It felt like a bad dream. On December 26, 2020, while the world was still grappling with a global pandemic, the professional wrestling community stopped in its tracks. Jon Huber—known to millions as Brodie Lee in AEW and Luke Harper in WWE—was gone. He was 41. He was an elite athlete. He was a father, a husband, and by all accounts, one of the "good ones" in a business that isn't always known for them.
The shock was visceral. One month, he was leading The Dark Order and throwing 275-pound men around a ring. The next, he was fighting for his life in a hospital bed. Because of the timing, everyone assumed it was COVID-19. But it wasn't.
The Real Brodie Lee Cause of Death
The official Brodie Lee cause of death was idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF).
That’s a mouthful. Basically, it’s a rare and aggressive condition where the lungs become permanently scarred and stiff. The word "idiopathic" is medical-speak for "we don't know why this happened." For Jon Huber, the transition from being a world-class athlete to needing a ventilator happened with terrifying speed.
It started in October 2020. After a brutal "Dog Collar Match" against Cody Rhodes, Jon started feeling off. He couldn't finish his workouts on his Peloton. He was tired. His wife, Amanda Huber, later detailed on the AEW Unrestricted podcast how a simple case of suspected "bronchitis" spiraled into a nightmare.
His oxygen levels were the first real red flag. In a healthy person, your oxygen saturation is usually around 98% to 100%. When Jon was finally taken to the hospital, his levels were at 52%. That is a staggering number. Doctors were baffled. They tested him for COVID-19 over and over—every test came back negative.
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Why This Diagnosis Was So Unusual
If you look at the stats for IPF, Jon Huber shouldn't have had it.
Most people diagnosed with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis are over the age of 70. It’s a disease that typically creeps up over years, slowly eroding a person’s ability to breathe. Jon was 41. He was in peak physical condition. He didn't smoke.
The Mayo Clinic Battle
When things got dire in Florida, Jon was airlifted to the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville. This is where the best of the best try to solve the unsolvable. He was put on an ECMO machine (Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation). For those who aren't medical nerds, an ECMO machine basically acts as your heart and lungs outside of your body. It pumps your blood, adds oxygen, removes carbon dioxide, and sends it back in. It’s the highest level of life support available.
There were moments of hope. Small ones. In November, he started showing signs of improvement. They performed a tracheotomy so he could come off the ventilator. He was awake. He was mouthing words to Amanda. He even started physical therapy.
But IPF is a monster.
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By December, the "two steps forward, one step back" rhythm turned into a freefall. His kidneys started failing. His heart began to struggle. The scarring in his lungs was too severe for him to recover on his own. The only real "cure" for advanced IPF is a lung transplant, but Jon’s body was too weak by the time he reached that crossroad.
Addressing the Misinformation
Honestly, the internet can be a dark place. Because Jon died during the height of the pandemic, a lot of people refused to believe it wasn't COVID. Some "journalists" and trolls even accused the family and AEW of a cover-up.
Amanda Huber has been incredibly transparent about this. She has repeatedly stated that Jon was tested countless times. The doctors at the Mayo Clinic—some of the smartest people on the planet—ruled out COVID.
It’s actually more frightening to realize that a healthy, 41-year-old man can just have his lungs fail for "no reason." That is the reality of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. Sometimes, the body just breaks.
The Legacy Left Behind
The wrestling world's reaction told you everything you needed to know about the man. AEW’s tribute show for Brodie Lee is widely considered one of the most emotional hours of television in history. They didn't just lose a performer; they lost a locker room leader.
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His son, Brodie Jr. (-1 in The Dark Order), was essentially adopted by the AEW family. It wasn't a PR stunt. It was a group of people trying to fill a hole that was impossible to plug.
What We Can Learn
While Jon's case was extremely rare, it highlights a few things about lung health that we often ignore:
- Listen to your body: If you’re an athlete and suddenly your "wind" is gone, don't just blame it on a cold. Jon's inability to finish his usual Peloton ride was his first warning sign.
- Oxygen matters: Shortness of breath isn't just "being out of shape." If you feel like you can't catch your breath while resting, get to a doctor.
- Medical mysteries exist: Even with the best care at the Mayo Clinic, sometimes medicine doesn't have all the answers. "Idiopathic" is a frustrating word, but it's an honest one.
If you want to honor Jon Huber’s memory, the best thing you can do is support the Brodie Lee Foundation or look into the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation. They work to fund research into why this happens to people who should be perfectly healthy.
Check your own respiratory health. If you’ve had a lingering cough for more than a month or find yourself getting winded during simple tasks like climbing stairs, don't wait. Schedule a lung function test. It’s a simple, non-invasive way to see how your lungs are actually performing.
Jon Huber was a giant of a man with a heart to match. His passing was a tragedy of biology, not a conspiracy. He fought until the very end, which is exactly how his fans will always remember him.
Next Steps for You:
If you or a loved one are experiencing unexplained shortness of breath, consult a pulmonologist specifically for a Pulmonary Function Test (PFT). Early detection is the only way to manage interstitial lung diseases. You can also visit the Mayo Clinic's official portal to learn more about the specific symptoms of pulmonary fibrosis.