In August 2023, WWE wrestler Bray Wyatt died of a heart attack following complications from COVID-19. Unsurprisingly, Wyatt's death had significant ramifications across wrestling, and tributes to the late performer continue to pour out years later. Appearing on the "Wrestling the Rap Game Podcast," WWE's Aleister Black revealed that one of his final conversations with Wyatt left a lasting impact.
"I grabbed my phone the other day and I was scrolling through my messages. I actually found one of my old conversations with him," Black said. "I used to send him these messages with ideas and stuff. One of the last things he said to me was, 'Don't let them tell you who you are. Stand for what you stand for.'"
The wrestler revealed that the message reached him at a point when he was struggling with his mental health. Black had texted Wyatt two character ideas that he was having trouble deciding between, but rather than picking one idea over the other, Wyatt encouraged Black to simply stay true to who he was.
"'You know what you need to do. Just stand your ground and don't let them shape you into something you feel uncomfortable with,'" Black said, continuing to paraphrase one of his last exchanges with Wyatt.
Black recalled the conversation as one of the most profound interactions he'd get to have with Wyatt. After a few years on the AEW roster, Black recently made his return to WWE and took back the moniker of Aleister Black, and he expressed regret over the fact that he'll never get to share the ring with Wyatt.
If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit "Wrestling the Rap Game Podcast" with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.
