What’s the story?
The evolution of Luke Harper continues. Harper recently left the Wyatt Family for good and although his push may have stalled somewhat as we approach WrestleMania 33, the changes continue to come for the Backwoods Brawler.
For the first time since his arrival on the main roster in 2013 Harper wrestled without his white vest and jeans combo at a WWE live event over the weekend. What more changes can we expect from the former WWE Intercontinental Champion?
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Luke Harper is frequently referred to as the most underrated wrestler on the entire WWE roster. The big man has performed almost exclusively as a henchman of Bray Wyatt and the Wyatt Family since arriving in WWE, but the insidious meddling of Randy Orton has seen Harper turn his back on the Family and begin to break out on his own.
Harper has nothing planned for WrestleMania 33 as things stand but could well be in for a big summer once the part-timers head back to their lives post-‘Mania.
The heart of the matter
For the first time since arriving in WWE, Harper performed this past weekend with a black vest as opposed to a white one and was also sporting a much leaner look than the one WWE fans are used to seeing. What this amounts to is a clearly focused Harper making the most of the opportunity he has been given in 2017 with the collapse of the Wyatt Family.
Also read: WWE News: Luke Harper talks about WrestleMania, the Wyatt Family and more
Harper also received a new Titantron video to accompany his new look, with the menacing eyes of the past replaced by a variety of shots of Harper throughout his career to date. His entrance music remains the same, but the changes make it clear that WWE has plans to continue evolving the Luke Harper character as we hurtle through the year.
Impact
It remains to be seen whether Harper continues with this new look on WWE television, and with less than two weeks to go until WrestleMania 33 it could yet prove to be a testing of the waters ahead of a busy summer for the former Brodie Lee. Harper is going to be an important part of the SmackDown Live roster moving forward and this aesthetic freshening up could be just what his character needs.
Author’s take
Luke Harper is one of the most underrated professional wrestlers on the planet, not just in WWE. There is a feeling that he will forever be considered a gatekeeper style performer at best, but as long as he gets to perform regularly in front of large crowds that is fine by me. The new look is a refreshing change for the big man.
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