2020 is ending on a sad note to professional wrestling fans, after the news of wrestler Jonathan Huber’s passing, also known as Luke Harper or Mr. Brodie Lee. The news broke many fans’ hearts, considering that he was one of the most talented wrestlers to step into a wrestling ring.
Figure 1: The late Jonathan Huber aka Luke Harper aka Mr. Brodie Lee
In a move to condole with the pro wrestling community, we bring you six things you should know about the late Jonathan Huber.
1. Personal Life
Huber was born on December 16th, 1979, in Rochester, New York. Not much information is available about his family, as he was quite private. However, he married Amanda Huber, a professional wrestler going by the in-ring name Synndy Synn, in 2008, and they had two sons.
He schooled at McQuaid Jesuit High School, where he was a lacrosse player. Huber passed on ten days after his 41st birthday, on December 26th, 2020.
2. Wrestling Career
Huber began his career as a backyard wrestler and later ventured into the independent scene, where he worked as a masked wrestler. Initially, he went by the name Huberboy#2, but after his unmasking, he took on the name of Brodie Lee for Roc City Wrestling (RCW) in 2003.
Throughout his lengthy career, he worked for several promotions like Chikara, Ring of Honor, Dragon Gate USA, and Jersey All-Pro. He became famous for his time in the World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) and All Elite Wrestling (AEW).
3. Work in WWE
Many wrestlers aspire to work with the WWE, the largest professional wrestling company worldwide. Jonathan Huber’s dream of working with the WWE came in 2012, with reports indicating his signing to a developmental contract with Florida Championship Wrestling (FCW). He took the ring name Luke Harper and soon joined Bray Wyatt’s stable in NXT (FCW rebranded to NXT), with Eric Rowan, collectively known as the Wyatt Family.
He was mainly involved in the family’s feuds and wrestled in tag team matches with either of his two stablemates. He went on to have a great singles career, winning WWE’s Intercontinental Championship once before reverting to tag-team competitions with Eric Rowan. He is a 3-time tag team champion in WWE.
4. Departure from WWE and Debut for AEW
Towards mid to late 2019 and early 2020, there were reports that Huber wanted out of his contract, though he continued to make sporadic appearances. He made his last appearance for WWE on October 31st, 2019, in the Crown Jewel event in a battle royal match.
In March 2020, he surprised many wrestling fans when he debuted for All Elite Wrestling, revealing himself as the ‘Exalted One,’ head of the Dark Order Faction. He went on to have great matches during his tenure with the company. He won the TNT championship from Cody Rhodes. He lost the championship months later to Rhodes in a dog collar match. This was the last time he appeared for AEW programming, with reports indicating he was out due to injury.
5. Acknowledgment from Vince McMahon
If you have been following wrestling for some time, you know how hard it is for WWE chairman to praise talent from rival companies. He can sometimes give the ‘Chris Benoit treatment’ where he totally erases you from company history.
However, when it came to Brodie Lee, a former employee of his, Vince McMahon paid his last respects via Twitter. It is an interesting occurrence, considering that there were reports of the two disagreeing over Huber’s contract terms before leaving the company.
6. His Death
His shocking death occurred on Boxing Day, when he was 41, at the Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, Florida. He had been hospitalized since the end of October 2020 and was undergoing treatment for Non-COVID-related lung complications.
Following his death, several wrestlers expressed their loss at the passing of their friend and workmates. Some of those who shared their tributes include Triple H, Bray Wyatt, Dustin Rhodes, the Iron Sheikh, and Chris Jericho.
Final Word
Brodie Lee amazed many wrestling fans in his 17-year career as a professional wrestler. The sad news of his passing shook many in the sports scene. We offer our condolences to Jonathan Huber’s family, also known as Luke Harper or Mr. Brodie Lee. Rest in Peace, Huber.
