If you are a fan of WWE, you might have wondered if Bo Dallas and Bray Wyatt are related. They look alike, they have similar wrestling styles, and they both have a knack for playing charismatic characters. The answer is yes, they are real-life brothers, but WWE never acknowledged their family ties on-screen. Why is that? And what is the story behind their wrestling careers? Here is everything you need to know about the Rotunda brothers.
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The Distinct Paths of Bo Dallas and Bray Wyatt
Bo Dallas and Bray Wyatt are the sons of Mike Rotunda, a former WWE wrestler who was known as Irwin R. Schyster (IRS). They are also the grandsons of Blackjack Mulligan, a WWE Hall of Famer who was one of the most feared wrestlers in the 1970s and 1980s. With such a rich wrestling heritage, it is no surprise that both brothers decided to follow in their father’s and grandfather’s footsteps.
Bo Dallas and Bray Wyatt started their wrestling careers in Florida Championship Wrestling (FCW), WWE’s developmental territory at the time. They teamed up as Bo and Duke Rotundo, and won the FCW Tag Team Championship twice. They also competed in singles matches, with Bo becoming the youngest FCW Heavyweight Champion at the age of 20.
In 2012, FCW was rebranded as NXT, and both brothers underwent character changes. Bo Dallas became a cheerful babyface who encouraged fans to “Bo-lieve” in themselves, while Bray Wyatt became a sinister cult leader who led the Wyatt Family, a stable that included Luke Harper and Erick Rowan. Both brothers found success in NXT, with Bo winning the NXT Championship and Bray becoming one of the most popular and intriguing characters in WWE.
However, when they were called up to the main roster, their paths diverged significantly. Bo Dallas debuted on Raw in 2014, but his gimmick failed to connect with the audience. He was mostly used as a comedy act or a jobber, and never won any titles or feuds. He briefly joined forces with Curtis Axel, Heath Slater, and Adam Rose as the Social Outcasts, but they were also treated as a joke. His last appearance on WWE TV was in October 2019, when he lost to Shorty G on SmackDown.
Bray Wyatt, on the other hand, debuted on Raw in 2013 with his Wyatt Family members. He quickly established himself as one of the most captivating and menacing heels in WWE, feuding with top stars like John Cena, Roman Reigns, Daniel Bryan, Randy Orton, and The Undertaker. He won the WWE Championship and the Universal Championship twice each, and reinvented himself as “The Fiend”, a supernatural entity that terrorized his opponents. He also created his own show called “The Firefly Fun House”, where he showcased his twisted humor and creativity.
The Impact of Creative Direction
One of the reasons why Bo Dallas and Bray Wyatt had such different outcomes in WWE was the creative direction they received from the company. According to Bray Wyatt, he had more freedom and input in his character development than his brother did. He said in an interview with Sports Illustrated:
“I always had my hands on my own stuff. I always had my hands on my own stuff because I knew what I wanted to do. I knew what I wanted to say. I knew how I wanted to act. I knew how I wanted to wrestle.”
He also said that he always wanted to work with his brother on-screen, but WWE never gave them the opportunity:
“We always wanted to work together. We always wanted to do something together because we’re real-life brothers. We’re very close.”
Bo Dallas also expressed his frustration with WWE’s creative direction in an interview with TalkSport:
“I think it’s just creative’s vision versus our vision sometimes doesn’t meet eye-to-eye and then you get lost in the shuffle.”
He added that he tried to pitch several ideas to WWE, but none of them were accepted:
“I’ve pitched so many ideas where I’m like ‘this is gold!’ And then it’s like ‘nope!’”
Rotunda Family Roots
Despite their lack of on-screen recognition as brothers, Bo Dallas and Bray Wyatt have always been supportive of each other behind the scenes. They share a strong bond that stems from their family roots and their passion for wrestling.
Their father Mike Rotunda was a successful wrestler who worked for various promotions such as NWA, WCW, AWA, and WWE. He was best known for his IRS gimmick in WWE, where he teamed up with Ted DiBiase as Money Inc., winning the WWF Tag Team Championship three times. He also worked as a producer and road agent for WWE until he was released in 2020.
Their grandfather Blackjack Mulligan was a legendary wrestler who was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2006. He was a former NWA World Tag Team Champion with his partner Blackjack Lanza, and a former WWF Tag Team Champion with his son-in-law Barry Windham, who is also Bo and Bray’s uncle. He was known for his imposing size, his signature iron claw hold, and his cowboy persona. He passed away in 2016 at the age of 73.
Their other uncle Kendall Windham was also a wrestler who worked for NWA, WCW, and WWE. He was a former NWA Florida Heavyweight Champion and a former WCW World Tag Team Champion with his brother Barry. He retired from wrestling in 1999.
A Grandfather’s Legacy
Bo Dallas and Bray Wyatt have both paid tribute to their grandfather Blackjack Mulligan in their wrestling careers. Bo Dallas adopted his grandfather’s iron claw hold as one of his finishing moves, calling it the “Bo-Dog”. He also wore a cowboy hat and a vest as part of his entrance attire, similar to what Mulligan wore.
Bray Wyatt also incorporated elements of his grandfather’s character into his own. He used the name “Husky Harris” as a tribute to Mulligan’s real name Robert “Bob” Windham. He also adopted Mulligan’s mannerisms, such as rocking back and forth in a rocking chair, and using cryptic promos to intimidate his foes. He also used the name “Windham” as part of his Firefly Fun House persona.
Bo Dallas: Who Is He?
Bo Dallas is the ring name of Taylor Michael Rotunda, who was born on May 25, 1990 in Brooksville, Florida. He is 31 years old as of 2021. He is married to fellow wrestler Sarah Backman, who is a former arm wrestling champion and NXT trainee. They tied the knot in 2014.
Bo Dallas started wrestling at the age of 18, signing a developmental contract with WWE in 2008. He made his debut in FCW under the name Bo Rotundo, later changing it to Bo Dallas. He won the FCW Heavyweight Championship twice and the FCW Tag Team Championship twice with his brother Bray Wyatt.
He moved to NXT in 2012, where he won the NXT Championship and held it for 280 days, the longest reign at the time. He also made sporadic appearances on the main roster, competing in the Royal Rumble match in 2013 and 2015, and participating in the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal at WrestleMania XXX.
He was officially called up to the main roster in 2014, where he portrayed a motivational speaker who urged fans to “Bo-lieve” in themselves. However, his gimmick did not get over with the fans, and he soon became a lower-card wrestler who rarely won matches. He joined forces with Curtis Axel, Heath Slater, and Adam Rose as the Social Outcasts in 2016, but they were also used as comic relief.
He formed another tag team with Curtis Axel called The B-Team in 2018, where they briefly won the Raw Tag Team Championship by defeating Bray Wyatt and Matt Hardy at Extreme Rules. They lost the titles to Dolph Ziggler and Drew McIntyre a month later.
He was drafted to SmackDown in 2019, but he did not appear on TV for over a year. His last match was on October 4, 2019, when he lost to Shorty G on SmackDown. He was released from WWE on April 15, 2021 along with several other wrestlers.
Since his release, he has not been active in wrestling. Instead, he has focused on his real estate business with his wife Sarah. They run a company called The Rotunda Realty Group, which helps people buy and sell homes in Florida.
Embracing the Legacy
Bo Dallas has not ruled out a return to wrestling in the future. In an interview with TalkSport, he said that he still loves wrestling and would consider coming back if the right opportunity arises:
“I love wrestling still to this day. I’m only 31 years old so I’m not saying I’m never going to lace up my boots again.”
He also said that he would love to work with his brother Bray Wyatt again, either as allies or enemies:
“I would love nothing more than to work with my brother again whether it’s against him or tagging with him.”
He added that he is proud of his family’s legacy and hopes to continue it someday:
“I’m very proud of my family’s history within this business and I hope one day we can continue that.”
Bray Wyatt: Who Is He?
Bray Wyatt is the ring name of Windham Lawrence Rotunda, who was born on May 23, 1987 in Brooksville, Florida. He is 34 years old as of 2021
