AEW Star Recalls The Late Brodie Lee Taking Him Under His Wing

Jon Huber, aka Brodie Lee, who passed away in December 2020 after a sudden illness, was a towering star who relished in the chaos he caused between the ropes. But outside the ring, Huber is remembered as a kind, caring soul who would give his friends the shirt off his back. 

Among those he helped was Preston Vance, who was hired by AEW at Huber's urging. Vance recently appeared on "The Wrestling Classic" to touch on the impact Huber had on his career.

"I loved being a part of the Dark Order and am forever thankful that Brodie saw something in me to put his stamp of approval on me," Vance said. 

Vance first met Huber during COVID, when AEW was filming several weeks' worth of TV at The Nightmare Factory wrestling school. At that point, Vance had received an AEW tryout, which was well-received, but had yet to receive a contract. Huber, who was newly signed, took a shine to Vance and lobbied AEW CEO Tony Khan to give him something to do in Dark Order.

"[Brodie] asked Cody and QT, like, 'Hey, what's the deal with Vance, does he have a contract?' They're like, 'No, but this company is so new, we're not gonna put our name on someone that, god forbid, doesn't work out. Now that's on us.' And then Brodie was like, 'Well, I'm gonna do it.' So he went to Tony and was like, 'I want this kid with me. I'll take him under my wing.'"

Known simply as "10," Vance performed under a mask in Dark Order, even after the stable tragically lost their leader. Following a stint with La Faccion Igobernables, Vance moved to Ring of Honor, where he wrestles more frequently.

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit "The Wrestling Classic" with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.