Hello and good day to you all. Today, I bring to you a list of 15 matches in tribute to Jon Huber’s life & career, otherwise known by his ring names Brodie Lee & Luke Harper. RIP.
#1: vs. Claudio Castagnoli (Cesaro) – CHIKARA Steel Cage
We need no introduction because UltraMantis Black does a stellar job of hyping this epic steel cage match between two of the strongest guys in CHIKARA history. Encounters like these helped to get Brodie Lee & Cesaro on the radar of bigger promotions. Some find it a little difficult to get in to, but I promise it picks up if you stick with it. Also, watch out for the ending! This was four years before Brodie Lee signed a WWE contract.
#2: w/ Erick Rowan vs. Adrian Neville & Bo Dallas – NXT Tag Team Championship
It proved difficult to find some of his most prolific matches. 2013 was the year to introduce a little stable we all came to know and love called The Wyatt Family. Now going by the name Luke Harper, he joined Erick Rowan in a tournament to crown the first-ever NXT Tag Team Champions. British Ambition’s Adrian Neville & Oliver Grey defeated them in the final, but it did not deter them from pursuing their goal.
After earning a title shot, Harper claimed his first title in WWE when they defeated Neville & Bo Dallas (who replaced an injured Oliver Grey). It pleased their leader Bray Wyatt and set Harper on the road to a successful career after a decade of hard graft on the independent scene. Fast forward to the 27:50 mark for The Wyatt Family’s entrance.
#3: The Wyatt Family vs. The Shield – Elimination Chamber 2014
When anyone brings up the stories of The Wyatt Family & The Shield, this is the match they point you too. There was an unbelievable amount of hype and expectancy as these stables were red hot and had unmatched chemistry. I’ll go on record to say it was the best WWE tag team match of the last decade. There were no championships on the line, but the winner could lay claim to the title of most dominant stable in WWE. And Luke Harper played a huge role because he was the hardest worker in The Wyatt Family.
There is no chance this would’ve been as great without his work rate matching the pace of Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose. Erick Rowan brought the power, and Bray Wyatt the character, but Luke Harper needed to be their front gunner. He was the veteran helping to piece these matches together, and I knew back then he would be special so long as he was given the opportunities.
#4: The Wyatt Family vs. The Shield II – Raw (3/3/2014)
Apologies for the quality, but there aren’t many videos out there. Some say this was better than the original, while others don’t share that opinion, but it’s nice they could have this rematch on free TV for anyone who didn’t see the PPV. You can feel The Shield’s urgency right out the gate, and who shows up to slow their momentum? Luke Harper.
Again, he carries his team forward by covering up for their weaknesses. The Wyatt Family were not the most athletic, but they knew how to dictate the pace, keep fresh, and take advantage of other’s mistakes. They had solidarity because Luke Harper and Erick Rowan were loyal to their leader, while The Shield struggled to keep the peace between him and his brothers. Sadly, this was as high as the stable ever got.
#5: w/ Erick Rowan vs. The Usos – 2 Out Of 3 Falls at Battleground 2014
The Usos had the best chemistry with Luke Harper & Erick Rowan. As you can see during this tag team title contest, Harper takes on more of a leadership role when Wyatt isn’t around. He keeps Rowan’s emotions in check and dictates how they go about their business. It quickly became obvious that he was essential to the teams success.
Harper spent the majority of the match as their front gunner once again, tagging in Rowan when in need of a break. The fans loved this 2 out of 3 falls match so much, which ironically stole the show as the PPV’s opener. Harper & Rowan made the champions look amazing here.
#6: vs. Dolph Ziggler – Intercontinental Championship on Raw (11/17/2014)
A career defining match does not need to be a 4 to 6 star classic. In some cases, they can be short and to the point. After spending much of the previous two years in a team with Rowan, WWE gave Luke Harper a much deserved singles push. And during yet another IC title reign for Dolph Ziggler, The Authority didn’t appreciate his attitude and wanted someone else to be champion.
Like always, Luke Harper took advantage of others misfortune by making quick work of Ziggler; with a ton of help from The Authority. It didn’t matter to him or his fans though, because he had earned his first singles title victory. And while it is travesty his reign only lasted a few weeks, no one can ever take away the fact he is on the list of Intercontinental Champions.
#7: vs. Dolph Ziggler – IC Championship Ladder Match at TLC 2014
This is a strange one because no matter how hard I looked, I could only find it with Spanish commentary. So if you do want to see it in its entirety there are plenty of options, otherwise the following is a highlights package with background music and no commentary.
Again, Luke Harper opened the show and tore the house down with his opponent, as he & Ziggler fought in a brutal ladder match for the Intercontinental Championship. There are some scary spots that could have gone horribly wrong, but they both come out of it unscathed. When you look at Harper’s WWE match statistics, he lost more than half the matches he worked, but he always found a way to get himself and others over in defeat.
#8: vs. Randy Orton – Elimination Chamber 2017
In 2015 & 2016, Luke Harper spent much of it in the shadow of others. First off, he teamed with Rowan outside The Wyatt Family, but after Rowan picked up an injury he quickly showed loyalty to his former leader again. The Wyatt Family spent the next two years morphing, as the new ‘Black Sheep’ Braun Strowman joined and left, then Randy Orton found his way in too. So unlike the previous incarnation of the family, Harper struggled to keep his position as Bray Wyatt’s right-hand man.
When the family fell apart again, WWE scheduled a match between Harper and Orton for Elimination Chamber and it felt like his biggest match to date. Some fans felt like he needed the win to prove to the world he could be taken seriously on his own. Sadly, I could only find the highlights, but I remember it being an excellent back-and-forth between these two men. Fast forward to the 16:00 mark for an encounter which will surely go down in history as a classic.
#9: w/ Erick Rowan vs. The New Day vs. The Usos – SmackDown Tag Team Championship at WrestleMania 34
Another highlights package with no commentary (including sped up footage). After failing in his pursuit of the United States Championship, Harper spent a few months off TV. Upon his return, Harper & Rowan were repackaged as The Bludgeon Brothers.
And boy, did they make an impactful statement at WrestleMania 34 against The New Day and The Usos! In a match lasting just short of six minutes, the reformed Bludgeon Brothers saw to it that they would enjoy their biggest WrestleMania moment together. Highlights begin at 18:36
#10: vs. Dominick Dijakovic – Worlds Collide (NXT vs. NXT Alumni)
In April 2019, WWE’s NXT brand brought back the concept of Worlds Collide for a series of shows. I remember watching the first event oblivious to who Dijakovic’s opponent would be (Dijakovic is now T-Barr of Retribution). Harper had been out for five months after getting surgery for a wrist injury, so it was a wonderful surprise when his music hit.
Listen to the Harper chants from the NXT fans! They were so happy to see him return to the brand he & The Wyatt Family helped to build. His wife and kids were there too, so he gave her a kiss beforehand. It’s a great match! Seriously, give it a watch if you never saw it because it may surprise you.
#11: w/ Erick Rowan vs. Daniel Bryan & Roman Reigns – Hell in a Cell 2019
Probably the last great tag match with his long-time partner Erick Rowan came in the form of tornado rules against Daniel Bryan & Roman Reigns. You have to remember this came right after an entertaining Hell in a Cell between Sasha Banks and Becky Lynch, so it would not be easy for them. I love tornado rules matches because they lack any structure and both teams can do whatever they want. Many critics stated the first two matches were the peak of this PPV, and it all went downhill from there. How many times did Luke Harper help WWE PPVs with great opening matches? There’s a definite pattern. Yep, it’s another highlights package. Match begins at 4:54.
The Bludgeon Brothers disbanded when Rowan was drafted to Raw, and Luke Harper struggled to find airtime for the rest of his WWE career. There was some clear friction between him and management (or Vince McMahon himself?). It was reported that WWE felt he wasn’t good enough to be at the top level, and it was in fact Rowan who enjoyed a huge push in a program with Roman Reigns. Here are some reports from the time:
Update On Luke Harper’s Contract Status, Unhappy with WWE
Luke Harper: “WWE Threatened to Fine Me Over Twitter Bio!”
Arn Anderson: “Luke Harper Isn’t Utilized Right by WWE!”
#12: vs. Jon Moxley – AEW Double or Nothing 2020
After the start of the coronavirus pandemic, Brodie Lee debuted with AEW as the leader of The Dark Order stable. He demanded his followers call him “Mr. Brodie Lee”, as he treated his minions like Vince McMahon would his employees (like getting upset when someone sneezes in front of him). Let’s not sugarcoat this, it was clearly a gimmick mocking his former boss, but he found time to show some compassion. Colt Cabana for example, accepted an invitation to the Dark Order because of how nice Brodie Lee was toward him, as they helped him to pick up wins after a rocky start to his AEW career. Brodie despised suck ups or idiots though, and would castigate his followers if they were not adhering to his direction. He also recruited young upstarts like Anna Jay who had such little experience, but he saw potential in her.
In stark contrast to WWE, AEW took a guy who struggled to find any airtime and worked around the way rankings work to get Jon Moxley to challenge him to an AEW World Championship title match. And yeah, it wasn’t cool that AEW was giving away title shots without them being earned, but I believe we accepted the exception because it was Brodie Lee. He wasn’t about to become champion right away, but having time in the main event told anyone who was unfamiliar that he was a big deal. Moxley’s title reign had suffered somewhat since the pandemic began, and I believe this match helped to get it back on track. Their chemistry from The Wyatt Family & Shield days had not dissipated.
#13: w/ The Dark Order vs. FTR & The Elite – AEW Dynamite (7/30/2020)
It’s a crazy match with so much going on, but shows The Dark Order’s potential. It was rare for Brodie to team up with several of his followers in this way, as he usually stood back in a managerial role unless it was more of a two versus two. But on this day he lead the charge, like he previously had with The Wyatt Family, against the tag team FTR and four of The Elite.
I am sure it will be a match to remember for Dark Order and AEW fans, solely because Brodie Lee lead five of his followers in to battle. There would’ve been way more to come in 2021. If The Dark Order is to continue, Evil Uno & Stu Grayson will have to take over and be what Lee wanted them to be. In Lee’s last appearance on BTE, he gave John Silver his seal of approval.
#14: vs. Cody Rhodes – TNT Championship on Dynamite (8/13/2020)
I loved this match because it came out of nowhere! It reminds me a little of when he beat Dolph Ziggler for the Intercontinental Championship, only this time it was all him. Brodie Lee didn’t need any help from nobody, as he brutalized Cody from start to finish. I was legit shocked at the outcome, because I was expecting a very competitive contest. Cody spent some time away after this to recover from an injury.
It was vindication for Brodie, after spending many years of his life struggling to break through the glass ceiling. As he said to Tony Schiavone, this Brodie Lee was created because of executives like him. He finally reached the top and the power was his. We were lucky to see Brodie finally get time in the spotlight in the way he wanted. No longer in anybody’s shadow.
#15: vs. Cody Rhodes – TNT Championship Dog Collar Match on Dynamite (10/7/2020)
In his last-ever match, Brodie Lee did what he did best, he put another guy over better than anyone. And we knew nothing about it at the time, but it was because of his condition that he needed to relinquish the title. It’s common for wrestlers to be written off, and it’s always assumed they’ll recover and make a triumphant return. Sadly, this isn’t one of those times, and he leaves us with this great and rare memory of the Dog Collar match between himself and Cody Rhodes. Sometimes you don’t know how valuable something is til it isn’t there anymore. I connected with Jon Huber back in his NXT days, having heard so many good things from his independent career. My opinion of him deserving a solid singles run never changed throughout his WWE or AEW careers.
He was one of the best big men in the business who had it all. The look, the voice, the work ethic, and the skills. And as a great human being and loving father, there isn’t anything anyone can say to bring him down. He was a mountain of a man who deserved to be on top of one, and while his biggest moments were fleeting, they will be forever etched in the memory of his fans, peers, and family. And that’s why when I heard the news I had to check if I wasn’t having a nightmare. It still doesn’t feel real, yet his legacy will always be. He never won a World Title, but he was a World Champion to me. Thanks for reading.
RIP Jon Huber. One of the greatest wrestlers of his generation.