In professional wrestling, legends are defined not only by in-ring feats but by the lasting impact they leave behind. The following heartfelt tributes from thirteen of wrestling’s most respected voices reveal the true essence of Jonathan Huber—the man behind Brodie Lee and Luke Harper.
From a high school senior to WWE’s Luke Harper and AEW’s Brodie Lee, these three snapshots capture the incredible journey of a man who left an indelible mark in and out of the ring. His evolution as a performer was only surpassed by his legacy of kindness, loyalty, and devotion to family. Photo Credit: WWE, AEW. Artwork by Pro Wrestling Stories.
1. Mick Foley’s Heartfelt Tribute to Brodie Lee
Mick Foley praised Brodie Lee for his early potential in wrestling. Photo Credits: WWE.
During the early days of his professional wrestling career, many compared Brodie Lee to Mick Foley.
Shedding light on Lee’s extraordinary career, Foley wrote in a tribute on Facebook, “I did not know Jon Huber as well as many of his colleagues in WWE. I saw him working Indie shows in upstate New York around 2010, and knew he had potential.”
Foley continued, “I called him by his Luke Harper ring name for most of the time I knew him. I was so happy for him when the Wyatt gimmick broke big – but even with the success of that gimmick, as time went by, I could sense that there was part of Jon that was looking to prove himself on his own.”
2. Steve Austin Opens Up About Brodie Lee’s Passing
Steve Austin called Brodie Lee a "tremendous hand" and "sweetheart." Photo Credit: WWE.
Speaking to The Wrap, “Stone Cold” Steve Austin discussed the devastating loss the wrestling industry faced with the death of Brodie Lee.
Austin described Lee, once one of the most popular foreign wrestlers in Dragon Gate, as a warm soul who never hesitated to seek advice from him.
“I just absolutely couldn’t believe it because the guy was a tremendous hand in the business, but he was a sweetheart of a guy.”
Austin continued, “When he was in WWE, we would talk now and then on the phone just about his character and what he was doing. And then we stopped talking, yet he kept going.
“He finally ended up in AEW. I didn’t know his real name from his WWE name, and I was like, ‘Holy cow, this guy is so young!’ Then, I didn’t know what had happened.
“There’s just an absolute tragedy of a guy who everybody in the business loved and adored. That’s the kind of guy he was. So really shocking to me.”
3. Chris Jericho Remembers His Friend and Colleague
Chris Jericho fondly recalled Brodie Lee’s beloved presence backstage and shared this photo of the "Luke Harper Fan Club" from a WWE event. The image features Primo, Epico, Roman Reigns, Sheamus, Bray Wyatt, Luke Harper (Brodie Lee), Cesaro (Claudio Castagnoli), and Jericho himself. Photo Credit: @chrisjerichofozzy on Instagram.
Chris Jericho is one of the few fortunate individuals who had the privilege of sharing the locker room with Brodie Lee in both WWE and AEW.
In an Instagram post, the first-ever AEW World Champion reflected on a backstage moment from 2015, where many WWE superstars donned a custom Luke Harper t-shirt:
“Backstage in Mexico in 2015, Brodie was annoyed that he didn’t have his merch t-shirt, so one of the brothers got a bunch made in his honor.
“We all wore them in tribute to the dude ’cause everybody loved him. Just a wonderful man and a [great] worker.”
Jericho continued, “We never had a bad match, and I probably worked with him fifty times. I was a big fan of his and even helped bring him into AEW, where he did the best work of his career in a very short time.
“I’m gonna try to find that goofy shirt, and if I do, I’m going to hang it on my wall so I can be reminded daily what a legit great person looks like.
“Thanks, Jon. You were one in a million and a true brother’s brother.”
4. Matt Hardy Discusses Brodie Lee’s AEW Legacy
Matt Hardy and Brodie Lee, pictured here with AEW and Ring of Honor ringside doctor Michael J. Sampson and Miro (formerly Rusev), shared a special bond in AEW, both making their debuts on the same night. Photo Credit: AEW.
While Matt Hardy and Brodie Lee never squared off inside the ring, their careers will always remain linked, as they both made their AEW debuts on the same night—the first Dynamite of the pandemic era.
Speaking on the AEW Unrestricted podcast, the former ten-time WWE Tag Team Champion shared how Brodie admired Hardy’s teasers about being the Exalted One on his YouTube channel, which made Brodie’s eventual reveal even more impactful.
“It was really cool. One of the things Brodie said after that was, ‘Thank you for going out of your way to tease that it was going to be you so many times. I feel like that helped me and gave a better reaction because it was less anticipated.’ I was always really appreciative of that.”
Hardy added, “It was weird because I didn’t get to know Brodie at all until AEW. We had worked on different brands in the past whenever I had been around. What an amazing guy. I was so happy for him that night.
“It was so great that he came to AEW and got the opportunities that he deserved, and he kicked ***.”
5. Randy Orton’s Surprising Revelation About Brodie Lee
Randy Orton, shown here with Brodie Lee (then known as Luke Harper) and Bray Wyatt, reflects on Brodie Lee’s deep devotion to his family. Photo Credit: WWE.
During the build-up to his WWE Championship match against Bray Wyatt at WrestleMania 33, Randy Orton shared the ring with Brodie Lee on numerous occasions.
The two initially captured the SmackDown Tag Team titles alongside Bray Wyatt under the Freebird rule before eventually turning against each other as Orton betrayed the Wyatt Family.
In an Instagram post, Orton reflected on the family man that Brodie Lee was.
“I always called him Luke. Some of us call each other by our ring names, some by our real names. It gets confusing. I’ve been in a WWE locker room for more than half of my existence, and there is an unwritten code.
Orton continued, “Respect is at the top. You all have heard about how much we respected Luke and how much we enjoyed his presence. It is a fact.
“I’m telling ya, on the back of a bus, traveling and away from family for weeks in a row, he was one of the ones I’d secure a seat next to.
“I’m not perfect; I never thought I was. Neither was he. But talking to him and conversing about our families, as most husbands/fathers do on these trips, I learned that he was near perfect when it came to how he loved his sons and his wife, Amanda.”
6. Bruce Prichard on Brodie Lee’s Love for Family
Bruce Prichard talks about Brodie Lee’s unwavering love for his family. Photo Credit: WWE.
“I think as you go through and read everything, and sometimes when we lose someone we really adore, you feel that a lot of the tributes are glamorized and what have you. I think everyone pretty much captured the essence of who Luke Harper was.
“He was a down-to-earth guy and one of the nicest human beings you’ll ever meet in your life.”
Prichard continued, “In the very short time that I knew him and had the opportunity to interact with him, one thing that always rang true was good lord, the love of his family—his kids and his wife.
“You hear that, and you say that, but this was a guy that was as genuine as they come. It’s just sad and very tragic, and my heart goes out to his family, and I wish them all the best. I know it’s gonna be a tough road for everyone.”
7. Jim Ross on Brodie Lee’s Resilience in Wrestling
Jim Ross admired Brodie Lee’s positivity and his Bruiser Brody-inspired career. Photo Credit: WWE.
Jim Ross, widely regarded as one of the greatest commentators of all time, had the honor of calling Brodie Lee’s matches in both WWE and AEW.
Speaking on his Grilling JR podcast, Ross shared his conversations with the former TNT Champion, revealing that Lee’s career was deeply inspired by his role model, Bruiser Brody.
“He wasn’t bitter about the past; he was more looking forward to the future. I don’t think we ever had a conversation where he didn’t talk about his family in glowing terms.
“The most prominent family man I may have ever met in wrestling. He loved Bruiser Brody, who was his role model.”
Ross continued, “You can’t be this popular if you got a reputation for not being a good person. He was certainly a good person.
“I loved being around him; his positivity was great. He was forty years old and starting over, and excited about that.
“That match he had with Cody, that Dog Collar Match [for the AEW TNT Championship on AEW Dynamite on July 10th, 2020], was one of the best we’ve ever had on the show.
“All good vibes with him, always smiling, funny guy, great sense of humor.”
8. JBL Shares Brodie Lee’s Wrestling Wisdom
JBL helped Brodie Lee perfect his devastating lariat finisher. Photo Credit: WWE.
JBL, who served as the color commentator for SmackDown during much of Brodie Lee’s WWE main roster run, also shared a memorable moment about him.
“I spent a couple of afternoons explaining to Jon how I threw a clothesline.
“He was a sponge when it came to the business, and I enjoyed it more than he did. More importantly, he was a good man. RIP, friend.”
9. Booker T’s Praises For Brodie Lee
Booker T commended Brodie Lee for balancing wrestling and family. Photo Credit: WWE.
Similar to Jim Ross and JBL, Booker T also had the honor of calling Brodie Lee’s matches during his time with WWE.
On his Hall of Famer podcast, Booker T reflected on the genuinely kind person Lee was behind his tough, on-screen persona.
“Jon Huber, just a really, really good dude. He was there to obviously do what I do and what I think about regularly, and that’s to take care of my family, my two kids, and my wife.”
10. Sean "X-Pac" Waltman’s Tribute to Brodie Lee
Sean “X-Pac” Waltman respected Brodie Lee’s work on the independent circuit. Photo Credit: NWA.
Speaking on the Wrestling DailyInc Podcast, Sean Waltman shared that he had been a fan of Brodie Lee’s work and in-ring persona long before Lee signed with WWE in 2012.
“I knew him a bit. I knew him from being on independent shows because before he came to work for WWE, he made a hell of a name for himself.
Waltman continued, “I was a big Brodie Lee fan. He had a trucker gimmick. I don’t know what it was. He wore trucker hats. Anyways, he was Brodie.
“I hate to say this. I almost got numb to all the people dying, but then you see a picture of Brodie with his kids; it just breaks my heart, man.”
11. Arn Anderson on Brodie Lee’s Relentless Drive to Improve
Arn Anderson appreciated Brodie Lee’s willingness to take constructive criticism. Photo Credit: GalaxyCon.
Speaking on the Talk is Jericho podcast, Arn Anderson, who has worked as a backstage producer and road agent for WWE and AEW, expressed his admiration for Brodie Lee’s in-ring work.
He also praised Brodie for his willingness to take constructive criticism and learn from it.
“His offense was incredible, but the fact is he took a hell of an *** whipping, and for a guy that size, in today’s mentality, not a lot of guys are willing to go out and get their *** kicked properly. It’s like, ‘I’m too big for that.’ He never felt like he was too big for anything.”
Anderson added, “Every single night, first thing he would say coming back through the curtain, ‘Whatcha got, Dubs? Whatcha got?’
“He wanted criticism, and that’s the kind of guy that gets better, the ones that really want to know, and they want to know the truth.”
12. Jake "The Snake" Roberts on Brodie Lee’s Locker Room Influence
Jake “The Snake” Roberts admired Brodie Lee’s influence on the younger generation. Photo Credit: WWE.
“Brodie was a great influence. He was one of those guys still young enough to be associated with the younger group, and they looked up to him.”
Roberts continued, “It’s a shame what happened. Nobody saw that coming. I commend AEW for what they’re doing for his family. They’ll never have to worry because Tony Khan is a man of his word. He’s golden.”
13. Bray Wyatt’s Emotional Tribute to Brodie Lee
Before his own untimely passing, Bray Wyatt deeply mourned the loss of his Wyatt Family brother, Luke Harper (Brodie Lee). Photo Credit: WWE.
If there’s one man whose name will always be closely linked to Brodie Lee, it is the late Bray Wyatt.
The two burst onto the mainstream wrestling scene together as part of the infamous Wyatt Family faction.
Upon hearing the news of Lee’s sudden passing on December 26th, 2020, Wyatt was visibly shaken. Taking to Instagram, Wyatt shared memories of their time together, calling it the best period of their careers.
Wyatt also mentioned how they had always dreamed of finishing their careers together, performing at independent shows in their later years.
“You were my best friend. My brother, my partner, my Terry Gordy. We changed this whole game because we refused to do it any way but OUR way.
“We were always at our best when we were a team—I think we both knew it. We fought like brothers because we were.”
He added, “I’m so [angry]. This isn’t how it was supposed to be; it was supposed to be us fat, bald, and useless running Wyatt Family spots in high school gyms in our 70s.
“Where do we go now? What do I do, knowing I’ll never hear your condescending sarcasm as I am riding high? I miss you so much already.”
Remembering Brodie Lee and the Lasting Impact He Leaves Behind
Brodie Lee left behind a legacy of love and respect in the wrestling world. Photo Credits: Chris Jericho, WWE, AEW.
The quotes from these thirteen wrestling legends convey one clear message—Brodie Lee’s greatest accomplishment was the meaningful relationships he built both inside and outside the ring.
Jonathan Huber, known by his ring name Brodie Lee, will forever be remembered as one of the most beloved figures in professional wrestling. He leaves behind a legacy defined by the profound impact he had on everyone he encountered.
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Aarij Arifeen is a lifelong wrestling fan with a great interest in related literature. He is a moderator for r/AEWOfficial on Reddit, has had bylines on TheSportster.com, and resides in Karachi, Pakistan. He can be reached on Twitter at @itsAAA_Ridge.
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