Brodie Lee, AKA Luke Harper, died on Boxing Day 2020 (Picture: AEW)
WWE veteran Michael Cole paid tribute to the late, great Brodie Lee as SmackDown got underway.
The longtime commentator opened Friday night’s show with a special reference to the late wrestler, known to WWE fans as Luke Harper, on what would have been his 43rd birthday.
He referenced Lee’s memorable catchphrase which was later adopted by AEW Dynamite as a tribute, with the shows starting with: ‘It’s Wednesday, and you know what that means’.
As SmackDown came on the air, Cole said: ‘It’s Friday, and you know what that means!’
The sweet nod comes after Seth Rollins – who famously crossed paths with Brodie during his time as Luke Harper in the Wyatt Family – remembered the late star almost a year after his tragic death aged 41 on December 26, 2020.
Earlier this month, WWE was in Lee’s hometown of Rochester, New York for an untelevised event on the SuperShow Holiday Tour, and the main event saw Rollins come up short against United States Champion Austin Theory.
Michael Cole referenced Brodie on commentary (Picture: WWE)
After the match, The Visionary brought the show to a close by speaking to the crowd about their local hero.
‘Mr. Brodie Lee, AKA Luke Harper,’ he began. ‘He passed away a couple of years ago about this time and this is the first time I’ve been here with a microphone in my hand, in this city, to tell him how much I miss him and how much I love him.’
This led to huge ‘Brodie’ chants from the fans in attendance, as Rollins paused for them to ring out.
Rollins added: ‘I just wanted to say tonight was for him. Every single time we are in Rochester, in my heart, that means we’re here for him. It’s Saturday, and you know what that means – so do your damn thing, and sing my song.’
The crowd obliged, singing the WWE superstar’s entrance theme as he threw his mic down, blew a kiss and pointed to the sky.
After the clip was shared on social media, it caught the eye of Amanda Huber, Lee’s widow, and she shared the video with her own followers will thanking Rollins for his kind words.
She tweeted: ‘This is beautiful. Thank you @WWERollins’.
WWE SmackDown airs Friday nights at 1am on BT Sport 1.
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