Southern United States, plant ...
, the Wyatt Family debuted in WWE's then-
developmental branch NXT in November 2012, with
Harper and Rowan going on to win the
NXT Tag Team Championship
The NXT Tag Team Championship is a men's Professional wrestling championship, professional wrestling tag team championship created and promoted by the United States, American professional wrestling promotion, promotion WWE. It is defended on NXT ...
. They debuted on the main roster in July 2013 and terrorized wrestlers such as
Kane
Kane or KANE may refer to:
Art, entertainment and media Fictional entities
*Kane (comics), the main character of the eponymous comic book series by Paul Grist
* Kane (''Command & Conquer''), Tiberium universe character in the ''Command & Conquer'' ...
,
CM Punk
Phillip Jack Brooks (born October 26, 1978), better known by his ring name CM Punk, is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler and actor. He is signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw (WWE brand), Raw brand. Regarded as ...
,
Daniel Bryan
Bryan Lloyd Danielson (born May 22, 1981) is an American semi-retired professional wrestler. He is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he performs on a part time basis. He is also known for his tenure in WWE, where he performed under t ...
,
John Cena
John Felix Anthony Cena ( ; born April 23, 1977) is an American actor and professional wrestler. As a wrestler, he has been signed to WWE , where he is the current WWE Championship, Undisputed WWE Champion in his record 14th reign, which is ...
, and
The Shield
''The Shield'' is an American crime drama television series created by Shawn Ryan and starring Michael Chiklis that aired on FX from March 12, 2002 to November 25, 2008 for seven seasons. The show is known for its portrayal of corrupt police ...
, among others.
Bryan joined the group in late 2013 and left in early 2014, after which Wyatt defeated him to end their feud. The original incarnation of the group began to go their separate ways in September 2014, after Wyatt announced he was "setting Harper and Rowan free". Rowan would turn into a
heroic character by joining Cena's team at
Survivor Series
Survivor Series, branded as Survivor Series: WarGames since 2022, is a professional wrestling event produced annually since 1987 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. Held in November generally the week of Thanksgiving ( ...
, while Harper would remain villainous and side with
The Authority against Cena's team. Following a brief
feud
A feud , also known in more extreme cases as a blood feud, vendetta, faida, clan war, gang war, private war, or mob war, is a long-running argument or fight, often between social groups of people, especially family, families or clans. Feuds begin ...
with each other, Harper and Rowan reunited in May 2015.
In July 2015, the Wyatt Family reunited and were joined by
Braun Strowman
Adam Joseph Scherr (born September 6, 1983) is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler and Strongman (strength athlete), strongman. As a wrestler, he is best known for his tenure in WWE from 2013 to 2025, where he performed un ...
, who was later taken out of the faction as a result of the
2016 WWE draft. In late 2016, with the addition of
Randy Orton
Randal Keith Orton (born April 1, 1980) is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He has been signed to WWE since 2000, where he performs on the SmackDown (WWE brand), SmackDown brand. Orton is widely regarded as one of t ...
, the Wyatt Family won the
SmackDown Tag Team Championship
The WWE Tag Team Championship is a men's professional wrestling world tag team championship created and promoted by the American promotion WWE, defended on the SmackDown brand division. It is one of two male tag team championships for WWE's m ...
, holding it under the
Freebird Rule
The Fabulous Freebirds were a professional wrestling tag team who attained fame in the 1980s, performing into the 1990s. The team usually consisted of three wrestlers, although in different situations and points in its history, just two performed ...
. After they lost the championship, Harper left the group in January 2017. Orton won the
2017 Royal Rumble match and Wyatt won his first
WWE Championship
The WWE Championship, also referred to as the Undisputed WWE Championship since April 2024, is a men's professional wrestling world heavyweight championship created and promoted by the American promotion WWE, defended on the SmackDown bran ...
the following month, with the pair facing each other at
WrestleMania 33
WrestleMania 33 was a 2017 professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming List of WWE pay-per-view and livestreaming supercards, event produced by WWE. It was the 33rd annual WrestleMania and took place on April 2, 2017, at Camping Wo ...
. Wyatt and Rowan continued their alliance as the last remaining members of the Wyatt Family until the
2017 WWE Superstar Shake-up, in which Wyatt was moved to
Raw while Rowan remained on
SmackDown
''WWE SmackDown'', also known as ''Friday Night SmackDown'' or simply ''SmackDown'', is an American professional wrestling television program produced by WWE. It airs live every Friday at 8 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on USA Network in the United ...
, thus disbanding the Wyatt Family.
Bryan joined
AEW
All Elite Wrestling (AEW) is an American professional wrestling promotion headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida. It is owned and operated by Shahid and Tony Khan, with the latter serving as president and chief executive officer.
AEW was foun ...
in 2021. Harper, who joined AEW in 2020, died from
idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis
Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) synonymous with cryptogenic fibrosing alveolitis is a rare, progressive illness of the respiratory system, characterized by the thickening and stiffening of lung tissue, associated with the formation of scar ...
at the age of 41 in December 2020; Wyatt died from a heart attack at the age of 36 in August 2023. Rowan joined
The Wyatt Sicks, a heroic group led by Wyatt's real-life brother
Bo Dallas
Taylor Michael Rotunda (born May 25, 1990) is an American professional wrestler. , he is signed to WWE where he performs on the SmackDown brand under the ring names Bo Dallas and his alter ego Uncle Howdy and is the leader of The Wyatt Sicks fa ...
and his alter ego Uncle Howdy, in mid-2024.
Concept
Wyatt was portrayed as an evil
cult
Cults are social groups which have unusual, and often extreme, religious, spiritual, or philosophical beliefs and rituals. Extreme devotion to a particular person, object, or goal is another characteristic often ascribed to cults. The term ...
leader who believed himself to be more monster than human,
[ with his character drawing comparisons to ]Charles Manson
Charles Milles Manson (; November 12, 1934 – November 19, 2017) was an American criminal, cult leader, and musician who led the Manson Family, a cult based in California in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Some cult members committed a Manson ...
and fellow wrestler Waylon Mercy, as well as Max Cady
Max Cady is a fictional character and the primary antagonist of the John D. MacDonald novel '' The Executioners''. He was portrayed by Robert Mitchum in J. Lee Thompson's '' Cape Fear'' and Robert De Niro in Martin Scorsese's remake, and is set ...
from the 1991 remake of '' Cape Fear''.[.] The group was presented as a villainous cult from the bayou
In usage in the Southern United States, a bayou () is a body of water typically found in a flat, low-lying area. It may refer to an extremely slow-moving stream, river (often with a poorly defined shoreline), marshy lake, wetland, or creek. They ...
s of the Deep South
The Deep South or the Lower South is a cultural and geographic subregion of the Southern United States. The term is used to describe the states which were most economically dependent on Plantation complexes in the Southern United States, plant ...
. During the early process of creation, Judas Devlin and Baron Corbin
Thomas Pestock (born September 14, 1984) is an American professional wrestler, Brazilian jiu jitsu practitioner, former professional football player and former amateur boxer. He is wrestling as a freelancer under the ring name Bishop Dyer, appea ...
were considered as potential members of the stable.
History
Formation and beginnings (2012–2013)
The character of Bray Wyatt debuted in Florida Championship Wrestling
Florida Championship Wrestling (FCW) was a professional wrestling professional wrestling promotion, promotion based on the former National Wrestling Alliance member promotion, Championship Wrestling from Florida, which operated from 1961 until ...
(FCW) in April 2012 and initially associated himself with Eli Cottonwood
Kipp Christianson (born September 30, 1974) is an American retired professional wrestler. He is best known for his time in WWE's developmental territory FCW, where he wrestled under the ring name Eli Cottonwood from 2009 to 2012.
Early life
Kip ...
. Cottonwood was released by WWE that June. When WWE re-branded their developmental territory
Development of the human body is the process of growth to maturity. The process begins with fertilization, where an egg released from the ovary of a female is penetrated by a sperm cell from a male. The resulting zygote develops through mitos ...
into NXT, Wyatt debuted on the July 11 episode of the newly '' NXT'' television show, defeating Aiden English
Matthew Thomas Rehwoldt (born October 7, 1987) is an American retired professional wrestler. He is signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) as a color commentator, alongside Tom Hannifan. He is also known for his time in WWE, where he p ...
in a singles match.
In July, Wyatt suffered a torn pectoral muscle and required surgery. Despite the injury, Wyatt continued to appear on ''NXT'' by founding a faction known as the Wyatt Family in November, with Luke Harper
Jonathan Huber (December 16, 1979 – December 26, 2020) was an American professional wrestler known as Brodie Lee. Huber performed under the ring name Luke Harper in WWE from 2012 to 2019, and as Mr. Brodie Lee in All Elite Wrestling (AEW) ...
and Erick Rowan
Joseph Ruud (born November 28, 1981) is an American professional wrestler, better known by the ring name Erick Rowan. He is signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown brand and is a member of The Wyatt Sicks.
Having previously wrestled ...
as his "sons". Harper and Rowan entered the NXT Tag Team Championship tournament to crown the inaugural champions and they defeated Percy Watson
Nicholas Christopher McNeil (born August 19, 1981), better known by his ring name Percy Watson, is an American professional wrestler, commentator, and former professional football player. He is best known for his time with WWE as an in-ring ...
and Yoshi Tatsu
is a Japanese Professional wrestling, professional wrestler, better known by the ring name Yoshi Tatsu.
Yamamoto started his professional wrestling career under his real name in October 2002 with New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), where he remaine ...
in the first round on the January 23, 2013, episode of ''NXT''. Following a win over Bo Dallas
Taylor Michael Rotunda (born May 25, 1990) is an American professional wrestler. , he is signed to WWE where he performs on the SmackDown brand under the ring names Bo Dallas and his alter ego Uncle Howdy and is the leader of The Wyatt Sicks fa ...
and Michael McGillicutty in the semi-finals with Wyatt's interference, Luke Harper and Erick Rowan
Luke Harper and Erick Rowan, also known as The Bludgeon Brothers, were an American professional wrestling tag team in WWE consisting of Luke Harper and Erick Rowan. They were also known as being members of the cult faction The Wyatt Family, led ...
were defeated in the finals of the tournament by Adrian Neville
Benjamin Satterley (born 22 August 1986), better known by his ring name Pac (sometimes stylised in ''all caps''), is an English professional wrestler. He is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he is a member of Death Riders. He is a fo ...
and Oliver Grey
Joel Pettyfer (born 21 February 1987), is an English Professional wrestling, professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Joel Redman. Pettyfer is best known for his work on the independent circuit in the United Kingdom, where he is a f ...
.
Wyatt had his first match back from injury on the February 20 episode of ''NXT'', defeating Yoshi Tatsu. The Wyatt Family later assaulted Grey (who had suffered a legitimate injury) while Wyatt prevented Dallas from winning a NXT Championship
The NXT Championship is a men's professional wrestling championship created and promoted by the American professional wrestling promotion, promotion WWE, defended as the top men's championship of NXT (WWE brand), NXT, the promotion's Farm team, de ...
number one contender match due to Dallas' refusal to join the Wyatt Family. Dallas went on to hand Wyatt his first loss on the March 13 episode of ''NXT''. On the May 2 episode of ''NXT'', while Wyatt was defeated by six-time world champion
A world championship is generally an international competition open to elite competitors from around the world, representing their nations, and winning such an event will be considered the highest or near highest achievement in the sport, game ...
Chris Jericho
Christopher Keith Irvine (born November 9, 1970), better known by the ring name Chris Jericho, is an American-Canadian professional wrestler, rock musician, and actor. As a wrestler, he has been signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW) , where he ...
, Luke Harper
Jonathan Huber (December 16, 1979 – December 26, 2020) was an American professional wrestler known as Brodie Lee. Huber performed under the ring name Luke Harper in WWE from 2012 to 2019, and as Mr. Brodie Lee in All Elite Wrestling (AEW) ...
and Erick Rowan
Joseph Ruud (born November 28, 1981) is an American professional wrestler, better known by the ring name Erick Rowan. He is signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown brand and is a member of The Wyatt Sicks.
Having previously wrestled ...
won a triple threat elimination tag team match
Much like the singles match, tag team professional wrestling matches can and have taken many forms. Just about any singles or melee match type can be adapted to tag teams; for example, hardcore tag team matches are commonplace. Tag team ladder ma ...
by last pinning Neville to earn a shot at the championship
In sport, a championship is a competition in which the aim is to decide which individual or team is the champion.
Championship systems
Various forms of competition can be referred to by the term championship.
Title match system
In this sys ...
. On the May 8 episode of ''NXT'' (which was taped on May 2), Harper and Rowan defeated Neville and Bo Dallas (filling in for the injured Grey) to win the NXT Tag Team Championship
The NXT Tag Team Championship is a men's Professional wrestling championship, professional wrestling tag team championship created and promoted by the United States, American professional wrestling promotion, promotion WWE. It is defended on NXT ...
.
The Wyatt Family went on to feud with Corey Graves
Matthew Polinsky (born February 24, 1984) is an American wrestling color commentator and retired Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE, where he performs under the ring name Corey Graves as the color commentator on th ...
and Kassius Ohno
William Christopher Spradlin (born December 24, 1979), better known by his ring name Chris Hero, is an American professional wrestler and trainer. , he is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW) as a producer. Hero has worked for a number of indepen ...
, with Wyatt defeating Graves on the May 22 episode of ''NXT'', and the next week Wyatt eliminated both Graves and Ohno during an 18-man battle royal
Battle royal (, also battle royale) traditionally refers to a fight involving many combatants, usually conducted under either boxing or wrestling rules, where the winner is the one who registers the most wins. In recent times, the term has been ...
to determine the number one contender to the NXT Championship, although he was later eliminated by Adrian Neville. On the June 19 episode of ''NXT'', the Wyatt Family defeated the team of Graves, Neville and Ohno. On the following episode of ''NXT'', the Wyatt Family, together with Garrett Dylan and Scott Dawson, attacked Graves, Neville and Ohno; when William Regal
Darren Kenneth Matthews (born 10 May 1968), better known by the ring name William Regal, is an English retired professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE, where he serves as the vice-president of Global Talent Development. He is also known for ...
tried to make the save, he was also overwhelmed, and this led to the Wyatt Family facing Graves, Neville and Regal in a six-man tag team match
Much like the singles match, tag team professional wrestling matches can and have taken many forms. Just about any singles or melee match type can be adapted to tag teams; for example, hardcore tag team matches are commonplace. Tag team ladder m ...
the next week on ''NXT'', where Wyatt pinned Regal for the win. On the July 17 episode of ''NXT'' (which was taped on June 20), Harper and Rowan lost the NXT Tag Team Championship to Neville and Graves.
Various feuds and championship pursuits (2013–2014)
From the May 27 episode of '' Raw'', WWE aired vignettes promoting the upcoming debut of the Wyatt Family. The vignettes showed the Wyatt Family's backwoods origins and Rowan wearing a sheep mask. On the July 8 episode of ''Raw'', the Wyatt Family made their debut by assaulting Kane
Kane or KANE may refer to:
Art, entertainment and media Fictional entities
*Kane (comics), the main character of the eponymous comic book series by Paul Grist
* Kane (''Command & Conquer''), Tiberium universe character in the ''Command & Conquer'' ...
. The Wyatt Family continued their attacks on wrestlers like R-Truth
Ronnie Aaron Killings (born January 19, 1972) is an American professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE, where he performs under his real name, stylized as Ron Killings and R-Truth.
Killings worked for World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE) ...
, Justin Gabriel
Phillip Paul Lloyd (born 3 March 1981) is a South African-American professional wrestler. He is best known for his time in WWE, under the ring name Justin Gabriel. He is currently wrestling under the ring name P. J. Black.
A second-generation w ...
and 3MB (Drew McIntyre
Andrew McLean Galloway IV (born 6 June, 1985) is a Scottish Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown (WWE brand), SmackDown brand under the ring name Drew McIntyre.
Galloway began ...
, Heath Slater
Heath Wallace Miller (born July 15, 1983) is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is best known for his tenure in WWE under the ring name Heath Slater. He also performed in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, Impact Wrestling ...
and Jinder Mahal
Yuvraj Singh Dhesi (born July 19, 1986) is a Canadian professional wrestler. He is performing on the independent circuit under his real name, stylized as Raj Dhesi. He is best known for his tenures in WWE, where he performed under the ring nam ...
), while sending cryptic messages to Kane telling him to "follow the buzzards". Following another assault, Kane challenged Wyatt to a Ring of Fire match at SummerSlam
SummerSlam is a professional wrestling event, produced annually since 1988 by the world's largest professional wrestling promotion, WWE. Dubbed "The Biggest Party of the Summer", it is considered WWE's second biggest event of the year behind th ...
, which he accepted. On August 18 at SummerSlam, Wyatt defeated Kane following interference from Harper and Rowan, after which Harper and Rowan attacked Kane again and ended the segment by carrying him away. At Battleground
A battlefield, battleground, or field of battle is the location of a present or historic battle involving ground warfare. It is commonly understood to be limited to the point of contact between opposing forces, though battles may involve troop ...
on October 6, Wyatt's momentum continued with a win over Kofi Kingston
Kofi Nahaje Sarkodie-Mensah (born August 14, 1981) is a Ghanaian-born American professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw (WWE brand), Raw WWE brand extension, brand under the ring name Kofi ...
. Over the next few months, Rowan and Harper competed as a tag team
Tag team wrestling is a type of professional wrestling in which matches are contested between teams of multiple wrestlers. Tag teams may be made up of wrestlers who normally wrestle in singles competition, but more commonly are made of establis ...
and went on a winning streak over many teams until the October 11 episode of ''SmackDown'', when Harper and Rowan suffered their first loss against Cody Rhodes
Cody Garrett Runnels Rhodes (born June 30, 1985) is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. As of April 2022, he is signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown (WWE brand), SmackDown brand. He is also known for co-fou ...
and
And or AND may refer to:
Logic, grammar and computing
* Conjunction, connecting two words, phrases, or clauses
* Logical conjunction in mathematical logic, notated as "∧", "⋅", "&", or simple juxtaposition
* Bitwise AND, a Boolean oper ...
Goldust
Dustin Patrick Runnels (born April 11, 1969) is an American professional wrestler. He is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he performs under the ring name Dustin Rhodes, with a nickname of "The Natural" and is a member of The Sons of ...
.
The Wyatt Family's next feud began when they attacked CM Punk
Phillip Jack Brooks (born October 26, 1978), better known by his ring name CM Punk, is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler and actor. He is signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw (WWE brand), Raw brand. Regarded as ...
and Daniel Bryan
Bryan Lloyd Danielson (born May 22, 1981) is an American semi-retired professional wrestler. He is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he performs on a part time basis. He is also known for his tenure in WWE, where he performed under t ...
, in late October. The feud saw Harper lose his first singles match to Punk. At Survivor Series
Survivor Series, branded as Survivor Series: WarGames since 2022, is a professional wrestling event produced annually since 1987 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. Held in November generally the week of Thanksgiving ( ...
on November 24, Harper and Rowan lost a tag team match
Many types of wrestling matches, sometimes called "gimmick matches" in the jargon of the business, are performed in professional wrestling. Some gimmick matches are more common than others and are often used to advance or conclude a storyline. ...
against Bryan and Punk. The Wyatt Family then defeated Bryan in a 3-on-1 handicap match at TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs on December 15, with Wyatt attempting to recruit Bryan in the previous weeks. On the final ''Raw'' of 2013, Bryan defeated Harper and then Rowan in a gauntlet match
Many types of wrestling matches, sometimes called "Glossary of professional wrestling terms#Gimmick, gimmick matches" in the Glossary of professional wrestling terms, jargon of the business, are performed in professional wrestling. Some gimmick m ...
that would lead to Bryan facing Wyatt, whereupon Harper and Rowan interfered to cause a disqualification and began beating Bryan down until a frustrated Bryan finally gave up and joined the Wyatt Family. However, two weeks later, Bryan attacked the other members of the Wyatt Family and broke free of the group. At the Royal Rumble
The Royal Rumble is a professional wrestling event, produced annually since 1988 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. It is named after, and centered on, the Royal Rumble match, a modified Battle royal (professional wre ...
on January 26, Wyatt defeated Bryan to end their feud while both Harper and Rowan entered the Royal Rumble match
The Royal Rumble match is a professional wrestling match based on the classic battle royal match in which a number of wrestlers (traditionally 30) aim at eliminating their competitors by tossing them over the top rope, with both feet touching the ...
.
On the January 27 episode of ''Raw'', the Wyatt Family attacked John Cena
John Felix Anthony Cena ( ; born April 23, 1977) is an American actor and professional wrestler. As a wrestler, he has been signed to WWE , where he is the current WWE Championship, Undisputed WWE Champion in his record 14th reign, which is ...
, Bryan, and Sheamus
Stephen Farrelly (born 28 January 1978) is an Irish Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw (WWE brand), Raw brand under the ring name Sheamus.
Prior to joining WWE, he wrestled on th ...
during an Elimination Chamber
The Elimination Chamber is a professional wrestling elimination-based match held in the WWE. The match was created by Triple H, and introduced by Eric Bischoff in November 2002. It features a large chain-linked circular steel structure which ...
qualifying match against The Shield
''The Shield'' is an American crime drama television series created by Shawn Ryan and starring Michael Chiklis that aired on FX from March 12, 2002 to November 25, 2008 for seven seasons. The show is known for its portrayal of corrupt police ...
, thus awarding Cena's team win by disqualification victory over The Shield
''The Shield'' is an American crime drama television series created by Shawn Ryan and starring Michael Chiklis that aired on FX from March 12, 2002 to November 25, 2008 for seven seasons. The show is known for its portrayal of corrupt police ...
and the Elimination Chamber match slots. The Shield were seeking revenge, so a six-man tag match was set up between the Shield and the Wyatt Family at the Elimination Chamber event, which the Wyatt Family won after Dean Ambrose
Jonathan David Good (born December 7, 1985) is an American professional wrestler. He is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he performs under the ring name Jon Moxley and is the current AEW World Champion in his record-setting fourth ...
had disappeared into the live audience during the match. On the March 3 episode of ''Raw'', the Shield were given a rematch against the Wyatt Family, but lost again when The Shield's poor teamwork led to Seth Rollins
Colby Daniel Lopez (born May 28, 1986), better known by the ring name Seth Rollins, is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw (WWE brand), Raw WWE brand extension, brand and ...
, leaving the ring during the match. On the April 8 episode of ''Main Event
In sports, a card lists the matches taking place in a title match combat-sport event. Cards include a main event match and the undercard listing the rest of the matches. The undercard may be divided into a midcard and a lower card, according to ...
'', the Wyatt Family was defeated by The Shield in another six-man tag team match to end the feud.
Between January and February, the Wyatt Family also cost John Cena
John Felix Anthony Cena ( ; born April 23, 1977) is an American actor and professional wrestler. As a wrestler, he has been signed to WWE , where he is the current WWE Championship, Undisputed WWE Champion in his record 14th reign, which is ...
his WWE World Heavyweight Championship WWE World Heavyweight Championship may refer to:
* World Heavyweight Championship (WWE, 2002–2013), a professional wrestling championship that existed between 2002 and 2013
* World Heavyweight Championship (WWE, 2023–present), a professional ...
matches against Randy Orton
Randal Keith Orton (born April 1, 1980) is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He has been signed to WWE since 2000, where he performs on the SmackDown (WWE brand), SmackDown brand. Orton is widely regarded as one of t ...
. At Elimination Chamber on February 23, the Wyatt Family's interference caused Cena to be eliminated from the Elimination Chamber match. After Elimination Chamber, Wyatt turned his attention fully to feud with Cena, with Wyatt wanting to prove that Cena's heroic act was a facade characteristic of "this era of lies", while also trying to turn Cena into a "monster". Wyatt went on to accept Cena's challenge for a WrestleMania match, with Cena successfully resisting the urge to become a "monster" and overcoming interference from Harper and Rowan to defeat Wyatt at WrestleMania XXX
WrestleMania XXX was a 2014 professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event produced by WWE. It was the 30th annual WrestleMania and took place on April 6, 2014, at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana. This ...
April 6, thus marking Wyatt's first pinfall
In professional wrestling, a pin is a move where a wrestler holds an opponent's shoulders to the mat in an attempt to score a fall. A pinfall is a common victory condition, where the attacker pins an opponent and the referee makes a three count ...
loss on WWE's main roster. The feud continued after WrestleMania XXX based on the story that Wyatt was capturing Cena's fanbase, which was exemplified by Wyatt leading a children's choir
A choir ( ), also known as a chorale or chorus (from Latin ''chorus'', meaning 'a dance in a circle') is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform or in other words ...
to the ring on the April 28 episode of ''Raw'', with the children later putting on sheep masks. At Extreme Rules on May 4, Wyatt defeated Cena in a steel cage match
Many types of wrestling matches, sometimes called "Glossary of professional wrestling terms#Gimmick, gimmick matches" in the Glossary of professional wrestling terms, jargon of the business, are performed in professional wrestling. Some gimmick m ...
after repeated interference from the rest of the Wyatt Family, as well as a child who had distracted Cena. Cena's feud with Wyatt continued with a Last Man Standing match
Many types of wrestling matches, sometimes called "Glossary of professional wrestling terms#Gimmick, gimmick matches" in the Glossary of professional wrestling terms, jargon of the business, are performed in professional wrestling. Some gimmick m ...
being set up for Payback
Payback may refer to:
* Revenge, a harmful action against a person or group in response to a grievance
Payback may also refer to:
Art, entertainment, and media Fictional entities
* Payback, a member of the fictional comics superhero team Shado ...
on June 1, which Cena won to end their feud.
On the June 2 episode of ''Raw'', Harper and Rowan took on then WWE Tag Team Champions The Usos
The Usos were a Samoan-American professional wrestling tag team which consisted of twin brothers Jey Uso and Jimmy Uso. They are signed to WWE, where Jey performs on the WWE Raw, Raw brand while Jimmy performs on the SmackDown (WWE brand), Sma ...
in a tag team match; Wyatt did not appear during the match, but his rocking chair still sat beside the ring, and Harper and Rowan went on to win the match, which made them number one contenders for the WWE Tag Team Championship. On the June 13 episode of ''SmackDown'', due to a distraction by Seth Rollins, Wyatt went on to win his match against Dean Ambrose to qualify for the first Money in the Bank ladder match
The Money in the Bank ladder match is a multi-person ladder match held by the professional wrestling promotion WWE. First performed at WWE's annual WrestleMania event beginning in 2005, a separate WWE Money in the Bank, Money in the Bank event w ...
contested for the vacant WWE World Heavyweight Championship. At the 2014 Money in the Bank event on June 29, all three members of the Wyatt Family failed to win championships in their respective matches. The Wyatt Family also lost at Battleground
A battlefield, battleground, or field of battle is the location of a present or historic battle involving ground warfare. It is commonly understood to be limited to the point of contact between opposing forces, though battles may involve troop ...
on July 20, as The Usos successfully defended their WWE Tag Team Championship against Harper and Rowan. On the June 30 episode of ''Raw'', the Wyatt Family interrupted Chris Jericho
Christopher Keith Irvine (born November 9, 1970), better known by the ring name Chris Jericho, is an American-Canadian professional wrestler, rock musician, and actor. As a wrestler, he has been signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW) , where he ...
's return and began to beat him down. This led to a singles match between Wyatt and Jericho at Battleground which Wyatt lost. However, Wyatt defeated Jericho at SummerSlam
SummerSlam is a professional wrestling event, produced annually since 1988 by the world's largest professional wrestling promotion, WWE. Dubbed "The Biggest Party of the Summer", it is considered WWE's second biggest event of the year behind th ...
on August 17, despite Harper and Rowan being banned from ringside. The feud with Jericho ended on the September 8 episode of ''Raw'', when Wyatt won a steel cage match by escaping the cage.
Harper and Rowan's liberation (2014–2015)
On September 29, vignettes began to air of Wyatt announcing he was setting Harper and Rowan "free". All three members of the Wyatt Family returned to television on their own and apart from each other: Wyatt returned at Hell in a Cell
Hell in a Cell is a professional wrestling steel cage-based match which originated in 1997 in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE). It features a large cell structure, a four-sided cuboid made from open-weave steel mesh chain-link f ...
on October 26, attacking Dean Ambrose
Jonathan David Good (born December 7, 1985) is an American professional wrestler. He is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he performs under the ring name Jon Moxley and is the current AEW World Champion in his record-setting fourth ...
; Rowan returned on the October 31 episode of ''SmackDown''; and Harper returned on the November 10 episode of ''Raw'', aligning himself with The Authority. On the November 17 episode of ''Raw'', Rowan joined Team Cena for Survivor Series
Survivor Series, branded as Survivor Series: WarGames since 2022, is a professional wrestling event produced annually since 1987 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. Held in November generally the week of Thanksgiving ( ...
, thus opposing Harper's team.
The next few weeks saw Ambrose and Wyatt taunting and attacking each other in both backstage and in-ring segments, with Wyatt claiming that he could "fix" Ambrose, the way he "fixed" Harper and Rowan, leading to a match at Survivor Series, where Wyatt won the match by disqualification after Ambrose hit him with a chair, before burying him under a table, a ladder and steel chairs. At Survivor Series on November 23, Harper was one of the last men eliminated in Team Authority's loss against Rowan and Team Cena. As punishment for his affiliation with The Authority, Harper was forced to put his Intercontinental Championship on the line against Ambrose the following night on ''Raw'' and successfully retained the title after getting himself disqualified, after which Wyatt ambushed Ambrose, who was looking for weapons to attack Harper with.
On the December 8 episode of ''Raw'', Harper and Rowan faced each other in singles competition, with Harper ultimately getting himself disqualified. On the January 5, 2015, episode of ''Raw'', The Authority punished Rowan by putting him in a singles match against Harper, with Harper picking up the win after a discus clothesline
A clothes line, also spelled clothesline, also known as a wash line, is a device for hanging clothes on for the purpose of drying or airing out the articles. It is made of any type of rope, cord, wire, or twine that has been stretched betwe ...
and the help of J&J Security (Jamie Noble
James Gibson (born December 23, 1976) is an American retired professional wrestler better known by the ring name Jamie Noble. He is signed to WWE, where he works as a producer. In addition to his work with WWE, Noble is known for his tenures in ...
and Joey Mercury
Adam Birch (born July 18, 1979), better known by the ring name Joey Mercury, is an American professional wrestler. He is best known for his tenures in WWE and Ring of Honor.
Birch was trained by fellow wrestler Jimmy Cicero and made his wrestl ...
), who were the special guest referees for the match. On the January 22 episode of ''SmackDown'', Harper and Rowan once again competed against each other, this time in a 2015 Royal Rumble qualifying match, with Harper winning and thus not allowing Rowan to participate in the Royal Rumble match. Despite this, Rowan appeared during the Royal Rumble match on January 25, ambushing the number six entrant Curtis Axel
Joseph Curtis Hennig (born October 1, 1979) is an American professional wrestler. He is best known for his time in WWE, where he performed under the ring name Curtis Axel.
Hennig signed with WWE in 2007 and performed under his real name, styliz ...
, to attack Harper and subsequently sparking a brief Wyatt Family reunion, along with Bray Wyatt, before all three men began to brawl.
On the May 7 episode of ''SmackDown'', Rowan would come out after Harper defeated Fandango
Fandango is a lively partner dance originating in Portugal and Spain, usually in triple metre, triple meter, traditionally accompanied by guitars, castanets, tambourine or hand-clapping. Fandango can both be sung and danced. Sung fandango is u ...
, seemingly to confront Harper, but would instead attack Fandango and thus turning into a villain
A villain (also known as a " black hat", "bad guy" or "baddy"; The New Oxford Dictionary of English (1998) – p.126 "baddy (also baddie) noun (pl. -ies) ''informal'' a villain or criminal in a book, film, etc.". the feminine form is villai ...
in the process. On the May 11 episode of ''Raw'', Harper and Rowan would officially reunite when Harper accompanied Rowan to his match against Fandango which Rowan won after 30 seconds and the two proceeded to double team Fandango after the match. On the May 18 episode of ''Raw'', Harper and Rowan teamed up to take on Fandango and Zack Ryder
Matthew Brett Cardona (born May 14, 1985) is an American professional wrestler. He is a freelancer who competes on the independent circuit as well as making in ring appearances for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA), All Elite Wrestling (AEW) ...
, which Rowan and Harper won after a superkick
Strikes can be offensive moves in professional wrestling, that can sometimes be used to set up an opponent for a hold or for a throw. There are a wide variety of strikes in pro wrestling, and many are known by several different names. Professional ...
and full nelson slam combination. On the May 21 episode of ''Main Event'', Harper and Rowan defeated Fandango and Ryder in a rematch. On the June 4 episode of ''SmackDown'', Harper and Rowan cut a promo
PROMO (Promoting Missouri) is a Missouri
Missouri (''see #Etymology and pronunciation, pronunciation'') is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territ ...
about being ostracized and stated they were a family.
On the June 5 episode of ''Superstars
A superstar is a widely acclaimed celebrity.
Superstar or superstars may also refer to:
People
* "Superstar" Krishna (1943–2022), Indian film actor, director and producer in Telugu cinema
* "Superstar" Mahesh Babu (born 1975), Indian actor
* ...
'', Harper and Rowan defeated Los Matadores in a tag team match. On the June 8 episode of ''Raw'', Harper and Rowan defeated Los Matadores in a rematch. On the June 19 episode of ''Superstars'', Harper and Rowan defeated Los Matadores and The Ascension in a triple threat tag team match. During a match at a live event
A house show (also commonly called a live event) is a professional wrestling event produced by a major Professional wrestling promotion, promotion that is not televised, though they can be recorded. Promotions use house shows mainly to cash in o ...
, Rowan got injured, with reports saying he would be out of action for 4–6 months. On the June 23 episode of ''Main Event'', Harper returned to singles competition when he defeated Cesaro, but not before cutting a promo where he said losing his tag team partner has only made him more dangerous.
Resurgence of the Family (2015–2016)
At Battleground
A battlefield, battleground, or field of battle is the location of a present or historic battle involving ground warfare. It is commonly understood to be limited to the point of contact between opposing forces, though battles may involve troop ...
on July 19, Harper interfered during Wyatt's match against Roman Reigns
Leati Joseph Anoaʻi ( ; born May 25, 1985), better known by his ring name Roman Reigns, is an American professional wrestler and former gridiron football, football player. As a wrestler, he has been signed to WWE , where he performs on the Sm ...
, helping him defeat Reigns and signaling the return of the stable. During a post-Battleground interview, Wyatt stated: "To the world, say your prayers, lock your doors, the family has returned". This led to a tag team match between Wyatt and Harper against Reigns and Ambrose at SummerSlam
SummerSlam is a professional wrestling event, produced annually since 1988 by the world's largest professional wrestling promotion, WWE. Dubbed "The Biggest Party of the Summer", it is considered WWE's second biggest event of the year behind th ...
on August 23, which the Wyatt Family lost after Reigns pinned Wyatt. The following night on ''Raw'', Wyatt and Harper fought Reigns and Ambrose in a SummerSlam rematch during which Braun Strowman
Adam Joseph Scherr (born September 6, 1983) is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler and Strongman (strength athlete), strongman. As a wrestler, he is best known for his tenure in WWE from 2013 to 2025, where he performed un ...
made his WWE debut, joining the Wyatt Family and helping Harper and Wyatt attack Reigns and Ambrose. This led to a six-man tag team match at Night of Champions
WWE Night of Champions is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming List of WWE pay-per-view and livestreaming supercards, event produced by WWE, a Connecticut-based professional wrestling promotion. The inaugural event took pl ...
on September 20 between the Wyatts and Reigns, Ambrose and a partner of their choosing, revealed to be Chris Jericho
Christopher Keith Irvine (born November 9, 1970), better known by the ring name Chris Jericho, is an American-Canadian professional wrestler, rock musician, and actor. As a wrestler, he has been signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW) , where he ...
, which the Wyatt Family won. Rowan made his return to the ring on the October 19 episode of ''Raw'', when he filled in for Harper (who was unable to show for personal reasons), against Reigns, Ambrose and Rollins which his team won after Rollins faked an injury and walked out on the match. Wyatt's feud with Reigns culminated in a Hell in a Cell
Hell in a Cell is a professional wrestling steel cage-based match which originated in 1997 in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE). It features a large cell structure, a four-sided cuboid made from open-weave steel mesh chain-link f ...
match which Wyatt lost.
Also at Hell in a Cell
Hell in a Cell is a professional wrestling steel cage-based match which originated in 1997 in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE). It features a large cell structure, a four-sided cuboid made from open-weave steel mesh chain-link f ...
on October 25, the Wyatt Family would later attack The Undertaker
Mark William Calaway (born March 24, 1965), better known by his ring name the Undertaker, is an American retired Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. Widely regarded as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time, Calaway ...
and carry him backstage, reigniting their feud. The next night on ''Raw'', Wyatt was confronted by former rival Kane
Kane or KANE may refer to:
Art, entertainment and media Fictional entities
*Kane (comics), the main character of the eponymous comic book series by Paul Grist
* Kane (''Command & Conquer''), Tiberium universe character in the ''Command & Conquer'' ...
, who was attacked by the Wyatts and also carried backstage. On the November 9 episode of ''Raw'', after Bray Wyatt claimed to "have taken their souls", The Brothers of Destruction
The Brothers of Destruction were a professional wrestling tag team in WWE composed of storyline half-brothers The Undertaker and Kane. Their storyline is widely regarded as one of the greatest and most iconic storylines in professional wrestli ...
returned and attacked the Wyatt Family. At Survivor Series
Survivor Series, branded as Survivor Series: WarGames since 2022, is a professional wrestling event produced annually since 1987 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. Held in November generally the week of Thanksgiving ( ...
on November 22, Wyatt and Harper lost to The Brothers of Destruction in a tag team match after The Undertaker pinned Harper. At TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs on December 13, the Wyatt Family defeated Team ECW in an eight-man tag team elimination tables match
Many types of wrestling matches, sometimes called " gimmick matches" in the jargon of the business, are performed in professional wrestling. Some gimmick matches are more common than others and are often used to advance or conclude a storyline. ...
.
All four members of the Wyatt Family entered the 2016 Royal Rumble match on January 24 which was the WWE World Heavyweight Championship on the line and the group cumulatively eliminated seven wrestlers, including Brock Lesnar
Brock Edward Lesnar ( ; born July 12, 1977) is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler and former Mixed martial arts, mixed martial artist, Amateur wrestling, amateur wrestler and professional American football player. As a ...
. Wyatt was scheduled to face Lesnar at Roadblock
A roadblock is a temporary installation set up to control or block traffic along a road. The reasons for one could be:
* Roadworks
*Temporary road closure during special events
* Police chase
*Robbery
* Sobriety checkpoint
* Protests
In peaceful ...
on March 12, but Wyatt revealed that he would be facing Lesnar alongside Harper in a two-on-one handicap match, which they lost with Wyatt never returning to the ring. It was reported that Wyatt was likely replaced in the match due to a serious back injury that he was legitimately suffering from. On March 21, Harper suffered a knee injury during a ''Raw'' dark match
Professional wrestling has accrued a considerable amount of jargon throughout its existence. Much of it stems from the industry's origins in the days of carnival
Carnival (known as Shrovetide in certain localities) is a festive season that o ...
and it was reported that the injury would sideline him for five to six months. After getting an MRI
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a medical imaging technique used in radiology to generate pictures of the anatomy and the physiological processes inside the body. MRI scanners use strong magnetic fields, magnetic field gradients, and rad ...
, it was revealed that he had dislocated his patella
The patella (: patellae or patellas), also known as the kneecap, is a flat, rounded triangular bone which articulates with the femur (thigh bone) and covers and protects the anterior articular surface of the knee joint. The patella is found in m ...
and tore his medial patellofemoral ligament
The medial patellofemoral ligament (MPFL) is one of several ligaments on the medial aspect of the knee. It originates in the superomedial aspect of the patella and inserts in the space between the adductor tubercle and the medial femoral epicond ...
. The Wyatt Family appeared at WrestleMania 32
WrestleMania 32 was a 2016 professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming List of WWE pay-per-view and livestreaming supercards, event produced by WWE. It was the 32nd annual WrestleMania and took place on April 3, 2016, at the AT&T ...
on April 3, where they confronted The Rock, who defeated Rowan in an impromptu match in 6 seconds and the Wyatts were then fended off by the returning John Cena and The Rock.
On the April 4 episode of ''Raw'', the Wyatt Family started a brief feud with The League of Nations by attacking the villainous faction. On the April 11 episode of ''Raw'', the Wyatt Family confronted and scared off the League of Nations when they were about to attack Roman Reigns, with whom Wyatt tagged with to defeat League of Nations members Sheamus and Alberto Del Rio
José Alberto Rodríguez Chucuan (born 25 May 1977) is a Mexican professional wrestler, professional wrestling promoter, sports commentator, and mixed martial artist. He is currently signed to WWE and Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide (AAA), where h ...
.[ On April 13 during a singles match against Reigns at a ]live event
A house show (also commonly called a live event) is a professional wrestling event produced by a major Professional wrestling promotion, promotion that is not televised, though they can be recorded. Promotions use house shows mainly to cash in o ...
in Italy, Wyatt suffered an injury to his right calf and was thus pulled off WWE's European tour. His injury resulted in the abrupt suspension of the feud and the breakup of The League of Nations.[ Although all four members appeared on the ]Payback
Payback may refer to:
* Revenge, a harmful action against a person or group in response to a grievance
Payback may also refer to:
Art, entertainment, and media Fictional entities
* Payback, a member of the fictional comics superhero team Shado ...
poster, none of the members had a match at the event.
On the June 20 episode of ''Raw'', the Wyatt Family (without Harper) returned for the first time since April and were confronted by then WWE Tag Team Champions The New Day, thus starting a feud between the two teams. On the July 11 episode of ''Raw'', The New Day went to the Wyatt Family's compound where the two factions brawled. This would lead to a non-title six-man tag team match at Battleground
A battlefield, battleground, or field of battle is the location of a present or historic battle involving ground warfare. It is commonly understood to be limited to the point of contact between opposing forces, though battles may involve troop ...
on July 24, which the Wyatt Family would win.
Reunion and final separation (2016–2017)
On July 19 at the 2016 WWE draft, Wyatt and Rowan were drafted to SmackDown while Strowman was drafted to Raw, separating him from the group. On the August 16 episode of ''SmackDown Live'', Wyatt walked away from Rowan after the latter lost his match against Dean Ambrose, leaving Rowan's sheep mask on Wyatt's rocking chair. Despite this, Rowan attacked Randy Orton
Randal Keith Orton (born April 1, 1980) is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He has been signed to WWE since 2000, where he performs on the SmackDown (WWE brand), SmackDown brand. Orton is widely regarded as one of t ...
on behalf of Wyatt on the September 13 episode of ''SmackDown Live'', continuing their alliance. On October 9, Harper returned at the close of the SmackDown brand's event No Mercy on October 9 in a match between Wyatt and Orton, whom Harper distracted to help Wyatt win the match, thus realigning himself with Wyatt. Prior to Harper's return, Rowan underwent surgery to repair a torn rotator cuff and would be out of action for four to six months.
On the October 25 episode of ''SmackDown Live'', Orton interfered on Wyatt's behalf in his match against Kane. On the November 1 episode of ''SmackDown Live'', Wyatt and Harper helped Orton win in his respective match against Kane, thus confirming his allegiance to the group. At the 30th annual Survivor Series
Survivor Series, branded as Survivor Series: WarGames since 2022, is a professional wrestling event produced annually since 1987 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. Held in November generally the week of Thanksgiving ( ...
on November 20, Wyatt and Orton were the sole survivors for Team SmackDown in the traditional 5-on-5 Survivor Series elimination match after Orton saved Wyatt from a spear
A spear is a polearm consisting of a shaft, usually of wood, with a pointed head. The head may be simply the sharpened end of the shaft itself, as is the case with Fire hardening, fire hardened spears, or it may be made of a more durable materia ...
from Roman Reigns. On the November 29 episode of ''SmackDown Live'', Wyatt and Orton defeated American Alpha
American Alpha was a professional wrestling tag team, composed of former amateur wrestlers Jason Jordan and Chad Gable. The team performed on WWE's developmental brand NXT before being moved up to the main roster on the SmackDown brand. The tea ...
to become the number one contenders for the SmackDown Tag Team Championship
The WWE Tag Team Championship is a men's professional wrestling world tag team championship created and promoted by the American promotion WWE, defended on the SmackDown brand division. It is one of two male tag team championships for WWE's m ...
. They went on to challenge and defeat Heath Slater
Heath Wallace Miller (born July 15, 1983) is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is best known for his tenure in WWE under the ring name Heath Slater. He also performed in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, Impact Wrestling ...
and Rhyno
Terrance Guido Gerin (born October 7, 1975) is an American professional wrestler better known by the ring name Rhyno (or Rhino). He is a freelancer, appearing for various promotions such as All Elite Wrestling (AEW), National Wrestling Alliance ...
on December 4 at TLC: Tables, Ladders, & Chairs for the tag team titles, Wyatt Family's first championship in WWE's main roster. While Wyatt and Orton retained the SmackDown Tag Team Championship against the former champions on the December 6 episode of ''SmackDown Live'', it was announced that the Wyatt Family invoked the Freebird Rule
The Fabulous Freebirds were a professional wrestling tag team who attained fame in the 1980s, performing into the 1990s. The team usually consisted of three wrestlers, although in different situations and points in its history, just two performed ...
and thus allowing Harper to also defend the championship.
On the December 27 episode of ''SmackDown Live'', the Wyatt Family began to show tension after they lost the SmackDown Tag Team Championship to American Alpha in a four-way elimination tag team match after Orton inadvertently hit Harper and was subsequently pinned. On the January 10, 2017, episode of ''SmackDown Live'', they unsuccessfully attempted to regain the championship after another miscue between Orton and Harper, who accidentally performed a superkick
Strikes can be offensive moves in professional wrestling, that can sometimes be used to set up an opponent for a hold or for a throw. There are a wide variety of strikes in pro wrestling, and many are known by several different names. Professional ...
on Wyatt after the match, resulting in Wyatt walking away in frustration. This continued the following week on ''SmackDown Live'', when Orton lost to Ambrose after Harper distracted his teammates, causing Orton and Harper getting involved in another argument, which would physically escalate until they were separated by Wyatt, who struck Harper, resulting in Harper walking away. On the 24 January episode of ''SmackDown Live'', Orton defeated Harper after which Wyatt attacked Harper with a '' Sister Abigail'', but did not dictate whether he was kicked out of the group.
During the Royal Rumble
The Royal Rumble is a professional wrestling event, produced annually since 1988 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. It is named after, and centered on, the Royal Rumble match, a modified Battle royal (professional wre ...
match on January 29, Harper attacked both Orton and Wyatt, even attempting ''Sister Abigail'' on the latter before being attacked by Orton, who would then go on to win the Royal Rumble match. At Elimination Chamber
The Elimination Chamber is a professional wrestling elimination-based match held in the WWE. The match was created by Triple H, and introduced by Eric Bischoff in November 2002. It features a large chain-linked circular steel structure which ...
on February 12, Orton defeated Harper while in the main event Wyatt won the WWE Championship
The WWE Championship, also referred to as the Undisputed WWE Championship since April 2024, is a men's professional wrestling world heavyweight championship created and promoted by the American promotion WWE, defended on the SmackDown bran ...
in the Elimination Chamber match
Elimination may refer to:
Science and medicine
* Elimination reaction, an organic reaction in which two functional groups split to form an organic product
*Bodily waste elimination, discharging feces, urine, or foreign substances from the body ...
. On the following ''SmackDown Live'', after Wyatt successfully defended the WWE Championship in a triple threat match involving John Cena and AJ Styles
Allen Neal Jones (born June 2, 1977), better known by his ring name AJ Styles (or A.J. Styles), is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw (WWE brand), Raw WWE brand extension, ...
(despite a pre-match attack by Harper), Orton came to the ring, pledging allegiance to Wyatt and refusing to face him at WrestleMania 33
WrestleMania 33 was a 2017 professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming List of WWE pay-per-view and livestreaming supercards, event produced by WWE. It was the 33rd annual WrestleMania and took place on April 2, 2017, at Camping Wo ...
. The following week on ''SmackDown Live'', Wyatt gave Orton "the keys to the kingdom" which referred to the Wyatt Family's compound, but Orton turned on Wyatt by burning down the Wyatt Family compound on the February 28 episode of ''SmackDown Live'' before challenging him to a match at WrestleMania 33, seemingly disbanding the Wyatt Family in the process.
On the April 4 episode of ''SmackDown Live'', Rowan returned from injury after nearly eight months of inactivity, sporting a new steampunk
Steampunk is a subgenre of science fiction that incorporates retrofuturistic technology and Applied arts, aesthetics inspired by, but not limited to, 19th-century Industrial Revolution, industrial steam engine, steam-powered machinery. Steampun ...
-style sheep mask, assisting Wyatt and attacking Orton (since Wyatt lost the WWE Championship to Orton at WrestleMania 33 on April 2), but later that night they lost a tag team match against Orton and Harper.
The Wyatt Family seemingly disbanded again when Wyatt was moved to the Raw brand during the 2017 WWE Superstar Shake-up, though Wyatt and Rowan continued their alliance, with Wyatt distracting Orton during his match with Rowan on the April 11 episode of ''SmackDown Live''. On the April 25 episode of ''SmackDown Live'', Rowan (still being referred to as a member of the Wyatt Family) competed in the main event against Orton in a no disqualification match which he lost. On the May 9 episode of ''SmackDown Live'', Harper and Rowan faced each other in a match won by Rowan; the commentary team referred to both men as former members of the Wyatt Family, thus confirming the disbandment.
Post-disbandment
In October 2017, Harper and Rowan reunited as The Bludgeon Brothers and went on to win the SmackDown Tag Team Championship at WrestleMania 34
WrestleMania 34 was a 2018 professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event produced by WWE. It was the 34th annual WrestleMania and took place on April 8, 2018, at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana, held for ...
. After they lost their tag team titles, Rowan formed an alliance with former Wyatt Family member Bryan, with whom he would win his second SmackDown Tag Team Championship. After Rowan and Bryan's team dissolved, Rowan reunited with Harper before they were separated due to the 2019 WWE Draft
The 2019 WWE Draft was the fourteenth WWE Draft produced by the American professional wrestling promotion WWE between their Raw and SmackDown brands. Returning to its original name (the "WWE Draft") and a traditional draft format, it was the ...
. Harper was released in December 2019, and Rowan was released in April 2020. Strowman was released in June 2021,
but would later return to the company in September 2022.
Strowman continued as a singles competitor, while Wyatt adopted the new character of "The Fiend" to continue his solo career. Wyatt spent a significant part of his stint as "The Fiend" feuding with former Wyatt Family members, namely Bryan, Strowman, and Orton, before being released in July 2021. He returned to WWE at the 2022 Extreme Rules event.
On December 26, 2020, at the age of 41, Harper (who had been performing in AEW
All Elite Wrestling (AEW) is an American professional wrestling promotion headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida. It is owned and operated by Shahid and Tony Khan, with the latter serving as president and chief executive officer.
AEW was foun ...
as Brodie Lee) died from idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis
Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) synonymous with cryptogenic fibrosing alveolitis is a rare, progressive illness of the respiratory system, characterized by the thickening and stiffening of lung tissue, associated with the formation of scar ...
. Numerous tributes were given by former colleagues, including his former Wyatt Family partners. On December 30, Rowan appeared on AEW's memorial show, the Brodie Lee Celebration of Life
Brodie can be a given name or a surname of Scottish origin, and a location in Moray, Scotland, its meaning is uncertain; it is not clear if Brodie, as a word, has its origins in the Gaelic or Pictish languages. In 2012 this name became the 5 ...
, holding up a sign dedicated to Harper that read, "Goodbye for now, my brother. See you down the road." At the end of the episode, various photos of Harper were shown, including several real-life moments shared with his Wyatt Family partners.
On August 24, 2023, at the age of 36, Wyatt died from a heart attack
A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when Ischemia, blood flow decreases or stops in one of the coronary arteries of the heart, causing infarction (tissue death) to the heart muscle. The most common symptom ...
caused by a pre-existing heart condition that had been exacerbated by a COVID-19
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. In January 2020, the disease spread worldwide, resulting in the COVID-19 pandemic.
The symptoms of COVID‑19 can vary but often include fever ...
infection. On the August 25 episode of ''SmackDown'', Rowan and Strowman appeared onstage for Wyatt's memorial package and the traditional 10-bell salute. In Wyatt's real-life brother Bo Dallas
Taylor Michael Rotunda (born May 25, 1990) is an American professional wrestler. , he is signed to WWE where he performs on the SmackDown brand under the ring names Bo Dallas and his alter ego Uncle Howdy and is the leader of The Wyatt Sicks fa ...
(as his alter ego
An alter ego (Latin for "other I") means an alternate Self (psychology), self, which is believed to be distinct from a person's normal or true original Personality psychology, personality. Finding one's alter ego will require finding one's other ...
Uncle Howdy) began leading a heroic faction called The Wyatt Sicks alongside Rowan, Dexter Lumis
Samuel Robert Shaw (born January 17, 1984) is an American professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown brand under the ring name Dexter Lumis ( ) and is a member of The Wyatt Sicks faction. He is also known fo ...
, Joe Gacy
Joseph Ruby (born August 8, 1987) is an American professional wrestler. As of August 2020, he is signed to WWE, on the WWE SmackDown, SmackDown brand, where he performs under the ring name Joe Gacy and is a member of The Wyatt Sicks faction.
Gac ...
, and Nikki Cross
Nicola Glencross (born 21 April 1989) is a Scottish professional wrestler. She is signed to WWE where she performs on the SmackDown (WWE brand), SmackDown brand under the ring name Nikki Cross and is a member of The Wyatt Sicks faction. In WWE, ...
to feud with the villainous American Made stable led by Chad Gable
Charles Edward Betts (born March 8, 1986) is an American professional wrestler and former amateur wrestler. He has been signed to WWE where he performs on the Raw brand under the ring name Chad Gable and also portrays the masked luchador El G ...
alongside The Creed Brothers
The Creed Brothers are an American professional wrestling tag team consisting of brothers Brutus Creed (Drew Kasper; born May 13, 1996) and Julius Creed (Jacob Kasper; born October 3, 1994). they are signed to the professional wrestling promotion ...
and Ivy Nile on May 2nd 2025. Strowman was released from his WWE contract ending his second tenure of the company and announced his retirement the day after his second release.
Members
Timeline
Championships and accomplishments
* ''Pro Wrestling Illustrated
''Pro Wrestling Illustrated'' (''PWI'') is an American professional wrestling magazine that was founded in 1979 by publisher Stanley Weston. ''PWI'' is headquartered in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, and published by Kappa Publishing Group. The maga ...
''
** Ranked Wyatt No. 6 of the top 500 singles wrestlers in the ''PWI 500
''Pro Wrestling Illustrated'' (''PWI'') is an American professional wrestling magazine that was founded in 1979 by publisher Stanley Weston. ''PWI'' is headquartered in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, and published by Kappa Publishing Group. The maga ...
'' in 2014
** Ranked Harper No. 24 of the top 500 singles wrestlers in the ''PWI 500'' in 2015
** Ranked Rowan No. 57 of the top 500 singles wrestlers in the ''PWI 500'' in 2014
** Ranked Bryan No. 1 of the top 500 singles wrestlers in the ''PWI 500'' in 2014
** Ranked Strowman No. 163 of the top 500 singles wrestlers in the ''PWI 500'' in 2016
** Ranked Orton No. 13 of the top 500 singles wrestlers in the ''PWI 500'' in 2017
* ''Rolling Stone
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason.
The magazine was first known fo ...
''
** Rookie of the Meh (2015) – Strowman
* ''Wrestling Observer Newsletter
The ''Wrestling Observer Newsletter'' (''WON'') is a newsletter that covers professional wrestling and mixed martial arts.
Founded in print in 1982 by Dave Meltzer, the ''Wrestling Observer'' website merged with Bryan Alvarez's ''Figure Four Wee ...
''
** Best Gimmick (2013) – Wyatt, Harper, and Rowan
* WWE
World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) is an American professional wrestling promotion. It is owned and operated by TKO Group Holdings, a majority-owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. A global integrated media and entertainment company, ...
**NXT Tag Team Championship
The NXT Tag Team Championship is a men's Professional wrestling championship, professional wrestling tag team championship created and promoted by the United States, American professional wrestling promotion, promotion WWE. It is defended on NXT ...
( 1 time) – Harper and Rowan
** WWE Championship
The WWE Championship, also referred to as the Undisputed WWE Championship since April 2024, is a men's professional wrestling world heavyweight championship created and promoted by the American promotion WWE, defended on the SmackDown bran ...
( 1 time) – Wyatt
** WWE SmackDown Tag Team Championship
The WWE Tag Team Championship is a men's professional wrestling world tag team championship created and promoted by the American promotion WWE, defended on the SmackDown brand division. It is one of two male tag team championships for WWE's ...
( 1 time) – Wyatt, Orton, and Harper1
** Royal Rumble
The Royal Rumble is a professional wrestling event, produced annually since 1988 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. It is named after, and centered on, the Royal Rumble match, a modified Battle royal (professional wre ...
(2017
2017 was designated as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development by the United Nations General Assembly.
Events January
* January 1 – Istanbul nightclub shooting: A gunman dressed as Santa Claus opens fire at the ...
) – Orton
1 Wyatt, Orton, and Harper defended the title under the Freebird Rule
The Fabulous Freebirds were a professional wrestling tag team who attained fame in the 1980s, performing into the 1990s. The team usually consisted of three wrestlers, although in different situations and points in its history, just two performed ...
.
See also
* The Wyatt Sicks
References
External links
Bray Wyatt on WWE.com
Erick Rowan on WWE.com
Luke Harper on WWE.com
Daniel Bryan on WWE.com
Braun Strowman on WWE.com
Randy Orton on WWE.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wyatt Family, The
WWE teams and stables
WWE NXT teams and stables
Fictional cults