The wrestling world is in mourning due to the unexpected death of Jon Huber, better known as former WWE star Luke Harper or Brodie Lee.
Huber's wife shared the tragic news of his passing via social media on Saturday.
"My best friend died today," she wrote. "The world saw him as the amazing [Brodie Lee] (fka Luke Harper) but he was my best friend, my husband, and the greatest father you would ever meet."
Adding, "No words can express the love I feel or how broken I am right now. He passed surrounded by love ones after a hard fought battle with a non Covid related lung issue."
The beloved wrestler was only 41 years old.
As you can expect, the unforeseen tragedy left his peers in shock, and many paid tribute to their friend via social media.
One common theme amongst the tributes was Huber's love for his wife and sons, as well as his kindness to everyone he encountered.
WWE commented on his passing, writing: "WWE is saddened to learn that Jon Huber, known to WWE fans as Luke Harper, passed away today at age 41. WWE extends its condolences to Huber’s family, friends and fans."
Read some of the tributes from his peers below.
Huber began his wrestling career on the indies in 2003 as Brodie Lee. In 2012, he signed with WWE and became Luke Harper in the company's development system.
The wrestler eventually debuted in NXT alongside Bray Wyatt and Erick Rowan as a member of The Wyatt Family, then after moving to the main roster they become one of WWE's most popular factions.
During his time with WWE, Harper had one run with the Intercontinental Championship and two with the SmackDown Tag Team titles.
He was also involved in memorable matches with teams like The Shield, The Usos, New Day and more
Four of his matches stand out in particular:
- The Wyatt Family vs. The Shield at Elimination Chamber '14. This had an electric feeling throughout, as both teams were looking to prove they were the more dominant team and it ruled.
- Harper's ladder match at WWE TLC '14 against Dolph Ziggler for the IC title that stole the show.
- A singles match at WWE Elimination Chamber '17 against Randy Orton that proved he could hang with the top guys.
- 7-man Ladder Match at WrestleMania 31, his only match as a singles competitor at WrestleMania, which included this brutal spot.
