Pro Wrestler Jon Huber, Better Known as Luke Harper or Brodie Lee, Dies at 41
Updated Dec. 28 2020, 11:02 a.m. ET
By now, many wrestling fans have heard what happened to Jon Huber. The pro wrestler — known in the ring as WWE’s Luke Harper and AEW’s Brodie Lee — died on Saturday, Dec. 26, of a “non-COVID-related lung issue,” leaving behind a wife and children.
“In an industry filled with good people, Jon Huber was exceptionally respected and beloved in every way — a fierce and captivating talent, a thoughtful mentor and simply a very kind soul that starkly contradicted his persona as Mr. Brodie Lee,” AEW observed in a tribute to Jon, who was only 41 years old at the time of his death.
Jon Huber’s wife, Amanda, announced the news.
Amanda Huber, Jon’s wife, told Instagram followers on Saturday that her “best friend” died that day. “I never wanted to write out those words,” she wrote. “My heart is broken.”
She went on: “The world saw him as the amazing @brodielee, [formerly known as] Luke Harper, but he was my best friend, my husband, and the greatest father you would ever meet. No words can express the love I feel or how broken I am right now. He passed surrounded by love ones after a hard fought battle with a non-COVID-related lung issue.”
In her caption, Amanda praised the Mayo Clinic — “literally the best team of doctors and nurses in the world who surrounded me with constant love” — and All Elite Wrestling — who “helped keep [her] standing and pick up all the broken pieces.”
“I’ve been surrounded by so much love and incredible people I can’t tag them all, but they know who they are, and I don’t think they will ever know how thankful I am for them,” she added.
Amanda marked an anniversary with Jon on Instagram on Dec. 13 — writing, “I love you more than I have ever found the way to say.” And she celebrated his birthday on Dec. 16 with a sweet Instagram post, writing, “Happy birthday to my best friend, my other half, and my favorite person. Thank you for making me the luckiest.”
WWE posted an obituary for Jon Huber.
World Wrestling Entertainment remembered Jon in an obituary on its website, writing, “Huber found success in every stop of his sports-entertainment career, as his soft spoken yet imposing presence helped him create countless awe-inspiring moments in the ring. After a highly decorated run on the independent circuit, Harper debuted in NXT as a menacing enforcer for The Wyatt Family. Harper had a dominant tag team run with Rowan that would lay the groundwork for future championship success.”
The obit also mentions that Jon faced off against Kane, Daniel Bryan, The Shield, John Cena and The Usos, during his time with The Wyatt Family —and that he defeated Dolph Ziggler to clinch the Intercontinental Championship during his singles run. Then, he linked up with Rowan to form The Bludgeon Brothers and “embarked on a path of destruction” punctuated with a SmackDown Tag Team Title victory in a Triple Threat Match at WrestleMania 34.