Jonathan Huber, an AEW fighter who previously played in the WWE, died of a lung problem unrelated to the coronavirus, his wife, Amanda, wrote on Instagram on Saturday. He was 41 years old.
Lee fought under Luke Harper in the WWE and Brodie Lee in the AEW. He has not been on AEW television since early October.
“No word can express the love I feel or how broken I am now,” wrote Amanda Huber. “He was surrounded by his loved ones after a hard fight with a lung problem that is not related to Covid. @Mayoclinic is literally the best team of doctors and nurses in the world who have surrounded me with constant love.”
In a statement, AEW wrote that Huber “was exceptionally respected and loved in every way – a fierce and captivating talent, an attentive mentor and simply a very kind soul.”
Huber, originally from Rochester, New York, fought for the WWE from 2012 to 2019. He was a regular on WWE television, especially as a member of the Wyatt family and in a long-standing team with wrestler Erick Rowan. WWE granted him the release he had requested in December last year. Huber signed with AEW and made his debut there in March.
In AEW, Huber was immediately pushed into a prominent position. He was named leader of a faction called The Dark Order and fought Jon Moxley for the AEW title at the May or Double pay-per-view event. Huber’s last match was a Dog Dogar match for the AEW TNT title against Cody Rhodes on October 7th. The fight was rated 4.5 (out of 5) stars by the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, tied for the highest star rating in Lee’s career.
Huber is survived by his wife, Amanda, and children, Brodie and Nolan.