Profilin': Brodie Lee

“Big Rig” Brodie Lee is quickly becoming a very accomplished draw on the independent scene, and it’s in no small part due to his uncanny charisma.  Lee began his career in 2003 in NWA Upstate, winning their World Title on a couple of occasions before stepping onto grander stages beginning in 2007.

Lee’s ring name was derived by combining the names of actor Jason Lee and his character from Kevin Smith’s Mallrats, Brodie Bruce, due to the wrestler’s striking resemblance to the leading man.  In the ring, Brodie is a mountain of a man, and he wrestles as such.  Standing at 6’7 and weighing in at nearly 300 pounds, Brodie’s arsenal includes a variety of powerbombs and suplexes.  He also uses a very effective big boot and an impressive spinning side slam that he calls the Truck Stop.  He enters the ring to the ominous chords of Johnny Cash’s “God’s Gonna Cut You Down,” but in reality, it’s usually Brodie Lee that does all the cutting once the bell rings.

Brodie has held championships in a number of promotions, including Squared Circle Wrestling, Next Era Wrestling, and a couple branches of the National Wrestling Alliance.  He’s the reigning JAPW World Champion, and he’s also appeared regularly for companies like Chikara, Evolve, Dragon Gate USA, and Ring of Honor.

Brodie Lee has been a staple in Chikara since the spring of 2007.  Adopting a trucker gimmick, Lee went undefeated for months upon his debut, during which time he earned the reputation of picking on wrestlers much smaller than himself.  His bullying put him on the bad side of Claudio Castagnoli, and the two ended up having a series of grudge matches as a result.  Ultimately, it was Castagnoli who was victorious in the feud, defeating Brodie in Chikara’s first ever cage match.  Since the end of his rivalry with Claudio, Lee has formed a tag team with Grizzly Redwood.  Along with sometimes-ally Eddie Kingston, the duo are known as the Roughnecks.  Brodie and Redwood have had their share of differences, wrestling against one another in a few matches, but their mutual respect has kept them a team.

In JAPW, Brodie is part of the Hillbilly Wrecking Crew, along with Necro Butcher, Nick Gage, and the Briscoe Brothers.  Brodie and Butcher enjoyed a reign as tag team champions in the promotion before Lee captured the company’s top prize, defeating Dan Maff, Nick Gage, and Azrieal in a Championship Scramble match on November 20, 2010.  Lee’s first World Title reign is still underway, and he’s successfully defended the belt against Homicide and former ECW/WWE star Rhino since becoming Champion.

In addition to JAPW and Chikara, Brodie Lee has been a staple of other promotions around the North Eastern part of the United States.  He’s appeared in Evolve Wrestling since the company’s first event, wrestling the likes of Jon Moxley and Gran Akuma.  He’s also spent time in Ring of Honor, becoming a member of the Age of the Fall and feuding with his JAPW stablemate Necro Butcher.  Brodie also plays a role in Dragon Gate and Dragon Gate USA, wrestling in both Tokyo and the United States for the company.  His time there has been marked by victories over Mike Quackenbush, Akebono, and Jimmy Jacobs.  Whether he’s kicking your face off with a big boot in Chikara or piledriving you in Jersey All Pro, one thing’s for sure – sooner or later Brodie Lee’s gonna cut you down.