WWE pays tribute to Ozzy Osbourne on NXT

On NXT last night, WWE took a moment to pay tribute to recently departed heavy metal legend Ozzy Osbourne.

The music icon and celebrity WWE Hall of Famer, who had been battling Parkinson’s disease, passed away at 76 years old on Tuesday. WWE honored his legacy later in the night by airing a brief tribute video as commentator Vic Joseph spoke about Osbourne’s significance to WWE, calling him a “beloved friend” of the company.

“Today there was some tragic news in the world that touched every single person sitting at this desk and is here in Houston, because today the world truly lost a heavy metal icon, one of the greatest entertainers of all time, Ozzy Osbourne. The legendary Prince of Darkness transcended the music industry with over 100 million albums sold. And for years, his music served as the canvas for WWE’s presentations,” Joseph said.

“From Ozzy’s inaugural appearance at WrestleMania II in 1986 during the Rock ‘n’ Wrestling era through his induction into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2021, Ozzy’s impact has been celebrated by the WWE Universe for nearly four decades. Tonight, we offer our condolences to his family and friends [and] the world at large on the passing of a musical pioneer, our beloved friend Ozzy Osbourne.”

Osbourne’s WWE appearances included accompanying The British Bulldogs to the ring at WrestleMania II and hosting an episode of Raw during WWE’s guest host era. The iconic Black Sabbath song “War Pigs” has also been used by the company as the theme song for Survivor Series: WarGames.

Paul “Triple H” Levesque called Osbourne “one of a kind” and said getting the chance to work with him in WWE was a dream come true.

“Ozzy was one of a kind. His relentless passion for music was something I always looked up to,” Levesque tweeted. “From the moment I heard the first riff of Paranoid I was hooked on this sound that I never heard before. My dream turned into reality as Ozzy would become involved with WWE and eventually inducted into the Hall of Fame.

“My condolences to Sharon, your children and grandchildren who had the fortunate pleasure of your time.”

Osbourne’s death comes less than a month after playing his farewell concert in Birmingham, England on July 5.