Former Wyatt Family member and WWE Tag Team Champion Luke Harper released a statement via social media on Tuesday declaring that he has requested his release from the WWE.
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“As of this evening, I have requested a release from WWE,” Harper wrote. “The past 6 years have been a simply, amazing journey around the world and back with lifelong friends and family. I am proud of it all and proud to say I shared the ring with my co workers.
“This decision, as difficult as it was, feels right for myself and WWE. My goal in the future is to continue to grow as a performer and person and continue to make my family proud,” the statement continued. “Thank you. From the top to the bottom of WWE. Thank you to the fans for your undying support. Thank you everyone.”
Harper, real name Jonathan Huber, first signed a developmental contract with the WWE in 2012. By November of that year he had aligned himself with Bray Wyatt as the first member of the Wyatt Family, and along with Erick Rowan the trio debuted in the summer of 2013.
In September 2014 the WWE wrote that Harper and Rowan had been “set free” by Wyatt, allowing the two to both try their hands at singles runs. Harper briefly held the Intercontinental Championship while aligning himself with The Authority, but by mid-2015 he was back to working alongside Wyatt and Rowan.
Harper finished his WWE career as a two-time SmackDown Tag Team Champion — once with Wyatt and Randy Orton and again with Rowan as the repackaged Bludgeon Brothers.
The pair dropped the tag titles in Summer 2018 as Rowan had to recover from a torn right bicep. Harper was taken off of television and underwent surgery on his wrist, but wound up not getting brought back to television until after Rowan had aligned himself with WWE Champion Daniel Bryan.
Harper opened up about his frustrations with creative not having anything for him on Twitter back in late March.
“I read all the texts I got that said, ‘you’re back on Axxess???’ I was kind to all the people at the gym asking if I’m retired,” Harper wrote. “I swallowed my pride when agents and writers asked me if I was still hurt when completely healthy. And now here we are. April 4th, 2019 ‘When Worlds Collide’ at Axxess. Luke Harper vs. Donovan Dijak. How will I respond? How will I change things? Well to all of you this may just be a throwaway Axxess match, but I can assure you to me it is much, much more.”
After beating NXT’s Dominik Dijakovic on WrestleMania Axxess, Harper competed in the Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal at WrestleMania 35. His last WWE match came on April 9, where he defeated EC3 in a dark match.
