A former WWE writer has shared a wild story connecting late wrestling star Bray Wyatt to one of the most infamous figures in American history … none other than convicted cult leader and murderer Charles Manson.
During a recent appearance on Freddie Prinze Jr.’s Wrestling with Freddie podcast, former WWE writer and longtime Bray Wyatt collaborator Nick Manfredini claimed that Manson was a fan of Wyatt’s work and even wanted to meet him.
According to Manfredini, the bizarre connection started when one of Wyatt’s former college football teammates, who had since become a prison guard in California, showed Manson some of Wyatt’s promos while working at the facility where Manson was incarcerated.
“Charles Manson… I don’t know if this story has ever been told,” Manfredini recalled. “Windham [Wyatt’s real name was Windham Rotunda] — Windham’s teammate, former college football teammate became a prison guard at Charles Manson’s prison. Allegedly this guy showed Manson the Bray Wyatt promos and he wanted to meet him and this was a whole thing, I swear. It is a hundred percent true.”
Manfredini said the situation even reached the attention of Wyatt’s father, former WWE producer Mike Rotunda, who floated the idea to company leadership, possibly including Vince McMahon and Triple H, about filming a WWE Network special involving Manson and Wyatt.
“So Mike Rotunda knew about it and I think he brought it up to somebody, I don’t know if it was Hunter or Vince or somebody, and they immediately squashed it,” Manfredini said. “Cuz they were like, can we shoot a [WWE] Network special with Charles Manson? And it was immediately squashed.”
Manfredini went on to say that Manson had been a creative influence on Wyatt’s early promos and the overall presentation of his cult leader-inspired persona.
“So [Wyatt’s character] was very Charles Manson-inspired, right?” he said. “My YouTube search history back then was just Charles Manson and cult leaders… We were trying to take little pieces from each one.”
The former WWE writer also admitted that he briefly considered taking things a step further by visiting Manson himself — before realizing just how bad of an idea that would have been.
“I was like, let’s just go,” Manfredini continued. “Next time we’re in northern California, me and you, just put on a hat or something. Nobody will know it’s you. Let’s just go meet him, you know? I thought more about it and obviously it was a terrible, terrible idea. Would have been a good story, but a bad idea.”
Bray Wyatt passed away at the age of 36 back in August of 2023.
Check out the complete episode of Freddie Prinze Jr’s ‘Wrestling With Freddie’ podcast featuring the interview with former WWE writer Nick Manfredini via the media player embedded below.
(H/T to F4WOnline.com for transcribing the above quotes.)
