WWE News: Luke Harper released by the company 

Professional wrestler Jonathan Huber, knows for his role as Luke Harper in WWE, was released by the company Sunday afternoon.

His departure marks the second Superstar to be released in December, with Jorge Arias, formerly Sin Cara, being released earlier on Sunday.

Huber signed a developmental contract with WWE in March 2012 after spending nearly a decade on the independent circuit. As Luke Harper, he would join Erick Rowan and Bray Wyatt as part of The Wyatt Family in NXT before making their debut on the main roster in 2013.

The faction’s biggest moment on the main roster occurred at the 2014 Elimination Chamber pay-per-view when The Shield and The Wyatt Family wrestled for the first time.

The Wyatt Family would disband and reform several times after their breakup in 2014, which marked the beginning of Harper’s singles career in the company, leading to his Intercontinental Championship feud with Dolph Ziggler.

Harper requested his release back in August, stating that he was happy with the journey he had with WWE and wanted to "continue to grow as a performer."

However, the Wrestling Observer Newsletter reported that WWE was going to extend Harper's contract by six months due to the time he missed for a recent surgery.

The report claimed Harper's contract was actually going to be up in November, but the company planned to keep him until 2020.