It’s taken me a couple of weeks to get myself up to write this one. This one really hurts.

Most wrestling fans know by now that Jon Huber, who worked as Luke Harper in WWE, and Brodie Lee in the indies, and most recently in AEW, has passed away at the age of 41. Huber leaves behind his wife Amanda, and a young family. His love for his family is a greater legacy than anything he did in the ring.

There have been stories this week about how Huber would forsake the comforts of a hotel room to drive four or five hours just to spend some precious moments with his family; and then make the drive back the next morning in time for the next show. When possible, he would bring his family to events just so he could spend time with them in between rehearsals and events.

Huber made his name as Luke Harper; a member of the villainous Wyatt Family in WWE. A few days before Christmas I was re-watching the original Wyatt Family promos in NXT. The entire Wyatt storyline has been, I believe, the most compelling in all of wrestling since their debut in 2013. I remember doing some research on the group back in the day. I knew Wyatt was Husky Harris from the old version of NXT; but I found a brutal match between Brodie Lee and Jon Moxley. Lee and Moxley would feud as Harper and Dean Ambrose in one of the greatest rivalries of recent years - the Wyatt Family VS The Shield. They were set to clash again in AEW in 2021 over their version of the World Championship.

Harper became a Tag Team Champion alongside Erick Rowan in WWE, as well as having a brief run as Intercontinental Champion. He later won the TNT Championship in AEW, and only dropped the belt in November, when he told management he wasn’t feeling well.

No-one could have known that a seemingly benign feeling of being off-colour would result in the death of a wrestler at the top of his game. In the aftermath, wrestlers across promotions have told stories about Jon’s generosity, sense of humour, and above all his love for his family.

Like the rest of the world, I found out about Jon’s passing via the internet shortly after Christmas. I remembered watching those promos, which still seem so realistic. They were bloody scary! That’s what made them so successful. It’s a reminder that wrestlers portray characters, and they go home to their families just as we all do.

Luke Harper was one of my favourites.

This one hurts.

Rest in Peace Jon Huber. We’ll see you on the other side.