History of Brodie Lee in Timeline
"Jonathan Huber, better known by his ring names Luke Harper and Mr. Brodie Lee, was a prominent figure in professional wrestling. He rose to fame during his tenure with WWE from 2012 to 2019, captivating audiences as Luke Harper. In 2020, he joined All Elite Wrestling (AEW) where he further solidified his legacy under the moniker Mr. Brodie Lee. His career was tragically cut short, but his impact on the wrestling world remains undeniable. "
December 16, 1979: Birth of Jonathan Huber
Jonathan Huber, later known by his ring names Luke Harper and Brodie Lee, was born on December 16, 1979.
2003: Debut in Roc City Wrestling
Jonathan Huber made his professional wrestling debut in 2003 for Roc City Wrestling (RCW) under the masked persona Huberboy #2. He later unmasked and adopted the ring name Brodie Lee.
2003: Brodie Lee Begins Wrestling Career
Jonathan Huber, under the ring name Brodie Lee, began his professional wrestling career in 2003, competing on the independent circuit.
March 24, 2007: Debut in Chikara
Jonathan Huber, using the "The Right Stuff" Brodie Lee gimmick, made his debut for the Philadelphia-based promotion Chikara on March 24, 2007.
August 20, 2007: 2CW Debut
Brodie Lee made his debut for Squared Circle Wrestling, teaming with Colin Olsen in a losing effort against the Wyld Stallyns on August 20, 2007.
April 2008: Feud with Claudio Castagnoli
Brodie Lee's bullying of smaller wrestlers led to a feud with Claudio Castagnoli, culminating in a series of matches, including two disqualifications.
July 26, 2008: Parking Lot Incident
Brodie Lee was involved in a storyline suspension after punching a fan in the parking lot following a match on July 26, 2008.
September 7, 2008: Steel Cage Match against Claudio Castagnoli
On September 7, 2008, Brodie Lee faced Claudio Castagnoli in Chikara's first-ever steel cage match, which Castagnoli won, ending their feud.
October 25, 2008: ROH Debut
Brodie Lee debuted for Ring of Honor, aligning himself with The Age of the Fall and assisting Jimmy Jacobs in defeating Austin Aries on October 25, 2008.
2008: Formation of The Roughnecks Stable
Brodie Lee joined forces with Eddie Kingston and Grizzly Redwood in late 2008 to form the stable known as The Roughnecks.
2008: Formation of Team Dr. Keith and Turn on Retail Dragon
Brodie Lee teamed up with the Olsen Twins as Team Dr. Keith for the 2008 King of Trios tournament. After a first-round loss, Lee turned on their substitute partner, Retail Dragon, ending his alliance with the Olsen Twins.
February 21, 2009: Formation of The Roughnecks
Brodie Lee, Eddie Kingston, and Grizzly Redwood formed the stable The Roughnecks, earning a spot in the 2009 King of Trios tournament.
February 27, 2009: Loss to Necro Butcher
Brodie Lee was defeated by Necro Butcher in an Anything Goes match on February 27, 2009, during their feud.
March 28, 2009: JAPW Debut
Brodie Lee debuted for Jersey All Pro Wrestling as part of The Hillbilly Wrecking Crew on March 28, 2009.
April 2009: Face Turn
Brodie Lee transitioned into a fan-favorite character in April 2009, marking a significant change in his 2CW career.
September 19, 2009: Rivalry with Slyck Wagner Brown
Brodie Lee's friendly rivalry with Slyck Wagner Brown continued, with the two exchanging victories in singles matches, including one on September 19, 2009.
October 17, 2009: Championship Match against The Colony
The Roughnecks challenged The Colony for the Campeonatos de Parejas but were defeated.
January 16, 2010: Evolve Debut
Brodie Lee made his Evolve debut at their inaugural event, teaming with Gran Akuma and Icarus in a losing effort against Team Frightning on January 16, 2010.
January 23, 2010: Tag Team Championship Loss
Brodie Lee and Necro Butcher lost the JAPW Tag Team Championship to Da Heavy Hitters at JAPW's 12th Anniversary Show on January 23, 2010.
February 19, 2010: Victory over Brown
Brodie Lee defeated Slyck Wagner Brown in a rubber match, solidifying his dominance in their rivalry on February 19, 2010.
April 3, 2010: Ending the Feud
Brodie Lee decisively ended his feud with Slyck Wagner Brown by defeating him in a two-out-of-three falls match on April 3, 2010.
April 24, 2010: Tension and Breakup of The Roughnecks
Tensions rose between Brodie Lee and Grizzly Redwood, leading to Lee attacking Redwood, effectively disbanding The Roughnecks.
May 8, 2010: DGUSA Debut and Declaration
Brodie Lee debuted for Dragon Gate USA, winning a dark match and declaring his intention to target Japanese wrestlers on May 8, 2010.
June 20, 2010: Championship Loss
Brodie Lee unsuccessfully challenged Jason Axe for the 2CW Heavyweight Championship, losing due to outside interference on June 20, 2010.
September 24, 2010: Successful Title Defense
Brodie Lee retained the 2CW Heavyweight Championship against former champion Jason Axe in an "I Quit" match in Binghamton, New York, on September 24, 2010.
October 23, 2010: Unsuccessful Championship Challenge
Brodie Lee unsuccessfully challenged Dan Maff for the JAPW Heavyweight Championship in a Champion vs. Champion match on October 23, 2010.
November 19, 2010: Loss of the 2CW Heavyweight Championship
Brodie Lee lost the 2CW Heavyweight Championship to Slyck Wagner Brown in Elmira, New York, on November 19, 2010.
December 21, 2010: Dragon Gate Debut
Brodie Lee made his debut for Dragon Gate in Tokyo, representing The Warriors stable and defeating Kzy on December 21, 2010.
January 14, 2011: Heel Turn
The Warriors stable, including Brodie Lee, turned heel, aligning with Naruki Doi's group in Dragon Gate on January 14, 2011.
January 23, 2011: Reunion of The Roughnecks
After months of feuding, Brodie Lee and Grizzly Redwood reunited as The Roughnecks, defeating The Throwbacks in a tag team match.
January 28, 2011: Victory over Jimmy Jacobs
Representing the Blood Warriors, Brodie Lee secured a victory against Jimmy Jacobs at Dragon Gate USA's 'United: NYC' event on January 28, 2011.
May 2011: Injury During 12 Large: Summit
Brodie Lee suffered a legitimate injury during the 12 Large: Summit tournament, forcing him to withdraw.
May 20, 2011: Loss to Sami Callihan
Brodie Lee was defeated by Sami Callihan via submission in his return match at Evolve on May 20, 2011.
December 30, 2011: Championship Vacated
Brodie Lee was stripped of the JAPW Heavyweight Championship after a nine-month absence from the promotion, as announced on December 30, 2011.
2011: Marriage to Amanda (Synndy Synn)
Huber married Amanda, a fellow professional wrestler known as Synndy Synn, in 2011.
March 12, 2012: Huber Signs With WWE
On March 12, 2012, it was reported that Jon Huber signed a developmental contract with WWE, taking on the ring name Luke Harper.
March 25, 2012: Farewell Appearance in Chikara
Brodie Lee made his farewell appearance for Chikara on March 25, 2012, unsuccessfully challenging Eddie Kingston for the Chikara Grand Championship after signing a developmental contract with WWE.
April 13, 2012: 2CW Heavyweight Championship Victory and Vacancy
Brodie Lee won the 2CW Heavyweight Championship in a four-way match but relinquished the title due to signing with WWE on April 13, 2012.
2012: Brodie Lee Joins WWE
After establishing himself on the independent circuit, Brodie Lee signed with WWE in 2012.
2012: Jonathan Huber Signs with WWE
In 2012, Jonathan Huber signed with WWE and adopted the ring name Luke Harper. He debuted as part of The Wyatt Family.
January 9, 2013: Harper and Rowan's Tag Team Debut
On January 9, 2013, Luke Harper, alongside Erick Rowan, made their tag team debut, defeating Percy Watson and Yoshi Tatsu.
January 26, 2014: Harper's Royal Rumble Debut
Luke Harper participated in his first Royal Rumble match on January 26, 2014, where he eliminated two participants before being eliminated by Roman Reigns.
January 25, 2015: Harper in the Royal Rumble
On January 25, 2015, Luke Harper competed in the Royal Rumble match, entering at number 4, before being eliminated by Bray Wyatt.
January 24, 2016: Royal Rumble Appearance
On January 24, 2016, Luke Harper participated in the Royal Rumble alongside other Wyatt Family members.
January 10, 2017: Tension in The Wyatt Family
On January 10, 2017, after losing a match for the SmackDown Tag Team Championship, tension arose between Harper and Orton, leading to a miscommunication where Harper accidentally superkicked Wyatt.
2017: Acting Debut in "Damnation"
Huber made his acting debut in 2017 as Pitchfork Perry in an episode of the period drama series "Damnation".
2017: The Wyatt Family Split, The Bludgeon Brothers Formation
In 2017, The Wyatt Family split, and Harper later formed a tag team with Erick Rowan called The Bludgeon Brothers. They used wooden mallets and had a look inspired by the tag team Demolition.
March 11, 2018: The Bludgeon Brothers Make a Statement
The Bludgeon Brothers made a powerful statement on March 11, 2018, by interfering in the SmackDown Tag Team Championship match at Fastlane.
2018: Film Debut in "Mohawk"
In 2018, Huber appeared in the action-horror film "Mohawk," playing the character Lachlan Allsopp.
2018: The Bludgeon Brothers Dominate
Throughout 2018, The Bludgeon Brothers (Harper and Rowan) made a significant impact, establishing themselves as a dominant force in the tag team division.
March 9, 2019: Return to in-ring action
On March 9, 2019, Harper returned to in-ring action after recovering from wrist surgery, defeating Mojo Rawley at a WWE house show in his hometown of Rochester.
November 2019: Contract Expiry
Harper's contract was originally set to expire in November 2019, but WWE added six months due to time off for injury, as reported by Dave Meltzer.
December 2019: Huber Departs WWE
Jonathan Huber left WWE in December 2019.
2019: Return as Luke Harper, Feud with Roman Reigns and Daniel Bryan, Draft Split
Throughout 2019, Harper returned to WWE television under his Luke Harper name, engaging in a feud with Roman Reigns and Daniel Bryan alongside Erick Rowan. Following a draft that moved Rowan to Raw, the team was disbanded.
March 2020: The Exalted One Gimmick
After joining AEW in March 2020, Brodie Lee adopted the gimmick of "The Exalted One," a corporate executive and leader of The Dark Order. His character drew comparisons to Vince McMahon, which Huber denied.
March 2020: Debut in AEW
Jonathan Huber, now known as Mr. Brodie Lee, debuted in All Elite Wrestling (AEW) in March 2020 as the leader of The Dark Order.
March 18, 2020: AEW Debut, "The Exalted One"
On March 18, 2020, Huber debuted in All Elite Wrestling (AEW) as Brodie Lee, revealed as "The Exalted One," the leader of The Dark Order. He remained undefeated for several weeks before challenging Jon Moxley for the AEW World Championship.
May 2020: Shad Gaspard's Passing
Wrestler Shad Gaspard, who would later be honored alongside Jon Huber in a memorial award, died in May 2020 while saving his son from drowning.
October 2020: Hospitalization
In October 2020, Mr. Brodie Lee was hospitalized due to idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.
December 26, 2020: Death of Jonathan Huber
Jonathan Huber tragically passed away on December 26, 2020, at the age of 41, due to complications from idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.
December 28, 2020: WWE Raw Tribute
WWE Raw opened with an "In Memory of Jon Huber ('Luke Harper')" graphic. Performers and commentators paid tribute by using some of Huber's catchphrases.
2020: Pro Wrestling Tees Tribute Shirt Release
During the Brodie Lee tribute show in 2020, Pro Wrestling Tees released a commemorative T-shirt in his honor, with all proceeds going to the Huber family. The shirt quickly broke sales records, becoming the highest-selling T-shirt of the year.
January 1, 2021: WWE SmackDown Tribute
The January 1, 2021 episode of WWE SmackDown also featured an "In Memory of Jon Huber ('Luke Harper')" graphic.
January 2021: Cause of Death Revealed
In January 2021, it was revealed that Huber's death was caused by idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, a rare lung disease.
March 2021: Shad Gaspard/Jon Huber Memorial Award Established
The Shad Gaspard/Jon Huber Memorial Award was established in March 2021 to honor individuals in professional wrestling who make positive contributions to society. The award is named after Huber and fellow wrestler Shad Gaspard, who tragically passed away in May 2020.
April 2021: WrestleMania 37 Tribute
At WrestleMania 37, Bray Wyatt honored Huber by shouting his signature "yeah, yeah, yeah" catchphrase during his match.
August 2021: CM Punk and Bryan Danielson Cite Huber's Impact
In August 2021, CM Punk revealed that Huber's death and the respect shown by the AEW locker room in keeping his illness private inspired him to return to professional wrestling after a seven-year hiatus. Similarly, Bryan Danielson shared that the Brodie Lee Tribute Show played a role in his decision to join AEW.
September 2021: Big E's Tribute to Huber
After winning the WWE Championship in September 2021, Big E celebrated with The New Day and acknowledged the support of fans and "one incredible friend above" as the crowd chanted Huber's ring name.
August 24, 2023: Bray Wyatt's Passing
Bray Wyatt passed away from a heart attack, leaving Erick Rowan as the only surviving member of the original Wyatt Family.
January 2024: AEW Homecoming
In January 2024, AEW returned to Daily's Place in Jacksonville, Florida, a venue where Brodie Lee was a prominent figure during the COVID-19 pandemic. AEW paid tribute to Huber by airing a video package and holding three multi-person tag team matches featuring current and former members of The Dark Order.
