It has been a rough year, there is no doubt about that. And when AEW pro-wrestling star Jonathan Huber (AKA Brodie Lee AKA Luke Harper) died last week from lung problems, quite out of the blue, it was hard to imagine a worse way for 2020 to end in the wrestling world.
Lee was, by all accounts, a genuinely fantastic human being who loved his family above all else. While being a professional wrestler was his dream job, testimonials from his fellow wrestlers showed that he considered even that as a distant second to his wife and kids. In wrestling, it’s not uncommon to hear top babyfaces proclaim to be the first in the building and the last to leave. For Brodie, doing the opposite was a no-brainer. And that’s what made him the ultimate babyface in the eyes of his family, friends, and colleagues.
Regrettably, pro wrestling has seen too many premature deaths over the years. Eddie Guerrero springs to mind as the most obvious example of someone, beloved by fans and wrestlers alike, whose career was cut tragically short. Before Brodie’s death last week, I struggle to recall one that was quite as heart-breaking as Eddie’s. For so many, Lee clearly meant a huge amount. And if WWE’s heartfelt tribute show to the late, great Eddie Guerrero was anything to go by, the outpouring of love for Brodie Lee would be similarly immense. The question was, would WWE and AEW give him a fitting tribute?
It is unfortunate that this is even a question. But let’s face it, WWE don’t have the best track record. Petty politics, if nothing else, has been the one constant at Titan Towers through the years. Brodie Lee, under his Luke Harper moniker, was a long-time WWE employee (as recently as 2019) and a former Intercontinental and WWE Tag Team Champion. So, it would stand to reason that he would get a dedicated tribute show. Unsurprisingly, that didn’t happen. While WWE did more than I expected they would – I thought a pre-show graphic would be the extent of it – they still didn’t go far enough. No ten-bell salute, no video package, no testimonials, no special matches. It certainly wasn’t enough for a man so universally loved. But, of course, Brodie Lee wasn’t a WWE Superstar anymore. He had gone to the competition. And WWE’s attitude has always been that if you aren’t there, you might as well not exist. Hell, they barely even acknowledge there is an industry outside of their “universe”.
There will, undoubtedly, be those who defend WWE. And while I don’t want to condemn them (at least they allowed something in the form of small tributes and a graphic), I can’t see how anyone can say they gave Brodie what he deserved. Truthfully, the same can be said for his whole career there. Outside of some phenomenal six-man tag matches with The Wyatt Family and The Shield, his short but memorable run as IC Champion including his brutal ladder match with Dolph Ziggler at TLC 2014, and his short tenure as one half of The Bludegeon Brothers and SmackDown Tag Team Champions, what was really memorable about his run? To me, he was always one of those guys who was massively underrated and deserved so much more than the company were willing to give him. It’s a sad but undeniable fact for too many WWE Superstars.
Luckily for Brodie Lee, the writing was on the wall for his WWE run. In late 2019, he was released from his WWE contract, and before long rumours were swirling that he was AEW bound. On the March 18th episode of AEW Dynamite, he revealed himself as The Dark Order’s enigmatic “Exalted One” and started the run that would redefine his career. Somehow, between March and his final match in October (the phenomenal Dog Collar match versus Cody Rhodes for the TNT Championship), Lee was able to prove what many suspected all along – that he was main event material. What he did in those final months overshadowed his entire WWE tenure. Never has there been more fortuitous timing to make such a career defining move. I hate to think that he would never have gotten to show the world what he was truly made of – even if everyone, besides Vince McMahon, knew it already.
When AEW announced earlier this week that the 30th December edition of Dynamite was to be the “Brodie Lee Celebration of Life”, everyone expected it to be a tear-jerker. What AEW delivered defied all expectations. It wasn’t just a tear-jerker, but a joyous commemoration of Brodie Lee’s life and career. The whole show was reportedly re-written on Sunday by a devastated Tony Khan, who wanted to give Lee a fitting send-off. As a viewer, it was obvious so much emotion and care had been poured into it. While every match was of the tag-team variety – likely to give as many people as possible the opportunity to appear on the show – they were all great. Watching The Dark Order go over in every match was a true delight. Not only that, but it was a testament to how Brodie Lee elevated the group. Exactly one year ago, on the final Dynamite of 2019, fans were calling for them to be axed. Now, they are one of the company’s hottest acts.
The appearance of Erick Rowan was a wonderful touch, too. It’s disappointing to think that WWE had the opportunity to bring him and tag with Bray Wyatt in a tribute match but did no such thing. Regardless, what was WWE’s missed opportunity was AEW’s gain. When Erick ran down mid-match I popped out of my seat. If that didn’t get to you, then I don’t know what to say.
The final tribute to Lee was equally fantastic and emotional. Brodie Jr. leaving his dad’s boots in the ring and Tony Khan declaring him “TNT Champion for life” before gifting him the now retired TNT Championship belt, made for a gut-wrenching but marvellous moment. The video package AEW aired put politics aside and closed the show with a heartfelt collection of images and footage from Brodie’s life and career – not just in AEW but WWE, too. All companies should do this more often. It showed a human side to the business we see all too rarely.
Well done, AEW. Not only did you deliver perhaps the best wrestling show this year but also a phenomenal tribute to an amazing man.
RIP Jonathan Huber.
–
For more on professional wrestling, check out our other articles…
Featured image credit: All Elite Wrestling
