1. Early Life
Jonathan Huber was born on December 16, 1979, in Rochester, New York. During his formative years, Huber attended McQuaid Jesuit High School, where he was an active athlete, playing lacrosse for four years. In addition to lacrosse, he also participated in ice hockey within independent youth leagues, showcasing his early engagement in sports and physical activities.
2. Professional Wrestling Career
Huber's professional wrestling career began in the early 2000s, leading him through various independent promotions before he achieved widespread recognition in major companies.
2.1. Independent Circuit
Huber's journey in professional wrestling started on the independent circuit, where he developed his skills and established the "Brodie Lee" persona that would define much of his early career.
2.1.1. Early Career (2003-2006)
Jonathan Huber's initial foray into the world of professional wrestling began as a backyard wrestler. During this period, he performed under the ring name Huberboy #2, often collaborating with fellow aspiring wrestlers such as Colin Delaney and Jimmy Olsen, as well as his real-life brother, Chris Huber, who worked as Referee Rob Ryan.
Huber then transitioned to formal training, receiving instruction from Kirby Marcos and Rik Matrix in his hometown of Rochester, New York, and also from Tony Mamaluke in Schenectady, New York. He made his professional debut in 2003 for Roc City Wrestling (RCW), initially working under a mask as Huberboy #2. Later that year, he unmasked and began performing as Brodie Lee for Rochester Pro Wrestling (RPW). The ring name "Brodie Lee" was a combination of actor Jason Lee and his character Brodie Bruce from the film Mallrats. Despite this origin, his wrestling style and appearance led to frequent, though mistaken, comparisons to the legendary wrestler Bruiser Brody, with many incorrectly believing his name was derived from Brody. Throughout his tenure in RPW, which later rebranded to NWA Upstate and then to NWA New York, Lee achieved significant success, capturing the heavyweight championship on three separate occasions, the tag team championship once, and the television championship. He later unified the television championship with the Kayfabe Dojo Championship.
2.1.2. Chikara (2007-2012)
Huber debuted in the Philadelphia-based Chikara promotion on March 24, 2007, at the event Time Will Prove Everything. He utilized the "The Right Stuff" Brodie Lee gimmick and was defeated by Equinox. Initially, Lee was not scheduled to wrestle at the event but was present backstage visiting friends. However, a last-minute no-show by Reckless Youth prompted Chikara booker Mike Quackenbush to offer Lee a spot in the ring.
Lee returned to Chikara two months later, defeating Equinox in a rematch and initiating a notable streak of not being pinned or forced to submit for the remainder of the year. In August, he formed an alliance with the Olsen Twins (Colin and Jimmy), adopting the nickname "Big Rig" and a more serious trucker persona. Lee and the Olsen Twins were slated to compete as Team Dr. Keith in the 2008 King of Trios tournament, but after Colin signed with World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), the team was left shorthanded. Although Retail Dragon filled in, the team lost in the first round, leading Lee to turn on Retail Dragon and simultaneously end his alliance with Jimmy Olsen.
In April 2008, Lee's storyline saw him bullying smaller wrestlers, which prompted Claudio Castagnoli to challenge him. Their first match on April 20 ended in Castagnoli's disqualification due to accidentally kicking the referee. A rematch on May 24 concluded similarly, with Lee being disqualified for striking the referee. This escalated to a no disqualification match on July 13, which Lee won following interference from Shayne Hawke and Mitch Ryder, both of whom harbored a grudge against Castagnoli for the previous year's breakup of The Kings of Wrestling. The feud between Lee and Castagnoli culminated on September 7, 2008, in Chikara's inaugural steel cage match, where Castagnoli emerged victorious.
In late 2008, Lee aligned with Eddie Kingston and Grizzly Redwood to form a stable known as The Roughnecks. On February 21, 2009, The Roughnecks defeated UltraMantis Black, Crossbones, and Sami Callihan to secure a spot in the 2009 King of Trios tournament. However, on March 27, The Roughnecks lost their opening-round match to Team Uppercut (Bryan Danielson, Claudio Castagnoli, and Dave Taylor). When Kingston transitioned into a feud with Castagnoli, Lee and Redwood began competing as a tag team. After achieving victories over Los Ice Creams (El Hijo del Ice Cream and Ice Cream Jr.), Cheech Hernandez and K.C. Day, and the North Star Express (Darin Corbin and Ryan Cruz), Lee and Redwood earned a challenge for the Campeonatos de Parejas. On October 17, 2009, they challenged The Colony (Fire Ant and Soldier Ant) for the championship, but were defeated in two straight falls. Lee gave Redwood one more chance, but after Redwood lost a fall on October 19 in a match against The Osirian Portal (Amasis and Ophidian), Lee decisively kicked him in the face, effectively disbanding The Roughnecks.
Redwood made a surprise return six months later on April 24, 2010, as Lee's opponent, but was easily defeated. Afterwards, Redwood vowed to prepare himself before their next encounter. On August 29, Lee dominated the Countdown Showdown battle royal before being eliminated by Redwood. On October 23, Lee suffered an upset loss to Dasher Hatfield, who was then defeated by Redwood the following day. On November 20, Lee and Redwood, having gained mutual respect, reunited and attacked Hatfield after his match. On January 23, 2011, at the season ten premiere, The Roughnecks defeated The Throwbacks (Hatfield and Sugar Dunkerton) in a tag team match. The feud concluded on March 13 in a lumberjack match, where Hatfield and Dunkerton were victorious. In May 2011, Lee entered the 12 Large: Summit tournament, designed to crown the inaugural Chikara Grand Champion, but was forced to withdraw after his first match due to a legitimate injury. Lee returned to Chikara on October 30. Following his signing of a developmental contract with WWE, Lee made his final Chikara appearance on March 25, 2012, in an unsuccessful challenge against Eddie Kingston for the Chikara Grand Championship.
2.1.3. Other Independent Promotions (2008-2012)
Lee extended his reach beyond Chikara, competing in numerous other independent promotions across North America and Japan, further solidifying his reputation.
2.2. World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE)
Jonathan Huber's career in WWE as Luke Harper was marked by his distinctive character and a series of impactful alliances and championships, particularly within The Wyatt Family and The Bludgeon Brothers.
2.2.1. Developmental (FCW & NXT)
On March 12, 2012, reports confirmed that Huber had signed a developmental contract with WWE. He made his debut for WWE's developmental territory, Florida Championship Wrestling (FCW), at a house show on May 18, performing under the new ring name Luke Harper.
When FCW was rebranded as NXT in August, Harper made his televised debut on the November 7 episode of NXT. He was introduced as a follower of Bray Wyatt, who proclaimed Harper as the "first son" of The Wyatt Family. The Wyatt Family soon expanded to include Wyatt's "second son," Erick Rowan, with whom Harper formed a formidable tag team. Their first match together on the January 9, 2013, episode of NXT saw them defeat Percy Watson and Yoshi Tatsu. On the January 23 episode of NXT, Harper and Rowan again defeated Watson and Tatsu in the opening round of the inaugural NXT Tag Team Championship tournament. Following a semi-final win against Bo Dallas and Michael McGillicutty, aided by Wyatt's interference, Harper and Rowan were ultimately defeated in the tournament finals by Adrian Neville and Oliver Grey.
Harper secured a singles victory over Neville on the March 20 episode of NXT. On the May 2 episode of NXT, Harper and Rowan won a triple threat elimination tag match by last pinning Neville. On the May 8 episode of NXT, Harper and Rowan defeated Adrian Neville and Bo Dallas (who was filling in for the injured Grey) to capture the NXT Tag Team Championship. After successfully defending the title against Corey Graves and Kassius Ohno on the June 5 episode of NXT, Harper and Rowan lost the NXT Tag Team Championship to Adrian Neville and Corey Graves on the July 17 episode of NXT.
2.2.2. The Wyatt Family (2012-2014)
From the May 27 episode of Raw, WWE began airing vignettes promoting the upcoming debut of The Wyatt Family on the main roster. These vignettes depicted The Wyatt Family's backwoods origins and mysterious nature. On the July 8 episode of Raw, The Wyatt Family made their impactful debut by assaulting Kane.
Harper made his WWE main roster in-ring debut on the July 26 episode of SmackDown, where he and Rowan defeated Tons of Funk (Brodus Clay and Tensai). Over the next few months, Harper and Rowan built a significant winning streak against various tag teams, until Cody Rhodes and Goldust handed them their first loss on the October 11 episode of SmackDown. In November, The Wyatt Family initiated a rivalry with CM Punk and Daniel Bryan leading up to Survivor Series on November 24, where Harper and Rowan were defeated by Punk and Bryan in a tag team match. The following month at TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs on December 15, The Wyatt Family collectively defeated Bryan in a 3-on-1 handicap match.
At the Royal Rumble on January 26, 2014, Harper competed in his first Royal Rumble match, where he eliminated two other participants before being eliminated by Roman Reigns. Shortly thereafter, The Wyatt Family began a high-profile feud with The Shield (Dean Ambrose, Roman Reigns, and Seth Rollins), which culminated in a match between the teams at Elimination Chamber on February 23, which The Wyatt Family won. During this period, Harper and Rowan also supported Bray Wyatt in his feud with John Cena through WrestleMania XXX on April 6. Concurrently, Harper and Rowan started their own feud with the WWE Tag Team Champions The Usos (Jey Uso and Jimmy Uso), who were aligned with Cena. Harper and Rowan unsuccessfully challenged The Usos for the WWE Tag Team Championship at both Money in the Bank on June 29 and Battleground on July 20.
2.2.3. Intercontinental Champion (2014-2015)
Beginning on September 29, vignettes aired showing Harper and Rowan being "set free" by Wyatt, signifying the initial dissolution of The Wyatt Family and the transition of its members into singles competition. After a series of video vignettes targeting Dolph Ziggler, Harper made his return to television during the closing moments of the November 10 episode of Raw, throwing an unconscious Ziggler at Triple H and Stephanie McMahon's feet and expressing his desire to join their team at Survivor Series on November 23. The following week on Raw, Harper officially joined Team Authority. Immediately afterwards, Harper was awarded an impromptu match for the Intercontinental Championship against Dolph Ziggler. With interference from Seth Rollins, Harper won the match, capturing his first main roster title. At Survivor Series, Team Authority lost the match, with Harper being eliminated by Ziggler.
As a consequence of his affiliation with The Authority, Harper was compelled to defend the Intercontinental Championship against Dean Ambrose on the November 24 episode of Raw, successfully retaining the title by intentionally getting himself disqualified. Harper subsequently lost the title back to Ziggler in a ladder match at TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs on December 14, ending his reign at 27 days. He failed to regain the title in a rematch on the December 22 episode of Raw.
On January 25, 2015, Harper entered the Royal Rumble match at number 4, and was eliminated by Bray Wyatt. In early March, Harper became involved in a storyline where he was one of many wrestlers stealing Bad News Barrett's Intercontinental Championship belt from Barrett and from each other. This led to a seven-man ladder match for the title on March 29 at WrestleMania 31, which was won by Daniel Bryan. The match also sparked a new feud between Harper and Dean Ambrose (who was also a participant in the ladder match), with Harper losing a Chicago Street Fight against Ambrose at Extreme Rules on April 26. On the April 27 episode of Raw, Harper participated in the 2015 King of the Ring tournament, but was eliminated by Neville in the first round.
2.2.4. Return of The Wyatt Family (2015-2017)
In early May 2015, Harper revived his alliance with Erick Rowan. However, after Rowan suffered an injury, Harper reunited with Bray Wyatt on July 19 at Battleground by helping him defeat Roman Reigns. This led to a tag team match between Harper and Wyatt against Roman Reigns and Dean Ambrose at SummerSlam on August 23, which they lost after Reigns pinned Wyatt. The following night on Raw, Braun Strowman joined Harper and Wyatt as the new member of The Wyatt Family. At Night of Champions on September 20, The Wyatt Family defeated Reigns, Ambrose, and Chris Jericho in a six-man tag team match. On the October 19 episode of Raw, Erick Rowan returned to The Wyatt Family, filling in for Harper who was absent for personal reasons.
The Wyatt Family then became embroiled in a feud with The Brothers of Destruction (The Undertaker and Kane), which culminated in a tag team match on November 22 at Survivor Series, where Undertaker and Kane defeated Harper and Wyatt. The next night on Raw, Harper teamed with Wyatt again to defeat The Dudley Boyz, sparking a new feud. Over the subsequent weeks, Tommy Dreamer and Rhyno joined The Dudley Boyz in the rivalry, leading to an eight-man tag team tables match at TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs on December 13, where Harper, Wyatt, Rowan, and Strowman emerged victorious. On January 24, 2016, Harper competed in the Royal Rumble with his fellow Wyatt Family members, initially being eliminated by Brock Lesnar, but later returning to the ring with The Wyatt Family to collectively eliminate Lesnar. Harper and Wyatt were defeated by Lesnar in a 2-on-1 handicap match at the Roadblock event on March 12.
On March 21, Harper suffered a knee injury during an untelevised match on Raw, which sidelined him for an estimated five to six months. An MRI revealed that he had dislocated his patella and tore his medial patellofemoral ligament. Due to his injury, Harper was not drafted to either Raw or SmackDown in the 2016 WWE draft.
Harper returned to the ring on October 5, teaming unsuccessfully with Kevin Owens against Sami Zayn and Seth Rollins at a house show in Santiago, Chile. Four days later, Harper made his return to televised WWE programming at the SmackDown brand pay-per-view No Mercy on October 9, helping Bray Wyatt defeat Randy Orton by distracting Orton. On December 4 at TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs, Wyatt and Orton, who had recently joined The Wyatt Family, captured the SmackDown Tag Team Championship. Three days later, it was announced that Harper had also been sanctioned as champion, making him eligible to defend the title under the Freebird Rule. The Wyatt Family, represented by Harper and Orton, lost the SmackDown Tag Team Championship to American Alpha (Chad Gable and Jason Jordan) in a four-way elimination match on the December 27 episode of SmackDown Live. After the match, Harper and Orton showed visible tension over the loss.
After Wyatt and Orton unsuccessfully challenged American Alpha for the title on the January 10, 2017, episode of SmackDown Live, Harper and Orton shoved each other, leading to Harper accidentally superkicking Wyatt. Harper and Orton continued to have problems with each other, culminating in a match between the two on the January 24 episode of SmackDown Live, which Orton won. Following the match, Wyatt attacked Harper with the Sister Abigail, formally separating him from the group.
At the Royal Rumble on January 29, Harper entered the Royal Rumble match at number 25, immediately attacking both Wyatt and Orton and eliminating Apollo Crews, before ultimately being eliminated by Goldberg. On the January 31 episode of SmackDown Live, Harper turned face after helping WWE Champion John Cena in his confrontation with Orton and Wyatt. At Elimination Chamber on February 12, Harper was defeated by Orton. Shortly after this, Harper unsuccessfully faced AJ Styles for the number one contendership for the WWE Championship, held by Wyatt. At the WrestleMania 33 pre-show on April 2, Harper participated in the André the Giant Memorial Battle Royal, from which he was eliminated by Titus O'Neil.
Following WrestleMania, Harper feuded with the returning Erick Rowan, leading to a match at Backlash on May 21, which Harper won. On the July 4 episode of SmackDown Live, Harper took part in the Independence Day Battle Royal to determine the number one contender for the United States Championship. He failed to win as the match was eventually won by AJ Styles. After this, Harper disappeared from WWE television for several months.
2.2.5. Bludgeon Brothers (2017-2018)
On the October 10 episode of SmackDown Live, returning as a heel character, Harper reappeared in a vignette where he was once again aligned with Erick Rowan. The duo was rebranded as "The Bludgeon Brothers", with Harper's ring name shortened to simply "Harper". Their new persona involved carrying large wooden mallets to the ring, with a look that drew apparent comparisons to Demolition, a prominent tag team from WWE in the 1980s. The team wrestled their return match on the November 21 episode of SmackDown Live, defeating The Hype Bros (Zack Ryder and Mojo Rawley). At Clash of Champions on December 17, The Bludgeon Brothers defeated Breezango (Fandango and Tyler Breeze) in a squash match.
Entering 2018, The Bludgeon Brothers began to intensely target the reigning SmackDown Tag Team Champions The Usos (Jey Uso and Jimmy Uso), as well as their rivals The New Day (Kofi Kingston, Big E, and Xavier Woods). On March 11, 2018, The Bludgeon Brothers made an appearance at Fastlane, interfering during the SmackDown Tag Team Championship match between The Usos and The New Day. This interference directly led to a Triple Threat tag team championship match between the three teams at WrestleMania 34, where The Bludgeon Brothers emerged victorious, capturing the titles.
They successfully defended their championships against The Usos at the Greatest Royal Rumble event, against Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson at Money in the Bank, and against Team Hell No (Daniel Bryan and Kane) at Extreme Rules. The Bludgeon Brothers faced The New Day in a championship defense at SummerSlam but lost by disqualification, resulting in them retaining the titles. Two nights later, on the August 21 episode of SmackDown Live, The New Day defeated The Bludgeon Brothers in a no disqualification match to win the championships, ending their reign at 135 days. The following day, it was announced that Rowan had suffered a torn right bicep, sidelining him indefinitely and placing the team on hiatus.
2.2.6. Sporadic Appearances and Departure (2018-2019)
Harper made a surprise appearance at an NXT house show on September 6, 2018, where he unsuccessfully challenged Ricochet for the NXT North American Championship. Soon after, Harper took time off to undergo surgery for a wrist injury. On March 9, 2019, Harper returned to in-ring action, defeating Mojo Rawley at a house show in his hometown of Rochester. He made his televised return at WrestleMania Axxess, defeating Dominik Dijakovic, which aired as part of the WWE Worlds Collide special. Following that, he competed in the André the Giant Memorial Battle Royal at the WrestleMania 35 pre-show, but failed to win as he was eliminated by Braun Strowman.
After WrestleMania, Harper wrestled against EC3 in a dark match before an episode of SmackDown. It was reported that WWE chairman Vince McMahon disliked the match, leading to the cancellation of creative plans for Harper, including a potential feud with Sami Zayn. Consequently, on April 16, Harper requested his release from WWE, as he had yet to appear on weekly television. His request was denied by McMahon. Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter later reported that Harper's contract, originally set to expire in November 2019, had been extended by WWE for an additional six months to account for time missed due to injury. In mid-July, it was reported that Harper had returned to traveling with the roster, having been absent from events since requesting his release.
At the Clash of Champions pay-per-view event on September 15, Luke Harper made his televised return to WWE programming by attacking Roman Reigns during Reigns' match with Harper's former partner, Erick Rowan. On the following episode of SmackDown Live, Harper ambushed Daniel Bryan after a confrontation with Rowan, only to be interrupted by Reigns, whom Harper and Rowan also laid out. At Hell in a Cell, Harper and Rowan were defeated by Reigns and Bryan in a tag team match. As part of the 2019 draft, Erick Rowan was drafted to Raw, effectively disbanding the team. Harper's last televised match in WWE was in a battle royal at the Crown Jewel event on October 31, which he lost. On November 26, he filed a trademark for Brodie Lee, his former wrestling ring name. On December 8, it was officially announced that Harper had been released from his WWE contract.
2.3. All Elite Wrestling (AEW)
Huber made his highly anticipated surprise debut for All Elite Wrestling (AEW) on the March 18, 2020, episode of Dynamite, reverting to his iconic Brodie Lee ring name. He was dramatically revealed as "The Exalted One", the previously unseen and anonymous leader of the villainous faction The Dark Order. Upon his debut, he immediately attacked SoCal Uncensored alongside the other members of his group, establishing his dominant presence.
After remaining undefeated for several weeks, Lee suffered his first loss in AEW against Jon Moxley in a match for the AEW World Championship at Double or Nothing on May 23. Over the following months, Lee successfully recruited new members into The Dark Order, including notable additions like Colt Cabana and Anna Jay. On the August 22 episode of Dynamite, Lee swiftly defeated Cody to capture the AEW TNT Championship, marking a significant milestone in his AEW career. He successfully defended the TNT Championship against Cody and Orange Cassidy on the September 9 and 23 episodes of Dynamite, respectively. Following his match against Cassidy, Cody returned and challenged Lee to a dog collar match for the TNT Championship. On the October 7 episode of Dynamite, Cody reclaimed the championship, ending Lee's reign at 55 days (46 days as recognized by AEW due to tape delay). This match would tragically mark Lee's final professional wrestling appearance, as he subsequently went on hiatus due to an undisclosed injury, which was later revealed to be idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.
3. Professional Wrestling Style and Persona
Jonathan Huber's wrestling style was often described as a compelling blend of "blending power moves with deceptive agility" and being "pioneering a new wave of athletic giants". He cited established wrestling legends such as Jake Roberts, Rick Rude, and Big Show as his primary influences, reflecting his versatile approach to in-ring performance.
Throughout his career, Huber adopted several distinct wrestling gimmicks and personas:
- His original independent circuit gimmick, "The Right Stuff" Brodie Lee, was characterized by Huber as him "just having fun". Despite his significant size as a heavyweight, he humorously claimed to be a "cruiserweight".
- Upon his debut in WWE as Luke Harper, he became an integral part of The Wyatt Family, a cult-like faction led by the enigmatic Bray Wyatt. According to Huber, WWE chairman Vince McMahon envisioned Harper as a hillbilly and specifically requested him to speak with a Southern-like drawl. After the faction's initial split, Huber, desiring a run as a singles competitor, pitched several new gimmick ideas to McMahon, such as a "collector" who took trophies from his defeated opponents and an "intelligent monster" who would eloquently articulate his intentions to hurt his rivals. However, these ideas were consistently rejected by McMahon and WWE creative.
- Harper later reunited with his former Wyatt Family teammate Erick Rowan to form the tag team known as The Bludgeon Brothers. This duo was characterized by their menacing appearance and the wooden mallets they carried to the ring, with their aesthetic apparently modeled after Demolition, a dominant tag team from the 1980s WWE era.
- After joining AEW in March 2020, Huber reverted to his pre-WWE name of Brodie Lee, adding the prefix "Mr." to his persona. He was dramatically unveiled as "The Exalted One", the previously anonymous leader of The Dark Order stable. In this role, he adopted the gimmick of a suit-wearing corporate executive who vehemently denied allegations that The Dark Order was a cult. His character often harshly punished his disciples for petty transgressions, reflecting a tyrannical leadership style. This character frequently drew comparisons to Vince McMahon due to similarities in their on-screen traits, such as an aversion to people sneezing in his presence. However, Huber himself denied these comparisons, stating that his character was instead inspired by mafia films.
4. Signature Moves
Jonathan Huber was renowned for his unique blend of power and agility, which was reflected in his diverse set of signature moves.
4.1. Finishing Moves
- Discus Clothesline: This was Huber's primary and most impactful finishing maneuver. It involved a spinning clothesline delivered with immense force, often leading to immediate match conclusions.
- Brodie Bomb: Used as a finisher during his independent circuit career, this was a running sitout powerbomb.
- Trunk Stop: This spinning side slam was Huber's finishing move upon his debut in NXT but later transitioned into a frequently used setup or standard maneuver.
4.2. Standard Moves
Huber's array of standard moves showcased his versatility and strength, effectively complementing his finishing techniques:
- Suplex and Superplex
- Michinoku Driver: Often employed as a counter against charging opponents.
- Gator Roll: A modified neckbreaker.
- Package Piledriver
- Gutwrench Powerbomb
- Chokeslam
- Reverse Full Nelson Belly-to-Back Suplex
- Backdrop
- Half Nelson Suplex
4.3. Striking Moves
Huber's striking repertoire was varied and effective:
- Elbow strikes, including Elbow Stamp and Elbow Smash.
- European Uppercut
- Back Elbow
- Backhand Chop
- Headbutt
- Clothesline
- Big Boot: Executed as a standard strike, a running attack, or a counter.
- Superkick
- Knuckle Punch: Including standard punches and a hell poke-style variation.
- Hammer Punch
4.4. Flying Moves
Despite his large stature, Huber was surprisingly agile and capable of executing high-flying maneuvers:
- Suicide Dive
- Tope Atomico
5. Entrance Themes
Throughout his professional wrestling career, Jonathan Huber utilized various entrance music themes that corresponded to his different ring names and evolving gimmicks:
- "You Got It (The Right Stuff)" (Independent circuit, as Brodie Lee)
- "God's Gonna Cut You Down" (Independent circuit, as Brodie Lee)
- "Live in Fear" (WWE, as Luke Harper, while part of The Wyatt Family)
- "Swamp Gas" (WWE, as Luke Harper, during his singles run)
- "Brotherhood" (WWE, as Harper, while part of The Bludgeon Brothers)
- "He Is Exalted" (AEW, as Mr. Brodie Lee, leading The Dark Order)
6. Other Media
Beyond his in-ring career, Jonathan Huber also engaged in various activities in other media, including appearances in film, television, and video games.
6.1. Film and Television
- In 2017, Huber appeared as Pitchfork Perry in an episode of the period drama series Damnation.
- In 2018, he played the character Lachlan Allsopp in the action-horror film Mohawk.
6.2. Video Games
Under his Luke Harper name, he was featured as a playable character in several professional wrestling video games:
- WWE 2K15
- WWE 2K16
- WWE 2K17
- WWE 2K18
- WWE 2K19
- WWE 2K20
He was also included as a legend character in AEW Fight Forever under his Mr. Brodie Lee name.
7. Personal Life
Jonathan Huber was married to Amanda, a fellow professional wrestler who previously performed under the name Synndy Synn. They married in 2011, though some sources indicate their marriage may have occurred in 2008. Together, they had two sons named Brodie and Nolan. Following Huber's death, his eldest son, Brodie, was signed to AEW at the age of eight and became an honorary member of his father's faction, The Dark Order. AEW publicly stated that Brodie could begin performing for the company professionally when he reached adulthood, if he chose to do so.
Huber was also a devoted fan of sports, with particular affinity for the then-Washington Redskins (now the Washington Commanders) in American football and the Toronto Maple Leafs in ice hockey.
8. Death
On December 26, 2020, Jonathan Huber died at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida, just 10 days after his 41st birthday. His widow, Amanda, revealed that he had been receiving treatment for a serious lung issue at the clinic since late October. Despite some fan speculation at the time, his condition was unrelated to the COVID-19 pandemic; Huber had tested negative for the virus multiple times. He had been moved to the intensive care unit in late October as his condition worsened. In January 2021, on the AEW Unrestricted podcast, Amanda confirmed that Huber had died from idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, a rare and incurable condition that causes lung tissue to continuously thicken until the lungs can no longer function.
9. Legacy and Tributes
Following Jonathan Huber's death, the global professional wrestling community and his fellow performers expressed widespread mourning and an outpouring of tributes. Numerous wrestlers and personalities shared previously untold stories, many of which highlighted a consistent theme of Huber's unwavering devotion to his wife and children, and his consistent efforts to guide and support other wrestlers throughout their careers.
His former Wyatt Family teammates were among those who paid heartfelt tributes: Bray Wyatt referred to Huber as his "best friend, brother, [and] partner", while Erick Rowan stated that Huber "meant more to [him] than he will ever know". Braun Strowman remembered Huber as "one of the most unselfish men [he had] ever met and an amazing husband and father". Cody Rhodes, against whom Huber wrestled his final match, described the encounter as "an honor and a privilege and an experience so ferociously humbling". Big E, who was particularly close with Huber and his son Brodie, and who was present alongside Rhodes with Amanda when Brodie was informed of his father's death, emphasized how the entire professional wrestling industry united in mourning. Big E remarked on the strong sense of brotherhood within the industry, stating, "I feel a real brotherhood. In that I have so many guys that I've worked with, who hit me up, who cried with me, who reached out to me, and that's beautiful. It really made me think, 'Man, we have something special in our industry.'" After many stories about Huber had been widely shared, Randy Orton affirmed, "You all have heard about how much we all respected [Huber], about how much we all enjoyed his presence. It is a fact."
WWE paid tribute to Huber across its programming:
- The December 28, 2020, episode of WWE Raw, the December 30 episode of WWE NXT, and the January 1, 2021, episode of WWE SmackDown all opened with an "In Memory of Jon Huber ('Luke Harper')" graphic.
- Performers and commentators on Raw paid tribute by subtly incorporating some of Huber's catchphrases. Commentator Tom Phillips welcomed viewers with "it's Monday, you know what that means," and WWE Champion Drew McIntyre began his promo by stating "it's Monday and you know what that means [...] yeah, yeah, yeah". Xavier Woods, wearing an armband with "Brodie" written on it, performed Huber's signature taunt and finishing move during an eight-man tag team match.
- Over the subsequent week, WWE uploaded videos featuring various wrestlers honoring and sharing their memories of Huber. On January 11, The New Day (Big E, Kofi Kingston, and Xavier Woods) dedicated their Feel the Power podcast to Huber, which also featured Cesaro, Tyler Breeze, and Erick Rowan speaking about Huber; a video version of the podcast was made available on the WWE Network.
- On January 12, the WWE Network added a new entry to their Best of WWE series titled "Best of Luke Harper," an anthology showcasing several of Huber's matches in WWE, which also included comments from wrestlers involved in those matches.
- At the 2021 Royal Rumble, The New Day wore custom ring gear honoring Huber, later auctioning off the gear with all proceeds benefiting Foodlink, a non-profit food bank based in Huber's hometown of Rochester.
- At WrestleMania 37 in April 2021, Bray Wyatt (who had largely been off television since before Huber's death) honored Huber by shouting Huber's "yeah, yeah, yeah" catchphrase during his match. Wyatt himself later died from a heart attack on August 24, 2023, at the age of 36, leaving Rowan as the only surviving original Wyatt Family member.
AEW also conducted extensive tributes:
- The 236th episode of The Young Bucks' YouTube series Being The Elite (BTE) was titled "Brodie", featuring a compilation of Lee's BTE appearances. The following episode was titled "Tribute", featuring behind-the-scenes clips from his Celebration of Life memorial show. Since then, a painting of Huber has been a permanent fixture in The Dark Order's usual meeting room for their segments on BTE. The Dark Order members also continue to frequently wear Brodie Lee shirts and "RIP Brodie" armbands.
- The December 30 episode of AEW Dynamite was a special episode titled "Brodie Lee Celebration of Life". It featured matches and segments with fellow wrestlers honoring and paying tribute to Huber and his family. Every match on the card featured members of Huber's faction, The Dark Order. The memorial show began with the entire AEW roster on stage and commentator Jim Ross saying, "It's Wednesday and you know what that means", followed by a ten-bell salute. In the middle of the show, Huber's former long-time WWE tag team partner Erick Rowan, now using the name Erick Redbeard, made a surprise AEW debut and held up a sign which read, "Goodbye for now, my brother. See you down the road." At the end of the show, Huber's widow and son left his wrestling boots and a purple bandana in the middle of the ring. As Huber was a former TNT Champion, AEW retired the red strap version of the title belt that had been used up to that point in honor of Huber, and AEW President and CEO Tony Khan presented the belt to Huber's son Brodie, stating that Lee's son was "TNT Champion for life". Khan also regarded Huber as the greatest TNT Champion. A tribute video set to "Ol' '55" by Tom Waits closed the show. Khan publicly stated that he purchased the rights to the song in perpetuity "so the tribute will last forever". AEW has since adopted "it's Wednesday night, (and) you know what that means" as the standard introduction for episodes of AEW Dynamite, as a further tribute to Huber.
- In January 2024, with AEW's return to Daily's Place in Jacksonville, Florida for the two-part Homecoming special (a venue where Huber was a prominent figure for AEW during the COVID-19 pandemic), AEW again paid tribute to Huber, airing a video package during the event and featuring three multi-person tag team matches with current and former members of The Dark Order.
- During the tribute show, Pro Wrestling Tees' Shop AEW store released a T-shirt in memory of Lee with all proceeds benefiting The Huber Family. In less than two hours, it set a new record for most shirts sold within 24 hours, surpassing Sting's previous record. In just under four hours, it became the highest-selling T-shirt of 2020, breaking Orange Cassidy's previous record.
Other promotions and media also paid tribute:
- Night 1 of New Japan Pro-Wrestling's Wrestle Kingdom 15 started with commentator Kevin Kelly saying "it's January 4th, you know what that means" and dedicating the broadcast to Lee.
- In March 2021, wrestling journalist Dave Meltzer presented the Shad Gaspard/Jon Huber Memorial Award, named after Huber and fellow wrestler Shad Gaspard (who died in May 2020 while saving his young son from drowning). This award is dedicated to individuals involved in professional wrestling who make positive contributions to society.
- In August 2021, CM Punk revealed that Huber's death, and the respectful secrecy with which his illness was kept within the AEW locker room, significantly inspired him to end his seven-year hiatus from wrestling, which began due to his disillusionment with WWE.
- Bryan Danielson also spoke about how the Brodie Lee Tribute Show helped inspire him to sign for AEW.
- In September 2021, one week after winning the WWE Championship, Big E celebrated with The New Day and thanked the fans for their support and from "one incredible friend above," prompting fans to chant Huber's ring name.
10. Championships and Accomplishments
Jonathan Huber accumulated numerous championships and accomplishments throughout his professional wrestling career:
- Alpha-1 Wrestling
- A1 Zero Gravity Championship (1 time)
- All Elite Wrestling
- AEW TNT Championship (1 time)
- Jersey All Pro Wrestling
- JAPW Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- JAPW New Jersey State Championship (1 time)
- JAPW Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Necro Butcher
- Next Era Wrestling
- NEW Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- NWA Empire
- NWA Empire Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- NWA Mississippi
- NWA Southern Television Championship (1 time)
- Pro Wrestling Illustrated
- Ranked No. 24 of the top 500 singles wrestlers in the PWI 500 in 2015
- Rochester Pro Wrestling/NWA Upstate/NWA New York
- NWA Upstate Kayfabe Dojo Championship (1 time)
- NWA Upstate/NWA New York Heavyweight Championship (3 times)
- RPW Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Freddie Midnight
- RPW/NWA Upstate Television Championship (1 time)
- Squared Circle Wrestling
- 2CW Heavyweight Championship (2 times)
- World of Hurt Wrestling
- WOHW United States Championship (3 times)
- Wrestling Observer Newsletter
- Best Gimmick (2013) - as part of The Wyatt Family
- WWE
- WWE Intercontinental Championship (1 time)
- WWE SmackDown Tag Team Championship (2 times) - with Bray Wyatt and Randy Orton (1) (defended under the Freebird Rule) and Rowan (1)
- NXT Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Erick Rowan
- Slammy Award (1 time)
- Match of the Year (2014) - Team Cena vs. Team Authority at Survivor Series