WWE Hall of Famer Mike Rotunda, also known as Irwin R. Schyster (IRS), has entered hospice care, according to his former tag team partner.
Rotunda, the real-life father to the late-Bray Wyatt as well as Wyatt Sicks leader Uncle Howdy (Bo Dallas), had a strong run in the 1980s and 1990s throughout WWE, WCW, and New Japan Pro-Wrestling. He made his first major impact on U.S. television as one-half of the U.S. Express tag team alongside Barry Windham.
Windham was recently interviewed by legendary wrestling media figure Bill Apter, and surprisingly revealed that Rotunda was not doing well health-wise.
“It’s kinda tough right now. Mike is in hospice right now,” Windham told Apter in the interview. “So, anyway, I love that family. It’s so tragic.”
While Windham did not specify what led to Rotunda being placed in hospice, he offered sincere praise for the 67-year-old, and discussed how tragic it was that the family lost Bray back in 2023.
“He was just a good boy. He was such a good person, never got in trouble at all his whole life. He’s a good boy,” he added.
Many fans of the 1990s era of wrestling will remember Rotunda fondly as IRS, harassing wrestlers and fans for not paying taxes and cheating the system. He’d enjoy a successful run alongside Ted DiBiase as the Money Inc. tag team. They would win the WWE Tag Team Championship together on three separate occasions.
Rotunda’s U.S. Express run with Windham, however, got him on the map in the United States, running through WWE, All Japan, and the AWA. He would also find success in a tag team with “Dr. Death” Steve Williams in Jim Crockett Promotions, defeating The Road Warriors for the NWA World Tag Team Championship. He would even briefly join the nWo during his five-year run in WCW from 1995 through 2000.
A lot of newer fans will recognize Rotunda’s contributions through his sons, Bray Wyatt and Bo Dallas. Wyatt, real name Windham, was named after Barry Windham and was one of WWE’s most trailblazing acts until his untimely passing in 2023.
Dallas currently pays homage to Wyatt’s contributions to the industry through the Wyatt Sicks stable, where he portrays the Uncle Howdy character that Wyatt laid the groundwork for.
Rotunda is married to Barry Windham’s real-life sister Stephanie. Aside from his Hall of Fame induction, his last appearance on WWE TV was during the “Raw is XXX” special episode of Monday Night Raw, where he cameoed alongside DiBiase.
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