On a recent episode of “Grilling JR,” the conversation between AEW announcer Jim Ross and co-host Conrad Thompson turned to AEW Dynamite and Ross, starting each show with the line “It’s Wednesday night, and you know what that means.”
The line was made famous by Brodie Lee on Twitter, and Ross uses the phrase as a tribute to the former WWE and AEW star who passed away last year at the age of 41.
Ross shared with Thompson that while the line is meant to lift spirits, he’s been told by people on Twitter that hearing those words “makes them sad” every week.
Wrestling fans are still coming to grips with the passing of Lee. In an attempt at possibly some form of closure, Lee’s wife, Amanda Huber, sat down with the AEW Unrestricted podcast to talk about Brodie’s life and his final days.
Huber was incredibly open about the last few months of her husband’s life and shared both touching and heartbreaking details about Lee’s illness, diagnosis, and the final battle with lung failure.
According to Huber, Lee was having trouble breathing and completing Peloton workouts. He was tested for COVID several times, and each test came back negative. Brodie eventually developed a high fever and was unable to eat or drink. He took another COVID test and again tested negative.
Brodie’s condition worsened, and he visited an Urgent Care clinic where “he was diagnosed with Bronchitis and allergies.” Brodie disagreed with the assessment and thought he had pneumonia.
From there, Brodie’s condition deteriorated rapidly.
The next day Brodie had visible signs of distress so they took him to the hospital.
Amanda says he was leaning on her while walking but refused to get a wheelchair. His temperature was fine as his fever had disappeared but his oxygen was bad enough that they had to put him on an oxygen machine.
Brodie was showing visible signs of distress. His face was sunken in. While doctors thought it was definitely COVID he once again tested negative.
On Halloween, Huber received word that her husband was being transferred to the Mayo Clinic. She was told that moving Brodie was a “matter of life or death” as he needed an ECMO machine and possibly a lung transplant.
Huber told AEW Unrestricted that the company “insisted” on covering the medical bills, but she declined.
By November, it seemed as though Brodie had turned the corner. He was removed from the ventilator and put on oxygen again.
Unfortunately, Lee suffered a panic attack, which Amanda says “is when things turned the worst.” Huber said the option to have a lung transplant “was put back on the table,” with doctors telling her the procedure was the only way to save him.
On the day of their wedding anniversary, Brodie was diagnosed with a lung infection.
Huber returned home to be with her kids when she got the call that Lee’s kidneys and heart were failing, and the doctor’s recommended ending his life support.
Here’s where the story really gets tough to handle as Amanda shares the final hours and the two people she asked to help break the news to her young son, Brodie Jr.
“On Christmas Day, Amanda, her kids, and some family attempted to have a normal Christmas despite everything going on.
That night she flew up with some in-laws to Jacksonville to be with Brodie.
She later asked Cody Rhodes and Big E if they would be willing to help her break the news to Brodie Jr. about his father possibly passing.
On December 26th, the day Brodie passed, Cody, Big E, Shawn Spears, Tyler Breeze, Peyton Royce, and the AEW legal team came to say their goodbyes.
Amanda, Big E, and Cody later talked to Brodie Jr. about his father’s passing.”
Amanda shared that while she could not have an official memorial ceremony for Brodie Lee, the tribute show put on by AEW was the next best thing.
Listen to the entire episode below.
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