| Luke Harper and Erick Rowan | |
|---|---|
 Harper (left) and Rowan (right) under their Bludgeon Brothersgimmick atWrestleMania 34 in April 2018 | |
| Tag team | |
| Members | Harper/Luke Harper Rowan/Erick Rowan |
| Name(s) | Bludgeon Brothers Luke Harper and Erick Rowan The Wyatt Family |
| Billed heights | Harper: 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) Rowan: 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) |
| Combined billed weight | 590 lb (270 kg) Harper: 275 lb (125 kg) Rowan: 315 lb (143 kg) |
| Debut | June 22, 2012 |
| Disbanded | October 14, 2019 |
| Years active | 2012–2014 2015–2016 2017–2019 |
Luke Harper and Erick Rowan, also known asThe Bludgeon Brothers, were an Americanprofessional wrestlingtag team inWWE consisting ofLuke Harper andErick Rowan. They were also known as being members of the cult factionThe Wyatt Family, led byBray Wyatt.
After work athouse shows from June 2012 to November 2012, Luke Harper and Erick Rowan made their televised debut as a tag team in January 2013, under the leadership of Bray Wyatt as a part of The Wyatt Family stable. Together, they won theNXT Tag Team Championship in May 2013. They moved to the main roster later that year, eventually starting afeud against each other following the split of The Wyatt Family in late 2014. The duo would reunite in May 2015 and subsequently reconcile with Wyatt, reforming The Wyatt Family. Harper and Rowan suffered injuries during the group's revival, causing the duo to go inactive in 2016.
The duo reunited as a team in October 2017 under the new moniker The Bludgeon Brothers, with their ring names shortened to simply Harper and Rowan. They would go on to capture theSmackDown Tag Team Championship in April 2018 atWrestleMania 34. After losing the titles that August, they spent time apart due to injuries, ultimately reuniting in September 2019, dropping their Bludgeon Brothers gimmick and re-using their original ring names. However, this would be their last time teaming together, as during the2019 WWE draft, Rowan wasdrafted toRaw while Harper remained onSmackDown. Harper was then granted his release from the promotion in December due to creative differences, while Rowan was subsequently released in April 2020 due to budget cuts as a result of theCOVID-19 pandemic.
Following their respective releases from WWE, Harper signed withAll Elite Wrestling (AEW) under the ring name Brodie Lee, while Rowan began working on theindependent circuit under the ring name Erick Redbeard. On December 26, 2020, Harper unexpectedly died; during anAEW tribute show on December 30, Rowan appeared for the first time in the promotion and paid tribute to his former tag team partner by holding up a sign in the ring that read: "Goodbye for now, my brother. See you down the road."
 |
|
Rowan signed a WWE contract in February 2011 and Harper in March 2012, with both wrestlers performing in NXT's predecessorFlorida Championship Wrestling (FCW). After FCW wasrebranded toNXT Wrestling, Harper and Rowan debuted onNXT under the leadership ofBray Wyatt to form a faction known asThe Wyatt Family in November, with the duo being referred to as Wyatt's "sons".[1][2][3] On the January 23, 2013, episode ofNXT, Harper and Rowan entered theNXT Tag Team Championship tournament to crown the inaugural champions, defeating the team ofPercy Watson andYoshi Tatsu in the first round.[4] Following a win overBo Dallas andMichael McGillicutty in the semi-finals with Wyatt's interference,[5] Harper and Rowan went on to the finals of the tournament, but were defeated byAdrian Neville andOliver Grey.[6]
The Wyatt Family later assaulted Grey (who had suffered a legitimate injury) while Wyatt preventedBo Dallas from winning aNXT Championship number one contender match due to Dallas refusal to join The Wyatt Family.[7][8] On the May 2 episode ofNXT, Harper and Rowan won atriple threat elimination tag team match by lastlypinning Neville to earn a shot at the NXT Tag Team Championship.[9] On the May 8 episode ofNXT, Harper and Rowan defeated Neville and Dallas, the latter filling in for the injured Grey, to win the NXT Tag Team Championship.[10][11] After Harper and Rowan won the titles, The Wyatt Family went on to feud withCorey Graves andKassius Ohno,.[12] On the June 19 episode ofNXT, The Wyatt Family defeated the team of Graves, Neville and Ohno.[13] On the July 17 episode ofNXT, Harper and Rowan lost the NXT Tag Team Championship to Neville and Graves.[14][15]
From the May 27 episode ofRaw, WWE airedvignettes promoting the upcomingmain roster debut of The Wyatt Family.[16] The vignettes showed the Wyatt Family'sbackwoods origins and Rowan wearing a sheep mask.[17][18] On the July 8 episode ofRaw, The Wyatt Family made their debut by assaultingKane.[19] Harper and Rowan made their main roster in-ring debut on the July 26 episode ofSmackDown, where they defeated Tons of Funk (Brodus Clay andTensai) in a tag team match.[20] Over the next few months, Harper and Rowan competed as a tag team and went on a winning streak over many teams,[21][22][23] untilCody Rhodes and Goldust handed them their first loss on the October 11 episode ofSmackDown.[24] In early 2014, Harper and Rowan feuded withThe Shield,[25][26][27] while also supporting Bray Wyatt in his feud withJohn Cena.[28] While Wyatt and Cena's feud continued, Harper and Rowan also started a feud withThe Usos, unsuccessfully challenging for theWWE Tag Team Championship atMoney in the Bank[29] andBattleground.[30]
On September 29, 2014, vignettes began to air of Bray Wyatt announcing he was setting Luke Harper and Erick Rowan "free".[31][32] Rowan returned on the October 31 episode ofSmackDown,[33] while Harper returned on the November 10 episode ofRaw, aligning himself withThe Authority.[34] On the November 17 episode ofRaw, Rowan joined Team Cena forSurvivor Series, opposing Luke Harper and turning into aheroic character.[35] At the event, Rowan's team was victorious. During the match, Harper and Rowan attacked each other, with Rowan ultimately being eliminated from the match by his former partner (with assistance fromSeth Rollins).[36]
On the December 8 episode ofRaw, Harper and Rowan faced each other in singles competition, with Harper ultimately getting himself disqualified.[37] On the January 5, 2015 episode ofRaw, The Authority punished Rowan by putting him in a singles match against Harper, with Harper picking up the win after adiscusclothesline and the help of J&J Security (Jamie Noble andJoey Mercury), who were thespecial guest referees for the match.[38] On the January 22 episode ofSmackDown, Harper and Rowan once again competed against each other, this time in a2015 Royal Rumble qualifying match, with Harper winning and thus not allowing Rowan to participate in the Royal Rumble match.[39] Despite this, Rowan appeared during the Royal Rumble match on January 25, ambushing the number six entrantCurtis Axel, to attack Harper and subsequently sparking a brief Wyatt Family reunion, along with Bray Wyatt, before all three men began to brawl.[40]
.jpg)
On the May 7 episode ofSmackDown, Rowan would come out after Harper defeatedFandango, seemingly to confront Harper, but would instead attack Fandango and thus turning into avillain in the process.[41] On the May 11 episode ofRaw, Harper and Rowan would officially reunite when Harper accompanied Rowan to his match against Fandango which Rowan won after 30 seconds and the two proceeded to double team Fandango after the match.[42] On the May 18 episode ofRaw, Harper and Rowan teamed up to take on Fandango andZack Ryder, which Rowan and Harper won after asuperkick andfull nelson slam combination.[43] On the June 4 episode ofSmackDown, Harper and Rowan cut apromo about being ostracized and stated they were a family.[44][45] On the June 5 episode ofSuperstars, Harper and Rowan defeatedLos Matadores in a tag team match, and once again in a rematch the following week onRaw.[46]
In late June, during a match at alive event, Rowan suffered a tornbicep, with reports saying he would be out of action for 4–6 months.[47] On the June 23 episode ofMain Event, Harper returned to singles competition when he defeatedCesaro, but not before cutting a promo where he said losing his tag team partner has only made him more dangerous. Harper eventually reunited with Bray Wyatt on July 19 atBattleground by helping him defeatRoman Reigns.[48] After four months of inactivity, Rowan returned from injury on the October 19 episode ofRaw, when he filled in for Harper (who was unable to show for personal reasons) to team with Wyatt and Wyatt Family newcomerBraun Strowman, againstRoman Reigns,Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins, which his team won by disqualification after Ambrose attacked Strowman with a kendo stick.[49] During this time, The Wyatt Family feuded with several teams includingThe Brothers of Destruction (The Undertaker andKane)[50] andTeam ECW (The Dudley Boyz,Tommy Dreamer andRhyno).[51]
In March 2016, Harper suffered a knee injury during aRawdark match and it was reported that the injury would sideline him for five to six months.[52] On July 19, at the2016 WWE draft, Wyatt and Rowan were drafted to SmackDown while Strowman was drafted to Raw, separating him from the group.[53] After the draft, Wyatt and Rowan continued their alliance,[54] and Harper returned at the close of the SmackDown brand's eventNo Mercy on October 9 in a match between Wyatt andRandy Orton, whom Harper distracted to help Wyatt win the match, thus realigning himself with the group.[55] Prior to Harper's return, Rowan underwent surgery to repair a torn rotator cuff.[56]
During Rowan's absence, Harper betrayed the group, attacking Wyatt and his new ally Randy Orton during the2017 Royal Rumble.[57] On the April 4 episode ofSmackDown, Rowan returned from injury after nearly eight months of inactivity, sporting a newsteampunk-style sheep mask, assisting Wyatt in attacking Orton (who had also betrayed Wyatt); Wyatt and Rowan later that went on to lose a tag team match against Orton and Harper.[58] The Wyatt Family seemingly disbanded again when Wyatt was moved to the Raw brand during the2017 WWE Superstar Shake-up, but despite this Wyatt and Rowan continued their alliance, with Wyatt distracting Orton during his match with Rowan on the April 11 episode ofSmackDown.[59] Harper and Rowan continued to rival each other until the feud seemingly ended atBacklash on May 21, where Harper defeated Rowan.[60]
After months without appearing on WWE programming, on the October 10 episode ofSmackDown, Harper and Rowan returned in arepackagevignette, with the duo wielding mallets and calling themselves "bludgeon brothers".[61] During this time, both Luke Harper and Erick Rowan shortened their ring names, officially being billed as "Harper" and "Rowan".[62] After a month of promotion, Harper and Rowan wrestled their return match as The Bludgeon Brothers on the November 21 episode ofSmackDown, defeatingThe Hype Bros.[63]
After multiple weeks of defeating enhancement talent insquash matches, the Bludgeon Brothers made an appearance atFastlane on March 11, 2018, interfering during theSmackDown Tag Team Championship bout between defending championsThe Usos andThe New Day. This would lead to atriple threattag team match between the three teams for the title atWrestleMania 34, where the Bludgeon Brothers won, earning their first title as a team on the main roster; this was also Rowan's first title on the main roster, and the first win at WrestleMania for both.[64][65] They would go on to successfully defend the titles against The Usos at theGreatest Royal Rumble, againstLuke Gallows and Karl Anderson atMoney in the Bank, and againstTeam Hell No atExtreme Rules.[66][67][68]
AtSummerSlam, Harper and Rowan defended their titles against The New Day; they lost by disqualication after Rowan attackedXavier Woods with a mallet, marking their first loss as The Bludgeon Brothers.[69] Two days later onSmackDown, Rowan and Harper lost the titles to The New Day in a no-disqualification match, ending their reign at 135 days.[70] The following day, it was announced that Rowan had suffered a torn right bicep, sidelining him indefinitely.[71][72] During this time, Harper also underwent surgery due to a wrist injury.[73]
Rowan returned alone on January 27, 2019 at theRoyal Rumble pay-per-view, where he aidedWWE ChampionDaniel Bryan in retaining his title againstAJ Styles.[74] On March 9, 2019, Harper returned to in-ring action, defeatingMojo Rawley at a live event.[75] Harper then wrestled atWrestleMania 35 andWorlds Collide before taking an extended hiatus from weekly television, and on April 16, requesting his release from WWE.[76][77][78] However, atClash of Champions on September 15, Harper returned, helping Rowan defeatRoman Reigns and reforming their alliance.[79] The two were then defeated by Roman Reigns and Daniel Bryan atHell in a Cell in a Tornado Tag Team Match.[80] However, this would be their final time teaming together as during the2019 WWE draft, Rowan was drafted toRaw while Harper remained onSmackDown.
On December 8, 2019, Luke Harper was released from his WWE contract, thus ending the possibility of Harper and Rowan teaming again in WWE.[81] On April 15, 2020, Erick Rowan would also be released from his WWE contract as part of budget cuts stemming from theCOVID-19 pandemic. Following their respective releases and after their 90-day non-compete clause had expired, Harper signed withAll Elite Wrestling (AEW) under the ring name Brodie Lee, while Rowan began working on theindependent circuit under the ring name Erick Redbeard.
On December 26, 2020, Jon Huber (Luke Harper/Brodie Lee) died from lung disease at the age of 41. At AEW'sBrodie Lee Celebration of Life on December 30, 2020, an event memorializing Huber, Rowan appeared for the first time in AEW to pay his respects to Huber; Rowan performed arun-in to save Huber's formerDark Order teammatesJohn Silver andAlex Reynolds and their partnerAdam Page from interference byWardlow, helping them defeatThe Inner Circle's team ofMaxwell Jacob Friedman,Santana and Ortiz. At the end of the match he held up a sign dedicated to his tag team partner and friend: "Goodbye for now, my brother. See you down the road."[82]
|
|
