5 Reasons Brodie Lee Is A Perfect Fit For AEW's Exalted One

When he asked for his release from WWE in April of 2019, many figured Luke Harper would be bound for this new wrestling promotion backed by Shad Khan's son and The Elite. When Harper finally secured said release weeks before Christmas, it looked apparent that "Big Rig" Brodie Lee would definitely make tracks toward a now-established All Elite Wrestling. And as The Dark Order drew closer to revealing their "Exalted One", well, Lee's name was one that apparently fit the bill.

Before a bare bones crowd of wrestling personnel in Jacksonville, Brodie Lee unhooded himself, filling the role of unquestioned spiritual leader for a group of devoted bid-doers, before leading a beatdown of SCU members Christopher Daniels and Frankie Kazarian.

Lee's AEW debut would have come off better before a live crowd (especially in the original location of Rochester, NY, his legitimate hometown), but for what we got, it came off well enough. As far as being the right man for the job, is Brodie Lee a good choice for The Exalted One? I say yes, for the following reasons.

When he asked for his release from WWE in April of 2019, many figured Luke Harper would be bound for this new wrestling promotion backed by Shad Khan's son and The Elite. When Harper finally secured said release weeks before Christmas, it looked apparent that "Big Rig" Brodie Lee would definitely make tracks toward a now-established All Elite Wrestling. And as The Dark Order drew closer to revealing their "Exalted One", well, Lee's name was one that apparently fit the bill.

Before a bare bones crowd of wrestling personnel in Jacksonville, Brodie Lee unhooded himself, filling the role of unquestioned spiritual leader for a group of devoted bid-doers, before leading a beatdown of SCU members Christopher Daniels and Frankie Kazarian.

Lee's AEW debut would have come off better before a live crowd (especially in the original location of Rochester, NY, his legitimate hometown), but for what we got, it came off well enough. As far as being the right man for the job, is Brodie Lee a good choice for The Exalted One? I say yes, for the following reasons.

5. He's Got Something To Say

Though he wasn't completely muted as one of Bray Wyatt's menacing henchman, it's not like Harper had much of a voice in WWE.

He did manage to get his point across through his expressive eyes (as well as his guttural, animal-like bleats), but there's more than meets the eye to Lee.

As his debut vignette showed, he's a pretty solid speaker, with the sort of menacing invective that was absent in his prior incarnation. Taking a mostly-quiet performer and giving him a voice only ups the intrigue factor.

4. Size Matters

While the Exalted One could've been anybody, really, someone with an imposing build works for this role.

Evil Uno may have a heavyweight frame, but he, Stu Grayson, Alex Reynolds, and John Silver are all on the shortish side.

Lee towers over them, and thus projects authority from a physical standpoint. AEW's finally amassing a solid collection of heavyweights, with Lance Archer coming in, Jake Hager activated, and Jeff Cobb possibly signing full-time down the road.

Putting a powerhouse like Lee in this prime spot adds weight to the role.

3. He Otherwise Looks The Part

If you were to design a cult leader from scratch, how would you do it?

Certainly it's open to interpretation, but you might think of a looming figure with a dogmatic beard, as well as eyes that can spellbind a person with minimal effort. Lee, even as Luke Harper, demonstrated a silent charisma that made him somebody worth keeping an eye on, with enough tics and quirks to keep him interesting.

Who better to lead a cult of brainwashed derelicts than a towering sociopath that leaves an impression?

2. Fans Have Wanted This For Him

The list of "favourite wrestlers that WWE buries on purpose" is subjective, and runs deep, depending on the very loose understanding of what "buried" means.

Passionate fans have wanted to see the likes of Cesaro, The Revival, Ricochet, and others flee the McMahon compound for happier pastures, and count Luke Harper among them.

Woefully underutilised for some time, Lee can walk down the Moxley path and enjoy the fruits of a more conducive creative environment. To see Lee in a featured role not only makes him happy, but it will intrigue his backers, too.

1. He Could Be The Cult Leader The Old Bray Wyatt Never Was

Lee knows about the cult life - off and on, he stood beside Bray Wyatt as one of his trusty followers.

The Wyatt Family inspires feelings both positive and negative - positive because the concept was cool (and they had their moments), and negative because some feel the potential wasn't reached.

Putting the former Luke Harper in charge of his own unwieldy sect would be a neat little side-by-side to his former life, and former leader. It's going to be nearly impossible to equal Wyatt in terms of charisma, but overall execution? Time will tell.