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Jonathan Huber, a 17-year ring veteran who wrestled names like Brodie Lee and Luke Harper, was reported to have passed away on Saturday at the age of 41. The cause of death is not known at this time.
AEW confirmed the news of Huber’s passing, writing in part, “The All Elite Wrestling family is heartbroken. In an industry full of good people, Jon Huber was exceptionally respected and loved in every way: a fierce and captivating talent, a thoughtful mentor, and simply a soul that flatly contradicted his personality as Mr. Brodie Lee. “
Huber entered the wrestling business in 2003, working for indies in his hometown of New York. His first notable career came with CHIKARA, debuting for the organization in 2007. For most of the next five years, he wrestled for CHIKARA and won accolades for a 2008 steel cage match with Claudio Castagnoli (Cesaro).
Huber also wrestled for Ring of Honor under the name Lee, aligning himself with the Age of the Fall group. Other notable indies Huber struggled in included Dragon Gate USA, EVOLVE, and New York’s 2CW.
In 2012, Huber signed with WWE, where he assumed the name Luke Harper upon being assigned to development. At the end of the year, he became a fan of Bray Wyatt, winning the NXT tag team titles alongside Erick Rowan. The two joined Wyatt on the main roster in 2013, attacking Kane on his televised debut.
On WWE’s main roster, Huber was in and out of the Wyatt Family for years to come and was often associated with Rowan. He held the Intercontinental title for four weeks in 2014, and was a two-time SmackDown tag team champion, first with a modified version of the family and then with Rowan as The Bludgeon Brothers. That last reign began with a victory at WrestleMania 34.
Huber notably requested his release to WWE in the spring of 2019, finally getting it in December of that year. Three months later, he debuted on AEW Dynamite, revealed as The Exalted One of The Dark Order. Working as “Mr. Brodie Lee”, Huber unsuccessfully challenged Jon Moxley for the AEW world title at Double or Nothing in May.
Three months later, he dominated TNT champion Cody Rhodes in a three-minute fight to capture the championship. He lost the title again to Rhodes on October 7, losing the title after a brutal dog collar fight at Dynamite. The game ended up being the final one for Huber.
Cultaholic extends its condolences to Mr. Huber’s family and friends.
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