01When WWE announced the release of Luke Harper, fans weren't exactly surprised. Harper was reportedly unhappy with the direction of his character and lack of opportunity, particularly after creative disbanded The Wyatt Family. Ultimately, this led to WWE sitting on Harper's contract as it expired, barely utilizing him at all.
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However, WWE may have made a grave mistake by letting Harper go. With rumors swirling that Harper is set to make his AEW debut soon, let's take a look at some of the biggest reasons why Harper made the right choice by leaving WWE when he did and why his future is looking brighter than ever.
He Cuts a Great Promo
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via wwe.com[/caption]
For most of his tenure in WWE, Harper's character was that of a stoic giant tasked with carrying out the whims of whoever he aligned with at the time. Though he played the role well, those only familiar with his WWE work might be surprised to learn that Harper cuts a great promo.
During his earlier days in Chikara and CZW, for example, he'd take the mic and cut elaborate promos, toying with his opponents verbally before tormenting them physically. It'll be fascinating to see what Harper has to say for himself when he inevitably shows up in AEW.
The Return of Brodie Lee
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Harper did the best he could with his character in WWE, but for the most part, his character felt aimless and at times downright contradictory. What exactly did he want? Why was he furious with his Wyatt Family companions one moment and fine with them the next? None of it made sense.
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With the character of Luke Harper ostensibly gone for good, expect to see the return of Harper's pre-WWE character, the psychotic truck driver Brodie Lee.
Whereas Harper had little to no motivation, Brodie Lee wanted one thing and one thing only -- to hurt people. Sure, it might not be the most complex goal for a wrestler, but the idea of a character traveling the country looking for brawls is still more fleshed out than that of a bug-eyed cultist from the swamplands.
An Unrestricted Moveset
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You wouldn't know it by watching his WWE matches, but Harper might be the most agile big man in wrestling today. During his early days, he'd often take to the top rope or pull off moves you'd expect to see guys half his size do, much like
Bam Bam Bigelow.Harper's departure from WWE means, at least in a perfect world, that he'll no longer be pigeonholed as just another big guy. As impressive as his powerbomb is, Harper has a lightning-quick dropkick that looks so seamless it would make most
cruiserweights jealous.
A Chance To Make A Name For Himself
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via KRIS-TV[/caption]Every time it seemed as though Harper might get the chance to show people what he could do on his own, WWE would inevitably pair him up with someone, often resulting in Harper
taking a backseat to his partner(s). As fun as The Wyatt Family was, especially in the early days, it'll be nice to see Harper get his moment in the spotlight for a change.As previously mentioned, he has all of the traits you'd expect in a superstar. Pair that with the fact that AEW has a great track record of revitalizing careers with guys like
Dustin Rhodes,
Chris Jericho, and
DDP standing out as prime examples, and you have the potential for a truly exciting Luke Harper/Brodie Lee singles run.
New Matchups
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via wwe.com[/caption]Harper's seemingly cemented status as a mid-carder in WWE meant that we'd often see he and his partners in the same matches week in and week out with guys like
The Usos or
The Ascension. As fine as the matches were, they quickly grew stale. In AEW, however, Harper has a fresh batch of new opponents that have us fantasy booking some great match-ups that better utilize his style.
RELATED: 10 Dream Matches We Never Got To SeeIf he chooses to go back to his hardcore days, he could square off against the likes of
Jon Moxley, Dr. Luther, or
Darby Allin. If AEW wants to continue booking him as a big guy, we could see Harper face guys like Wardlow,
Jake Hager, or even the recently signed Lance Archer.
AEW's Relationship With The Other Promotions
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via lastwordonprowrestling.com[/caption]AEW's relationship with
New Japan Pro Wrestling might be tenuous at best, but The Elite and
Tony Khan have shown that they're willing to let talent work outside of the company to further their careers. Talent like
Orange Cassidy,
Kris Statlander, and even
MJF still make the occasional appearance on the indies.So what does this mean for Luke Harper? Think back a few years when guys like
Sami Callihan and
Juice Robinson could barely get screen time on NXT. Now, Sami is one of Impact's top stars while Juice Robinson is killing it in NJPW. It's likely we'll see similar treatment for Harper when his non-compete ends.
More Time Off
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via: allwrestlingsuperstars.com[/caption]
WWE's touring schedule is, to say the least, demanding. It's not uncommon for superstars to be on the road for weeks at a time with only one or two days off. For a guy like Luke Harper who has a wife and child, that means missing crucial family time.One of the best things about AEW is its less-is-more approach. Since AEW doesn't run house shows (at least not yet), there's far less travel involved. Now, Harper can enjoy some much-deserved family time while still advancing his career in a way he finds meaningful.
Better Character Development Opportunities
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Today's talent has more options than ever when it comes to character development. You're flat-out encouraged to explore avenues like social media or vlogging to enhance your character and build your fan base. It's impossible to separate
The Young Bucks with Being The Elite, for example, which catapulted the team into the mainstream. Likewise,
numerous wrestlers have podcasts, which break down the barriers between fans and their favorite performers.
RELATED: 10 AEW Stars That Are Flying Under The RadarIt's going to be exciting to see what Harper can do now that he's free to explore these avenues and grow his character organically through similar means. At the very least, it'd be nice to hear some of Harper's stories about the last few months of his stay in WWE and the constant contract extensions that kept him from
jumping ship sooner.
AEW's Smaller Roster Means More Screen Time
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via 411mania.com[/caption]WWE's expansive roster may seem like a plus on paper, but it has a serious drawback. Feasibly, it's impossible for everyone to get screen time.And if you can't get screen time, you're not growing your fan base. And if you're not growing your fan base,
people will just forget about you and you may as well not be on the roster at all. In this day and age, being part of the world's largest wrestling organization might actually hurt your career more than help it.AEW doesn't have that problem. Their smaller roster means more wrestlers have a chance to get over. They also treat their secondary program,
AEW Dark, with the same level of significance as
Dynamite. As fantastic as WWE's roster is, you can't say the same thing for shows like
Main Event or even
205 Live which get treated as afterthoughts.
He Could Be A Legitimate Contender For The AEW World Championship
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via wwe.com[/caption]This is yet another advantage to AEW's smaller roster. Harper joining
Cody and The Young Bucks means he's no longer a small fish in a big pond. In fact, it's quite possible to picture Harper as a contender for the AEW World Championship!While it's hard to picture Harper squaring off against
Brock Lesnar, it's far easier to imagine him going toe-to-toe against
Moxley or Jericho in the main event, both of whom now feel like stars. We can only hope we'll see Luke Harper get a similar treatment.
NEXT: 10 Rumors About AEW That Could Change The Landscape 
