10 WWE Breakups You Forgot Were HEARTBREAKING
3. Bray Wyatt Sets Luke Harper Free
Erick Rowan was involved in this moment too, of course, but his story hasn't been beset by the same personal tragedy as his stablemates in years since. Back in 2014, WWE fancied temporarily moving away from The Wyatt Family. On the 29 September Raw, they had Bray Wyatt set Luke Harper and Rowan free. It's Harper who tugged at the heartstrings most.
Yes, that has a lot to do with the premature deaths of Brodie Lee and Bray in 2020 and 2023 respectively. Promos that aired on the flagship showing Wyatt discussing how proud he was of Harper and how much he wanted to see him succeed have become particularly poignant in recent times. Perhaps it wasn't too earth-shattering at the time (the split was more sudden than anything else), but it's become so in retrospect.
The Wyatts were firmly in the heel camp, and yet they clicked so well with fans that people began to take note. Pretty much everyone agreed that Bray was one of the most creative souls in company history, and those same folks felt Harper and Rowan could be something special as a tag-team if they were treated well. Hell, Luke might've even become a breakout singles success story if the booking was solid enough.
Harper, Rowan and new monster Braun Strowman were back by Bray's side come the following year. That shouldn't take away from the heart wrenching concept of drastic change WWE kicked off in late-September 2014. Waving goodbye to The Wyatt Family was painful. No-one knew how touching their connection would become though.