Opinion

Mishal: Thank You, Jon Huber

Mishal takes some time to reflect upon, and be thankful for, the career and amazing life of Jon Huber (Brodie Lee/Luke Harper).

Published

4 years ago

January 2, 2021

Mishal Shuhaiber

Brodie Lee AEW TNT Championship Jon Huber Luke Harper

Mishal takes some time to reflect upon, and be thankful for, the career and amazing life of Jon Huber (Brodie Lee/Luke Harper).

The past 24 hours have been a whirlwind of emotion for any wrestling fan.

Death is never an easy event to tackle, regardless of who you are. It’s an unexpected, sudden and harsh reminder of just how short life is, but more importantly how suddenly it can be taken away without even the slightest of warnings. More than anything it provides a reality that the life we all live is never as constant or safe as we’d like it to be, and when we least expect it, the things that add so much value in their small bursts can just vanish in the blink of an eye.

And that’s how the last 24 hours feel, like a blur, something that simply doesn’t feel real despite the harsh reality we must all force down.

2020 has been filled with loss, more for some than others. Whether it’s friends, families, loved ones from your social circles, celebrities, idols, mentors or even pets, loss has been a common theme we can all relate to during these exhausting times. Some of us have even lost the capability to live as freely as we were once used to, others are forced to restrict their lifestyles because of the hazard they could represent to older generations of people around them, and I think it’s all of this that makes yesterday’s developments so much more devastating.

The wrestling world has been no stranger to loss in 2020. From the legendary Pat Patterson, Kamala, ‘Soulman’ Rocky Johnson, Road Warrior Animal and now, Jon Huber, to us WWE & AEW fans, known as either Luke Harper or Brodie Lee, respectively.

No matter how or when we knew him, no matter the character he portrayed, no matter the promotion he was signed under at the given time we reference or which side of the wrestling aisle he sat at, Jon Huber’s death stings in many ways I wasn’t expecting it to. I’ve been watching him steal the show in every ring he’s set foot in since the days of CHIKARA, where he went to war against the likes Claudio Castagnoli (now known to us as Cesaro) or Bryan Danielson (who we know as Daniel Bryan) amongst many other names I won’t mention here. And ever since my first introduction to him as a young wrestling fan, he always stood out to me as an oddity different from all the others around him. The Brodie Lee character was always intimidating because not only was he amongst the biggest men in the room, he was also amongst the most agile in that room as well. Placing a character of such size and agility into the squared circle is never a joke as it breaks the mould of the prototypical big-man the business so frequently tries to sell to us. Generally, men over 6 foot 6 are normally presented as being all about the size, a more limited move set without the variety someone in a lower weightclass would possess, but not Brodie.

Brodie Lee was one of wrestling’s few exceptions, in the vein of the likes of The Undertaker, Brock Lesnar, Sheamus, Braun Strowman or Keith Lee, a mammoth of a man towering over smaller opponents that could mimic any of their offense that would normally give them an advantage. He was a talent, a special one at that, one that always made the man across from him look good even in loss.

My early exposure to Brodie Lee was a unique one because of that distinct look his character presented, an attire and posture that wasn’t too frequently seen in the business. Beyond the odd, calculating stare laid a swiss army knife of tricks out of the wrestling handbook that nobody could be prepared to see, which was displayed in spades as his career grew to the heights we saw it in his later years.

His WWE debut brought a tonne of eyes to the character that had previously not been exposed to his work prior which made for a world of potential for him to grow. And despite his run under the WWE banner being somewhat mixed from many fans perspectives, I’m just glad the wider mainstream world of professional wrestling got to see his talents first hand, regardless of the hiccups his character may have had. Brodie, now known as the unpredictable Luke Harper, tangled as part of The Wyatt Family with both Bray Wyatt & Erick Rowan, a group which has become one of the most iconic in the modern-day era of professional wrestling. It turned out that being a member of cult obsessed with purifying the talents they faced in the ring would be the ideal fit for Luke Harper at the time, even with the limitations it brought his character down the road.

Harper would start stealing the show not just as a stable, but in singles competition, taking part in some of the most underrated matches of the last half decade I can think of. Many singles matches against the likes of Randy Orton, Dolph Ziggler, Dean Ambrose, AJ Styles, Roman Reigns and a criminally overlooked match against Dominik Dijakovic that doesn’t receive near the level of attention that it should have at the time are just prime examples of how good the man was at being a professional wrestler, at embodying the character he played for a good portion of his career.

For the longest time Luke Harper was a part of the most overlooked moments of the last number of years in WWE, including some of the best angles the company created on each given year he competed in. He was, and still is referred to as one of the most overlooked competitors that WWE just never used to his fullest potential despite some real highs in a career under the brand many felt never reached the levels it was capable of.

But that’s where AEW comes into the fold.

As devastatingly brief as his work with AEW was, few would ever contest that this was the point where Brodie Lee started coming into his own element entirely. Portraying ”The Exalted One” didn’t just give him the perfect gimmick to bounce off of following a WWE run that left much to be desired, as well as positioning himself as the saviour of The Dark Order, a stable that up to that point was barely clinging onto relevancy due to the influx of talent the company was receiving at that point in time.

Brodie, however, grabbed the bull by the horns and thrust The Dark Order into a position in which it received significant attention on the card, including spotlights in the AEW World Title scene, as well as an incredible squash match which saw Brodie topple Cody Rhodes to claim the AEW TNT Title in dominating fashion. Brodie’s title reign didn’t last as long as many would have wanted it to, but it did accomplish a multitude of things; memorable matches against talent such as Jon Moxley, Cody, Dustin Rhodes & Orange Cassidy, bringing relevancy to a previously forgotten unit in AEW, re-establishing himself as the star he simply wasn’t regarded as with the competition and presented us a character that had endless potential down the line if the circumstances had been different.

While the length of his tenure is certainly disappointing when we reflect, what he accomplished in the short space of time he was in AEW is remarkable. Proving not just to us, but more importantly to a number of other industry leaders that he was what they doubted him to be, a star, and a master of his craft.

Up until this point this article has been a brief run-through of the career of Brodie Lee, Luke Harper or the man himself Jon Huber and just highlight of how much quality came out of such an under-appreciated character. But more than anything, it should teach us all one thing, how quickly we can lose someone that all of us, fans, friends, family or otherwise hold near to our hearts.

The life of Jon Huber will be remembered for many things. He’ll be remembered for being a father, a husband, a great friend to many around him, an incredible entertainer to the fans no matter the opponent across him, a champion worthy of more than he even accomplished, a superstar capable of achieving the highest of highs and having met him on a few occasions at live events when they existed, a stand-up guy who welcomed everyone like they were a member of his family. Jon Huber’s death is a bleak reminder of the times we live in when all the things we value are at risk and just how devastating a loss can feel when someone forges a connection with you regardless of your location on this planet. And I’ll admit, the weight of losing him didn’t hit me until the minute I read about it.

Having met and seen him perform in the ring on more than one occasion, there’s no doubt of the kind of person Jon was, and that’s why the pouring out of emotion is so unlike anything we’ve come to see in the small community that professional wrestling bolsters.

What we all need to remember is that death is never the end of our journey, for many it’s a brief pitstop. For others death doesn’t define your ending, the impact you make following it keeps the spirit of the person alive longer than his or her own lifespan can. And without question Jon is going to be talked about long, long after this heartbreaking period.

I think I speak for everyone, fan or otherwise when I say thank you to Jon, for making us laugh, scream, cry, stare in awe at his abilities, but most importantly, for bringing us together at a time when we couldn’t be more divided as a community in general.

Rest in power Jon Huber, you’ll never, ever be forgotten.

About Chairshot Radio Network

Launched in 2017, the Chairshot Radio Network presents you with the best in sports, entertainment, and sports entertainment. Wrestling and wrestling crossover podcasts + the most interesting content + the most engaging hosts = the most entertaining podcasts you’ll find!

MONDAY - Bandwagon Nerds (entertainment & popular culture)

TUESDAY - Musical Chairs (music) / Hockey Talk (NHL)

WEDNESDAY - The Greg DeMarco Show (wrestling)

THURSDAY - Keeping the news ridiculous... The Oddity / Chairshot NFL (NFL)

FRIDAY - DWI Podcast (Drunk Wrestling Intellect)

SATURDAY - The Mindless Wrestling Podcast

SUNDAY - The Front and Center Sports Podcast

CHAIRSHOT RADIO NETWORK PODCAST SPECIALS

Attitude Of Aggression Podcast & The Big Five Project (chronologically exploring WWE's PPV/PLE history)

TheChairshot.com PRESENTS...IMMEDIATE POST WWE PLE REACTIONS w/ DJ(Mindless), Tunney(DWI) & Friends

Patrick O'Dowd's 5X5

Classic POD is WAR

Chairshot Radio Network Your home for the hardest hitting podcasts... Sports, Entertainment and Sports Entertainment!

All Shows On Demand

Let us know what you think on social media @ChairshotMedia and always remember to use the hashtag #UseYourHead!

Up Next

Mathew’s Top Matches of 2020: #5-1

Don't Miss

Cook’s Top 5: Wrestling Pyromaniacs

Opinion

Chairshot Staff Picks: Money In The Bank

Extra, extra read all about it… Chairshot Staff picks are in!!!

Published

2 weeks ago

June 6, 2025

PC Tunney

Sing it with me… money money money money moneeeeeeeeeyeeeeee… everybody’s got a price! MONEY IN THE BANK is here!!! How money will our staff picks be?!?

AJ – Roxanne Perez
Andrew – Stephanie Vaquer – *Bubba Sparxxx Impression* I don’t tell stories, I let them tell theyself.
Dave – Guilia – A stacked field but I just like her here.
DJ – Naomi
DPP – Roxanne Perez
Jason – Alexa Bliss
Patrick – Roxanne Perez
Rey – Naomi – If Naomi loses, we riot!
Rob – Naomi
Greg – Alexa Bliss – Bliss has had huge reactions since returning and is moving a ton of merch. While I can see them wanting to build Roxanne Perez, Giulia, or Stephanie Vaquer, I think Alexa Bliss.

Tunney’s Take: Rhea Ripley – I’ll make my case short and sweet… Mami in the Bank! You can’t leave that money on the table.

Chairshot Pick – Tie – Naomi 3 & Roxanne Perez 3 (Alexa Bliss 2, Giulia 1, Rhea Ripley 1, Stephanie Vaquer 1)

AJ – LA Knight
Andrew – El Grande Americano – Feels correct given his push and the fact he’s over.
Dave – Seth Rollins – Got to push that new faction.
DJ – LA Knight
DPP – El Grande Americano
Jason – LA Knight
Patrick – Solo Sikoa
Rey – LA Knight – Looks like another push, and he does have history with Cena.
Rob – Solo Sikoa
Greg – Seth Rollins – This company is extremely high in the El Grande Americano gimmick, but this match comes down to Seth Rollins or LA Knight. Given the Rollins storyline, it’s his briefcase to win.

Tunney’s Take: El Grande Americano – Picture this: Chad Gable wins the AAA Mega Championship and El Grande Americano wins MITB! WHAT A SATURDAY in LA!!!

Chairshot Pick – LA Knight 4 (El Grande Americano 3, Seth Rollins 2, Solo Sikoa 2)

AJ – Becky Lynch – Sadly
Andrew – Becky Lynch – I still don’t care about Lyra.
Dave – Lyra Valkyria – Starting to warm up to her and Becky has a lot to do with that.
DJ – Lyra Valkyria
DPP – Becky Lynch
Jason – Becky Lynch
Patrick – Lyra Valkyria
Rey – Becky Lynch – Put some fire on the Irish Beef.
Rob – Becky Lynch
Greg – Becky Lynch – I don’t think you do a rematch here just to have Becky lose again. Unless Bayley shows up to help Lyra.

Tunney’s Take: Becky Lynch – A big part of me feels that winning this title checks off a major box for Becks in her HOF career.

Chairshot Pick – Becky Lynch 8-3

AJ – Cena & Paul
Andrew – Rhodes & Uso – Easy way for Cena to lose without eating the pinfall.
Dave – Rhodes & Uso – Get the QB back on the winning track.
DJ – Rhodes & Uso
DPP – Rhodes & Uso
Jason – Cena & Paul
Patrick – Cena & Paul
Rey – Rhodes & Uso – Heels usually lose these kinds of matches. Logan takes the pin.
Rob – Cena & Paul
Greg – Rhodes & Uso – I hope Jey isn’t an afterthought here like Cody was last fall when he was paired up with Roman. I think Cody pins Cena to set up Cody-Cena 2 at SummerSlam.

Tunney’s Take: Cena & Paul – I don’t think Cena is involved in another loss until he loses the WWE Championship. I also think Logan Paul is NOT done trying to capture Jey Uso’s World Heavyweight Championship. …Travis Scott in the house?

Chairshot Pick – 6-5 Rhodes & Uso

In closing I want to thank everyone on the panel for participating with their picks! You can follow each prognosticator/podcaster on X @ the handles below. We all enjoy Pro Wrestling so remember three things… be respectful of others, comparison is the thief of joy and HAVE FUN!

AJ – @PhenomenalAJB
Andrew – @IWCWarChief
Dave – @AttitudeAgg
DJ – @TheMindlessPod
DPP – @itsmeDPP
Jason – @JediFett
Patrick – @WrestlngRealist
Rey – @itsreycash
Rob – @rbonne1
Greg – @gregdemarco44
PC – @PCTunney
TheChairshot.com – @ChairshotMedia

prowrestlingtees.com/TheChairshot – a PLETHORA of GREAT designs…MAKES A GREAT GIFT!

About Chairshot Radio Network

MONDAY – Bandwagon Nerds (entertainment & popular culture)

TUESDAY – 4 Corners Podcast (sports)

WEDNESDAY – The Greg DeMarco Show (wrestling)

THURSDAY – POD is WAR (Los Tres Friends)

FRIDAY – DWI Podcast (Drunk Wrestling Intellect)

SATURDAY – The Mindless Wrestling Podcast

SUNDAY – Keeping the news ridiculous… The Oddity / The Front and Center Sports Podcast

CHAIRSHOT RADIO NETWORK PODCAST SPECIALS

Attitude Of Aggression Podcast & The Big Five Project (chronologically exploring WWE’s PPV/PLE history)

TheChairshot.com PRESENTS…IMMEDIATE POST WWE PLE REACTIONS w/ DJ(Mindless), Tunney(DWI) & Friends

Patrick O’Dowd’s 5X5

Classic POD is WAR

Chairshot Radio Network
Your home for the hardest hitting podcasts… Sports, Entertainment and Sports Entertainment!

All Shows On Demand

Listen on your favorite platform!

iTunes | iHeart Radio | Google Play | Spotify
Listen, like, subscribe, and share!

About Chairshot Radio Network

MONDAY - Bandwagon Nerds (entertainment & popular culture)

TUESDAY - Musical Chairs (music) / Hockey Talk (NHL)

WEDNESDAY - The Greg DeMarco Show (wrestling)

THURSDAY - Keeping the news ridiculous... The Oddity / Chairshot NFL (NFL)

FRIDAY - DWI Podcast (Drunk Wrestling Intellect)

SATURDAY - The Mindless Wrestling Podcast

SUNDAY - The Front and Center Sports Podcast

CHAIRSHOT RADIO NETWORK PODCAST SPECIALS

Attitude Of Aggression Podcast & The Big Five Project (chronologically exploring WWE's PPV/PLE history)

TheChairshot.com PRESENTS...IMMEDIATE POST WWE PLE REACTIONS w/ DJ(Mindless), Tunney(DWI) & Friends

Patrick O'Dowd's 5X5

Classic POD is WAR

Chairshot Radio Network Your home for the hardest hitting podcasts... Sports, Entertainment and Sports Entertainment!

All Shows On Demand

Let us know what you think on social media @ChairshotMedia and always remember to use the hashtag #UseYourHead!

Opinion

Chairshot Staff Picks: Backlash St. Louis

Chairshot Staff picks!!!

Published

1 month ago

May 9, 2025

PC Tunney

May is upon us and with that, so is Backlash from St. Louis! What does the first PLE after WrestleMania have in store for the WWE Universe? Let’s see if the Chairshot Staff can properly interpret the crystal ball of rasslin’ future.

AJ – Pat MacAfee – Gunther has to start losing control and who better than an announcer.
Andrew – Pat MacAfee – Goldberg getting involved does seem correct here.
Dave – Gunther – He’s not losing to a broadcaster.
DJ – Gunther – Pat is sent to the shadow realm until football season is over.
DPP – Gunther – Post match beat down leads to Pat time off.
Jason – Gunther – One massive spot and or bump from Pat.
Patrick – Gunther
Rey – Gunther – RIP MacAfee, t’was a good life.
Rob – Gunther
Greg – Pat MacAfee – Why? Goooooldbeeerrrrrgggggg!

Tunney’s Take: Gunther – Seems like the right pick here. Pat may be getting some time off and Gunther needs more heat.

Chairshot Pick – GUNTHER 8-3

AJ – Lyra Valkyria – Becky’s hopefully putting her over, still mad about Dakota.
Andrew – Becky Lynch – I have no real interest in Lyra currently.
Dave – Becky Lynch – Lyra is boring AF!
DJ – Lyra Valkyria – Bayley interferes.
DPP – Becky Lynch – Becky cheats and steals the title.
Jason – Lyra Valkyria – Bayley costs Becks.
Patrick – Becky Lynch
Rey – Becky Lynch – Story needs to jump up a bit, Becky Charlotte’s Lyra.
Rob – Lyra Valkyria
Greg – Becky Lynch – It’s been fun, Lyra. (It kinda hasn’t)

Tunney’s Take: Lyra Valkyria – Bayley’s interference should set up some type of program with Becky as we head towards Summer(Slam).

Chairshot Pick – BECKY LYNCH 6-5

AJ – Jacob Fatu – Great way to put him over w/ two former WHCs and LA Knight.
Andrew – Jacob Fatu – He’s Jacob Fatu!
Dave – Jacob Fatu – Too soon to pull the belt off him.
DJ – Jacob Fatu – Priest and LA can’t decide who’s is bigger.
DPP – Jacob Fatu – Your hardcore match, tables and chairs involved.
Jason – Jacob Fatu – The Champ retains due to or in spite of Solo.
Patrick – Jacob Fatu
Rey – Jacob Fatu – All gas. No brakes. Ain’t losing.
Rob – Jacob Fatu
Greg – Jacob Fatu – Someone from The Samoan Dynasty ain’t winning a title just to drop it.

Tunney’s Take: Jacob Fatu – Uncle Mo is on Fatu’s side and other than Knight, I don’t see Drew or Priest holding the US title in the current circumstances of this title’s landscape.

Chairshot Pick – JACOB FATU 11-0

AJ – Dominic Mysterio – Judgement Day shenanigans just leading up to Finn turning on Dom later.
Andrew – Penta – Dom’s fine having a short reign, could also work for pushing AAA.
Dave – Dominic Mysterio – He’s probably more over than Penta.
DJ – Dominic Mysterio – Dirty Dom takes home the gold and the girl.
DPP – Dominic Mysterio – Big Head helps Dom pull out the win.
Jason – Dominic Mysterio – By hook and crook.
Patrick – Dominic Mysterio
Rey – Dominic Mysterio – Latino Heat keeps burning. Finn gets closer to the edge.
Rob – Dominic Mysterio
Greg – Dominic Mysterio – Someone from The Guerrero Dynasty ain’t winning a title just to drop it.

Tunney’s Take: Dominic Mysterio – That belt looks good with the king of chicken tendys. I can see Penta and Rey reforming as a tag team sooner than later.

Chairshot Pick – DOMINIC MYSTERIO 10-1

AJ – John Cena – Why? Cena wins, lol.
Andrew – John Cena – Shenanigans ensue so it’s not a clean win.
Dave – John Cena – The last time is now.
DJ – John Cena – Randy hears voices telling him he needs an Attitude Adjustment.
DPP – John Cena – Cena tries to cheat but the ref doesn’t call for a DQ.
Jason – John Cena – Nefarious means, Randy not ready for Evil John Cena.
Patrick – John Cena
Rey – John Cena – Cena just counting down the dates. Should be fun though.
Rob – John Cena
Greg – John Cena – You know they want Cody to be the hero in the end.

Tunney’s Take: Randy Orton – Once upon a time Randy got himself intentionally disqualified and it cost John. Saturday, history repeats itself with a 180-degree twist. Cena retains via Orton DQ victory. This time, Travis Scott’s appearance takes care of that task.

Chairshot Pick – JOHN CENA 10-1