Mike "IRS" Rotunda, the WWE legend, has been moved to hospice care at the age of 67, according to confirmation from his brother-in-law.
A legend is receiving well wishes from the wrestling community. According to his brother-in-law and former wrestling partner Barry Windham, Mike Rotunda, 67, who became well-known in the 1980s after winning titles in World Wrestling Federation (now the WWE) and World Championship Wrestling, has been placed in hospice care.
“It’s kinda tough right now,” in an interview on October 25, Barry informed wrestling reporter Bill Apter. “Mike is in hospice right now.”
Barry, Mike's two-time World Tag Team Champion, also brought up the unexpected death of Windham Rotunda, better known by his stage name Bray Wyatt, Mike's son, who passed away at the age of 36 from a heart attack in 2023.
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He went on to say, “I love that family but it’s just so tragic.”
Following the WWE Hall of Famer's health update, fellow WWE alumnus Leilani Kai expressed her sympathies in addition to Barry's request for prayers for Mike.
“It breaks my heart to share that my friend Mike Rotunda has been placed under hospice care,” in an October 28 post on X (previously Twitter), she included a photo of the two of them cuddling. “This photo was from earlier this year — a moment I’ll treasure.”
Leilani went on, “Please keep Mike and the Rotunda family in your prayers. We love you, Mike.”
Throughout his life, Mike, who is also the father of wrestler Taylor "Bo Dallas" Rotunda and his daughter Mika Rotunda with wife Stephanie Windham, has gone by a number of stage names. However, his most well-known identity is probably Irwin R. Schyster, or IRS, who, in keeping with the initials of the moniker, would dress in a white button-down shirt and suspenders and mock his rivals and supporters as tax evaders.
Mike also teamed up with wrestler Ted DiBiase under that moniker, and they faced off against the likes of Brutus Beefcake and the late Hulk Hogan.
Mike reassured followers earlier this year that the stage name is still in use.
“I’m back on X and the books are still open,” in February, he published on X. “Some of you may have forgotten how this business really works… but I haven’t. The numbers never lie. The debts are still outstanding. And trust me, I ALWAYS collect.”
