SmackDown paid tribute to Bray Wyatt and Terry Funk

The wrestling world was hit with two massive losses this past week, and the Aug. 25 SmackDown honored the departed legends.

This week, the wrestling world suffered two heavy blows with the respective losses of Terry Funk and, most shockingly, Bray Wyatt. Funk, who spent the last few years battling dementia, passed away on Aug. 23, and Wyatt, who hadn’t wrestled since January due to a then-undisclosed medical issue, succumbed to a heart attack on Aug. 24. Friday’s SmackDown dedicated plenty of time to honoring these beloved stars.

The show started with the entire roster (and former members such as Erik Rowan) standing on the stage as the “fireflies” illuminated the KFC Yum! Center. Following the 10-bell salute for the fallen wrestlers, WWE played a video highlighting Wyatt’s impact in front of the camera and backstage. When we returned to the arena, a spotlight focused on Wyatt’s familiar rocking chair as the crowd sang “He’s Got the Whole World In His Hands”.

Later on, Cody Rhodes made a rare SmackDown appearance to give Funk his flowers. He recounted a story from his childhood when Funk called his father, Dusty Rhodes, an “egg-sucking dog” before raving about “the cowboy’s” willingness to put others over. After a well-produced video for Funk aired, Cody introduced The Brawling Brutes and The Street Profits for a “Terry Funk Hardcore Match”.

It’s a good thing that Cody told the audience that this was a stipulation match because the in-ring action didn’t show it. Aside from the table spot toward the end, it was indistinguishable from a typical WWE match. Of course, no one expected an ultraviolent war from this version of WWE, but the gesture was nice.

In the main event, the red-hot LA Knight took on Finn Bálor in what WWE billed as a clash between two of Wyatt’s most notable rivals. Prior to the opening bell, Knight walked a tightrope on the microphone like a skilled trapeze artist, expressing what Wyatt has meant to his WWE career while remaining in character. He also buried The Miz, telling him to “run” the next time he sees Knight, echoing the words of “a wise man”.

After Knight pinned Bálor clean, the lights again dimmed, leaving Wyatt’s silhouette on the Titantron and his trademark lantern as the only reprieve from the darkness. While it directly referenced Wyatt, the ending was a fitting encapsulation of both men’s careers.

We all understand the inevitability of death, but that doesn’t make us any more prepared for its always-sudden arrival. It stings a bit more when it’s someone who meant so much to so many people; Funk and Wyatt definitely fit that description based on the outpouring of kind words we’ve heard from fans and contemporaries.

It shows how indelible both men’s respective legacies as performers and, most importantly, human beings are. Thus, the continuous glow of the lamp reminds us that, even though Funk and Wyatt are no longer here physically, they will always be with us.