Chris Jericho and Mark Briscoe went to war at WrestleDream 2024 in a match that saw Briscoe retain the ROH World Championship. This week, the pair once again did battle for the richest prize in Ring of Honor, but it was Jericho who’d leave the October 23, edition of AEW Dynamite with the gold.
In a ladder match, Briscoe and Jericho held nothing back and used the titular item to full effect as a weapon. The closing moments of the match saw Mark hit a Jay Driller on the Learning Tree and climb the ladder, seemingly poised to retain the title. That was until Big Bill interfered and chokeslammed him through a table. Bill then propped Jericho on his shoulders, allowing the veteran to capture the gold.
#ANDNEW#ROH World Champion 'The Learning Tree' Chris Jericho…But a familiar challenger has arrived!
After the match, Jericho and Bill’s celebration was cut short by Tomohiro Ishii. The Japanese legend had previously been taken out by Jericho and now has his sights set on the new Ring of Honor World Champion.
In a backstage segment, Mark Briscoe was at a loss for words after his brutal defeat at the hands of Jericho (and Big Bill.)
This win marks Jericho’s second time holding the Ring of Honor World Championship and his ninth World title overall in his career. He previously held the gold from September to December 2022, both winning from and losing the gold to Claudio Castagnoli.
Mark Briscoe says his trilogy of matches with FTR over the ROH Tag Titles will forever hold a special place in his heart.
The ROH World Champion recently had an interview with Battleground podcast. He was there to promote his Ladder War with Chris Jericho set for the October 23 Dynamite.
During the talk, Briscoe was asked about matches from his career that still give him goosebumps. The ROH Champion mentioned how The Briscoe Brothers’ trilogy with FTR is something that he’ll never forget:
“There definitely is plenty of matches and moments, The first thing I would think that a lot of people obviously would have guessed would be having the matches, we had the trilogy with FTR that ended with that dog collar match.
That dog collar match was just something that…in my mind it would just always be a moment in time that’ll just never be….there would never be another feeling like that no matter how great of a victory I could have moving forward.”
The Briscoes fought FTR in a trilogy of matches through 2022 starting with the Supercard of Honor event in April. The brothers dropped the ROH tag titles to the former WWE stars in this bout.
They unsuccessfully challenged the duo of Cash Wheeler and Dax Harwood in a rematch at Death Before Dishonor in July. The brothers Mark and Jay finally managed to defeat FTR to regain the titles in a Dog Collar match at Final Battle in December.
The Dog Collar match was one of the final two matches Briscoes wrestled together before Jay’s unfortunate passing in January 2023. According to Mark, nothing will ever compare to the moment he got to share with his brother after their tag title victory:
“I’ve said it before, after the match once Jamin [Jay Briscoe] choked out Dax and then [they announced] the new Ring of Honor Champions and then I turned and he gave me this big hug, this big bear hug. Nothing will ever compare to that man.
Throughout the career there’s the…like I think about how much people talk about and put over the matches with FTR. We had the three matches with them. There will never be any thing like it in my career. To me it was just a real special trilogy of matches.”
Apart from this Mark Briscoe also mentioned how he and his brother had dozens of matches with The Young Bucks over the years. He recalled wrestling them in countries such as Japan, Australia, and US and said that it’s a fond memory for him.
Chris Jericho held the ROH World Championship for a handful of months in 2022, in Jericho’s first-ever title reign as part of the promotion. Now, Jericho plans on holding the gold again, and used some shocking tactics to get into the head of champion Mark Briscoe.
On Dynamite’s fifth anniversary, Jericho hosted a Learning Tree segment in the ring with Big Bill and Bryan Keith. Now dubbing himself ‘The Nueve’ Jericho challenged Briscoe to a ROH World Championship match at AEW WrestleDream.
Briscoe came out to accept the match, adding that Jericho’s recent victory over him came thanks to interference by Big Bill. It was here that Jericho sunk to a new low as he said that Mark Briscoe couldn’t beat him before stating that his brother, Jay Briscoe, could have. Jericho went on to say that everyone knows that Mark will never be as good as Jay was. Mark responded by dropping Jericho with a shot to the jaw and promised a Briscoe brother-style ass-whooping at WrestleDream.
Chris Jericho made his challenge to #ROH World Champion Mark Briscoe for #AEWWrestleDream way too personal.
Jay Briscoe sadly passed in January 2023 in a car crash, mere minutes from his home in Laurel, Delaware. Tributes to Jay have poured in from the wrestling world and a locker room was named in his memory at the school where his daughters, who were injured in the crash, attend.
The loss of his brother left Mark contemplating retirement, but the remaining Briscoe has not only continued in the ring but is thriving as ROH World Champion. Stay tuned to SEScoops for all the latest from AEW WrestleDream including breaking news and live results.
Step aside Roux, King Maxel, and Liberty, cause a new king of cuteness is in town.
ROH presented the 21st annual Death Before Dishonor PPV last night from the Esports Stadium in Arlington, Texas featuring 7 different title matches.
The main event of the show saw Mark Briscoe defending the ROH World Heavyweight Championship against Roderick Strong. The Kingdom tried to interfere in the bout but Kyle O’Reilly and Tomohiro Ishii helped make the numbers even, and Briscoe came out victorious at the end.
The retaining champion commented on his win in a new backstage video, which was made even special by the on-screen debut of baby Jay Briscoe:
The legacy of Jay Briscoe
Jay Briscoe was one of the longest-tenured talents of ROH. He was part of the company for 19 of its 22 year history.
Along with his brother Mark, Jay helped put the company on the map in many ways and the brothers won the ROH tag team championship a record 13 times during his career.
The wrestling veteran unfortunately passed away in a car crash in January 2023, at the age of 38. The whole wrestling world came together to pay tribute to the deceased star.
Mark Briscoe has continued to honor his brother’s legacy in many ways. He introduced the world to his youngest son Matthew Jamin Pugh in April this year, named after the late Jay Briscoe.
AEW: Ring of Honor?
The struggling ROH brand has found new life under Tony Khan’s leadership since he bought the company in 2022. Death Before Dishonor was another good example of it.
They have been steadily regrowing the interest in the brand by adding names such as Athena, The Von Erichs and Mark Briscoe to the list of talents regularly competing under the Ring of Honor banner.
One thing that has evaded the company still despite best efforts from Khan, however, is a TV deal. Despite featuring ROH talents and championships prominently on AEW TV, Tony has so far failed to convince a TV station to pick up the show.
Though the ROH President floated a very interesting idea for the brand during the post-Death Before Dishonor media scrum last night. He suggested that the show could be brought under the AEW banner to increase its value and finally find a TV partner. You can check out TK’s comments here.
Team AEW was victorious over The Elite on this week’s edition of Dynamite in a brutal Blood and Guts match that left the heels with no choice but to forfeit.
Jack Perry and Darby Allin started the match for their respective teams and the TNT Champion maintained the advantage over Allin with a trash can and extension cord.
Jack Perry sends Darby Allin flying like a lawn dart!
Nick Jackson was the next arrival, giving the Elite a distinct advantage, and ROH World Champion Mark Briscoe was the first wrestler to bleed significantly after having his face scraped across the cage.
The #ROH World Champion Mark Briscoe has arrived to even the odds for #TeamAEW!
Matt Jackson was out next to join his brother but Anthony Bowens would change the complexion of the match. Bowens used scissors and stabbed Perry in the head, earning “You Sick F***” chants from the crowd.
The Scissor King, Anthony Bowens is here to reinforce #TeamAEW!
Kazuchika Okada, wielding a ‘Rainmaker’ street sign was next to enter the cage and Max Caster followed with a microphone and he retrieved a barbed-wire board from under the ring. This came back to haunt The Acclaimed as the Young Bucks sent Bowens into it, prompting “Holy S***” chants from the crowd.
In case things weren’t already violent enough, thumbtacks were introduced next and poured into Caster’s mouth. ‘Hangman’ Adam Page was supposed to arrive next but didn’t. Instead, the Cowboy waited for Swerve Strickland’s entrance so he could ambush the reigning AEW World Champion.
Hangman Adam Page only has his eyes on #AEW World Champion Swerve Strickland and now #AEWBLOODandGUTS begins!
Swerve was left locked out of the cage and Page, under the threat of being fired, got in the cage as demanded by Nick Jackson. Jeff Jarrett would help free Strickland’s trapped hand, allowing him to enter the cage.
Swerve and Hangman finally get their hands on each other!
Staple Guns were introduced via a briefcase that the Bucks had brought to the match. Despite this, Team AEW fought on with Darby Allin delivering a Coffin Drop to Jack Perry.
The finish of the match also involved Allin and Perry as the TNT Champion was handcuffed to the wall and took some kendo shots but refused to quit. Mark Briscoe followed with a chair shot to the head of Perry, but that still wasn’t enough. Allin then retrieved a gasoline can and threatened to see Perry ablaze. Fearing the loss of life of his ally, Matt Jackson gave in, awarding Allin a TNT title match at All In, and forfeiting Blood & Guts.
Darby Allin wants his TNT Championship Match at #AEWAllIn and will set Jack Perry ON FIRE to get it!
This year’s Blood & Guts certainly delivered the violence that fans have come to expect with the brutal stipulation. After months of having control, the Elite’s loss is a huge setback for the group, and could be a sign of things to come next month in Wembley Stadium.
Ring of Honor World Champion Mark Briscoe is celebrating the birth of his son who has been named in tribute to Mark’s late brother Jay.
Taking to Twitter, Mark shared some photos of Matthew Jamin Pugh and declared that ‘God is Good.’ The Jamin name comes from Jay Briscoe, whose real name was Jamin Pugh.
Jay Briscoe passed away in January 2023 after being involved in a car accident mere minutes from his home in Laurel, Delaware. Jay’s two daughters were seriously injured in the collision but have been making strides in their recovery. The driver of the other vehicle was also killed in the crash.
It is a tragedy that young Matthew Jamin Pugh will never meet the uncle who he is named after. Despite this, Jay Briscoe’s legacy continues to live on, both in the wrestling world and in the Pugh household.
More on Mark Briscoe:
Here are some articles about Mark Briscoe and what he has accomplished as of late in the world of professional wrestling:
Mark Briscoe has secured the ROH World Championship after grinding in the promotion for more than two decades.
In the headlining clash of Friday’s ROH Supercard of Honor, Briscoe dethroned Eddie Kingston and secured his first major singles title. As expected, it was a bloody affair on Friday night.
During the brutal match, Briscoe’s head was slammed into the announcer’s table and it busted him open. In the final moments of the match, Mark Briscoe hit his finisher Jay Driller for the three count to win the title.
After his triumph, his family and some members of the locker room included ROH veterans such as Jay Lethal, Christopher Daniels, Dalton Castle, and others entered the ring to celebrate his memorable victory.
— ROH – Ring of Honor Wrestling (@ringofhonor) April 6, 2024
It’s quite a special moment for Mark Briscoe, not only for the title win but also because it marks the same day when his brother Jay won the title eleven years back at the same event. That night, Jay Briscoe defeated Kevin Steen (now Kevin Owens) in the main event.
Mark Briscoe sends a message to Jay Briscoe
During the post-show media scrum, Mark Briscoe was asked to share what he would tell his brother Mark Briscoe, who tragically passed away last year. He said:
“I love you, dog. There’s no words, man. It’s just too many coincidences for it to be a coincidence. I wear my faith on my sleeve, and God is good, man.”
He added that memorable nights like those help him keep going but it’s not an easy task. With his efforts, Mark Briscoe is trying to make his brother proud:
“Stuff like this, the tragedy that happened, you don’t want to go on, you don’t want to get out of bed…and then nights like tonight…this is what helps you move on. It’s not easy. But nights like tonight make it a whole hell of a lot easier. I don’t want to sound like a broken record, but there are no words. I love you dog, be with me. Until we meet again, just trying to do him proud, man.”
Back in the day, Jay Briscoe held the title for 89 days before relinquishing it due to a storyline injury. Now, we will have to wait and see how Mark’s championship reign pans out.
Mark Briscoe was sure his days in the ring were over when his brother Jay died, though has been motivated to carry on for Jay’s sake.
Jay Briscoe passed away in January 2023 after being involved in a car accident mere minutes from his home in Laurel, Delaware. Jay’s two daughters were seriously injured in the collision but have been making strides in their recovery. The driver of the other vehicle was also killed in the crash.
Mark Briscoe was Ready to Retire
Jay’s death was of course a massive blow to Mark, who lost both his brother and his tag team partner. Speaking to Under the Ring recently, Mark shared that for a brief moment, he was ready to retire.
“That was my first thought. My very first thought was, I’m not ever wrestling again… My initial reaction was, I’m never wrestling again, I don’t ever wanna wrestle again.”
Mark clarified that it didn’t take long for him to change his stance, as continuing in the ring is what his brother would’ve wanted.
“It really didn’t take long at all for me to reconsider and change my mind there once I got thinking about what he’d want me to do… I gotta carry on for him.”
Mark Briscoe has reminisced about the iconic rivalry between FTR and The Briscoes which he has labeled ‘special.’
The intense feud between The Briscoes (Mark & Jay Briscoe) and FTR (Cash Wheeler & Dax Harwood) is one of the greatest chapters in pro wrestling history. The two critically acclaimed tag-team went on to collide in what is labeled as the best tag-team trilogy of recent memory and with the matches, the two highly regarded tag teams cemented their legacy in tag-team wrestling.
Speaking with PW Insider, Mark Briscoe recalled the matches against the Top Guys. One-half of the Dem Boyz also spoke about how Tony Khan buying ROH and booking the matches benefitted them. Reflecting on the unfortunate passing of his brother shortly after, Mark mentioned how those matches have become even more special:
“Those matches, now especially in hindsight, not that they weren’t amazing and special when they happened, but then a month after the dog collar match when the accident happened, it’s like, it’s almost like how, I don’t know how appropriate that’s how Jerry Briscoe went out.”
Mark mentioned that they were already feuding with FTR over twitter when Tony bought ROH and put them together. After the first two matches, things came full circle with the classic encounter at Final Battle 2022:
“We come full circle to Final Battle and they’ve beaten us twice and now it comes down to this dog collar match and we get the final win and Jay Briscoe puts on a career…like one of the best performances in professional wrestling history and he’s sitting there with the crimson mask, bloodied and just…what a fitting way for him to go out. 2022 as a whole was a really amazing year, but those FTR matches, and then that last, the dog collar match specifically, yeah, they’re always, they’ll always be special.”
The trilogy between The Briscoes and FTR
The two teams competed in three matches in 2022. The first match which was a standard tag-team match saw FTR prevailing at ROH Supercard of Honor in April. Then they battled in a two-out-of-three-falls match at Death Before Dishonor in July which FTR again won. The trilogy culminated in December at Final Battle when the Briscoes finally emerged victorious in a Dog Collar match to capture the ROH Tag Team Championships.
The rivalry that ended in 2022 has raised the bar for tag team wrestling and the fans continue to cherish the hard-hitting battles that they have put on in the past.
Now, Mark Briscoe has a huge task at hand as he challenges for the top prize in ROH. Read more in detail below:
Mark Briscoe has the chance to win the Ring of Honor World Championship, eleven years to the very day that his brother Jay won the very same title in 2013.
Mark will challenge ROH World Champion Eddie Kingston at Supercard of Honor 2024, Ring of Honor confirmed this week. In a video, Mark spoke about having to re-establish himself following his brother’s passing last year.
In a direct message to Kingston, Briscoe said that he knows that the pair of them have faced setbacks and referenced Kingston’s recent AEW Continental title loss to Kazuchika Okada. Borrowing the words his brother told him, Mark said that for Eddie Kingston, it’s “time to man up.”
11 years to the day! Mark Briscoe (@SussexCoChicken) is coming for the #ROH World Title at Supercard of Honor!
— ROH – Ring of Honor Wrestling (@ringofhonor) March 28, 2024
Jay Briscoe’s Championship Win
Jay Briscoe won the ROH World Championship at ROH Supercard of Honor 2013 with a main event victory over Kevin Steen (today WWE’s Kevin Owens.) Jay would hold the title for 89 days before the gold was vacated due to a storyline injury to Briscoe. He would win the gold back at the All-Star Extravaganza VI event in September 2014.
ROH Supercard of Honor 17
Here is the card for ROH Supercard of Honor 17 as it currently stands:
Eddie Kingston (c) vs. Mark Briscoe (Ring of Honor World Championship)
Athena (c) vs. Hikaru Shida (Ring of Honor Women’s World Championship)
Mina Shirakawa, Maika, and Mei Seira vs. Saya Kamitani, Tam Nakano, and AZM (STARDOM Showcase Tag-Team Match)
Kyle Fletcher (c) vs. Lee Johnson (Ring of Honor World Television Championship)
Billie Starkz vs. Queen Aminata (Tournament finals to crown the inaugural Ring of Honor Women’s World Television Champion)
One year ago, the wrestling world was stunned by the death of Jay Briscoe (Jamin Pugh). He and his brother, Mark, were 13-time ROH Tag Team Champions. They last competed together just a few weeks earlier at ROH’s Final Battle.
At the time of the accident, Jay had his daughters in the car with him. Youngest daughter, Jayleigh, sustained serious injuries. She had to wear a neck brace and an external fixator for several weeks.
Gracie had back surgery the morning after the accident. Following surgery, she needed outpatient rehab five days a week. Last February, a family friend stated that Gracie was walking with assistance, although she didn’t have full movement below her knee.
On Dynamite, the Pugh family was in the audience. Mark came out to talk about the anniversary of his brother’s death.
“My nieces were in the truck with them. Tragically, they told my oldest niece they were injured severely. They told my oldest niece, ‘you’ll never walk again.’ However…dammit. God is on the throne! We Dem Boyz, dammit! We won’t stop because we can’t stop! We ain’t going nowhere! We thank every one of y’all from the bottom of our heart and we love y’all, man. God bless y’all.”
Over the last year, Mark has been wrestling primarily as a singles wrestler. He has called this his rookie year as a singles competitor. Mark splits his time between AEW and his beloved ROH.
With the round-robin format, there have been plenty of matches from the AEW Continental Classic, which fans will have no trouble finding. On YouTube, the AEW account has created a playlist of every match from the tournament in the order they took place. The playlist starts with the kick-off match between Swerve Strickland and Jay Lethal.
The final two videos are from this week’s Dynamite and see Jon Moxley Vs. Swerve Strickland Vs. Jay White in the Gold League finals and Eddie Kingston Vs. Bryan Danielson in the Blue League finals. The playlist also features weekly updates of the rankings as well as promos and segments connected to the Continental Classic.
Mark Briscoe has shared why he put WWE on blast following a tweet that he and many found to be highly disrespectful.
Earlier this week, WWE tweeted an image of The Street Profits and Bobby Lashley, captioned with the phrase ‘Dem Boyz.’ While the term is used by many across sports and entertainment, in wrestling, the term is associated with the Briscoes.
WWE faced criticism for the tweet, with Mark sharing his own criticism and saying somebody running the account should be fired. In a follow-up tweet, however, Briscoe said that nobody needs to be fired but was still not pleased with the tweet.
Mark Briscoe on WWE’s Dem Boyz Tweet
Speaking on the post-ROH Final Battle Media Scrum, Briscoe recalled his reaction to the tweet at the time.
“I thought, ‘Man, on the anniversary of this match that we had, they’re really going to do that? That’s kind of disrespectful. I can’t just keep silent. There’s only one Dem Boyz.’ You can talk about the Dallas Cowboys and multiple songs in the hip hop genre. That’s all good. In professional wrestling, there is only one Dem Boyz. That’s Mark and Jay Briscoe. I had to let them know there only one Dem Boyz.”
Briscoe concluded by reiterating that there is only one pair of ‘Dem Boyz’ in WWE even with Jay’s passing.
“It’s not easy and we’re adjusting to this new normal. If anybody in the professional wrestling world is going to call themselves Dem Boyz, I’m going to come at you [laughs]. I don’t care who you are. There’s only one Dem Boyz and that’s the Briscoe Brothers, damn it.”
Maria Kanellis and her husband Mike Bennett were released from WWE a couple of years ago as part of cost-cutting measures. They later found employment in AEW and ROH. Recently, Kanellis became entangled in another online dispute involving Mark Briscoe, and in the aftermath of the controversy, she decided to delete her Twitter account due to the backlash over her expressed views.
The story behind Maria Kanellis deleting her X account
Mark Briscoe gained attention when he publicly called out the “WWE on FOX” social media account for appropriating The Briscoes’ well-known “DEM BOYZ” term in reference to Bobby Lashley and The Street Profits. Briscoe even tagged Triple H, urging him to address the situation.
Maria Kanellis joined the discussion by sharing her perspective on the matter. She highlighted the significance of ‘DEM BOYZ’ to Mark Briscoe, emphasizing that the “WWE on FOX” account made the comment on the first anniversary of his brother’s final match. However, Kanellis faced unexpected backlash for her remarks, ultimately prompting her to announce her departure from Twitter and subsequently delete her account.
‘‘I think I’m about done on this particular platform. It’s too crazy. Disagreeing is one thing. Threatening my family, name calling, agism, racism, family planning shaming, religious prejudice, and sexism is all too much. I will keep my Instagram. But it’s about time to move on from the negativity.”
Oh yea, thatsss why I quit posting on Twitter lol. Just logged back on…woww. Some of y’all are wild lol. I just miss my brother, that’s all, and I got a little in my feelings when I seen the Fox post. Triple H, you ain’t gotta fire nobody, times is tough. Love y’all..take it light people
Oh yea, thatsss why I quit posting on Twitter lol. Just logged back on…woww. Some of y’all are wild lol. I just miss my brother, that’s all, and I got a little in my feelings when I seen the Fox post. @tripleh, you ain’t gotta fire nobody, times is tough. Love y’all..take it…
Nevertheless, Maria Kanellis decided that leaving Twitter was the optimal choice for her mental well-being, and fans acknowledge and respect her decision. We will have to see if there are new updates on this story from this point on.
Maria Kanellis’ post on 12/10 prior to deleting her X account
We will have to see if Maria Kanellis reactivates her X account. She should have around 30 days to do so, if she wants to come back to the platform. What’s your take on this? Let us know how you feel by engaging with us on social media!
AEW star Mark Briscoe recently apologized for calling out WWE Chief Content Officer Triple H following WWE’s attention-grabbing Tweet which dropped a reference to his late brother.
Mark Briscoe recently tweeted about how Bobby Lashley and The Street Profits were referred to as “DEM BOYZ!” by the official WWE account on FOX. Mark and his late brother Jay Briscoe were regarded as “Dem Boys” for years and Mark made his displeasure known.
The tag-team legend became enraged and tagged Triple H, telling him that the person who created the post should be fired for lacking knowledge and fired for lack of reverence. He wrote:
“For real?? This s*** is hilarious. @TripleH , whoever runs this twitter should probably be fired for lack of knowledge. Or they need the taste slapped out of their mouth for lack of reverence.”
For real?? This shit is hilarious. @TripleH, whoever runs this twitter should probably be fired for lack of knowledge. Or they need the taste slapped out of their mouth for lack of reverence https://t.co/lQupDA91Ds
The Tweet started to get a lot of attention from the fans and wrestlers on social media. Eventually, Mark Briscoe tagged Triple H yet again. In the follow-up tweet, Briscoe apologized for his earlier Tweet and said he misses his brother and got carried away in feelings. He wrote:
“Oh yea, thatsss why I quit posting on Twitter lol. Just logged back on…woww. Some of y’all are wild lol. I just miss my brother, that’s all, and I got a little in my feelings when I seen the Fox post. @tripleh, you ain’t gotta fire nobody, times is tough. Love y’all..take it light people #DemBoysForever.”
Oh yea, thatsss why I quit posting on Twitter lol. Just logged back on…woww. Some of y’all are wild lol. I just miss my brother, that’s all, and I got a little in my feelings when I seen the Fox post. @tripleh, you ain’t gotta fire nobody, times is tough. Love y’all..take it…
Mark Briscoe’s brother Jay Briscoe passed away in a tragic car accident earlier this year. Jay was only 38 years old at the time of his death and the whole pro wrestling community paid tribute to the star. The Briscoe Brothers will go down as one of the most successful tag teams in pro wrestling. In their last match, Dem Boyz defeated FTR at Final Battle last year and secured the ROH Tag Team Championship.
Meanwhile, Mark Briscoe is currently competing as a singles wrestler and participating in the inaugural AEW Continental Classic tournament where he has yet to score points.
The future of the Ring of Honor World Tag Team Championships has been made clear after the tragic passing of Jay Briscoe earlier this year.
In January, Jay died in a car accident minutes from his home in Laurel, Delaware at the age of 38.
The accident resulted in the death of the driver of the other vehicle, and Jay’s daughters Jayleigh and Grace have both had to undergo surgery.
ROH World Tag Team Championships
Since Jay’s passing, Mark Briscoe has continued to be promoted as an ROH World Tag Team Champion during his appearances on AEW and ROH programming.
During this week’s taping of AEW Rampage (which is set to air on March 10,) Mark announced that a ‘Reach for the Sky’ Ladder match will decide the next champions.
The match is set to occur at Ring of Honor’s upcoming pay-per-view, Supercard of Honor on Friday, March 31, 2023.
It was also confirmed that former AEW World Tag Team Champions the Lucha Bros. will be part of this match.
The Briscoes
Considered to be the greatest tag team in the history of Ring of Honor, the Briscoes wowed fans for years with their no-nonsense style.
Together, Mark and Jay became 13-time ROH World Tag Team Champions, with their most recent win coming at Final Battle last December.
The pair also held the ROH World Six-Man Tag Team Championships at one time with Bully Ray, and are seven-time ROH Year-End award winners.
In addition to Jay’s two reigns as ROH World Champion, the brothers were inducted into the ROH Hall of Fame in 2022.
It was only a few months ago that Briscoe being under contract with AEW seemed impossible.
Due to comments made a decade ago by Jay, both men had been essentially blacklisted from AEW programming by WarnerMedia.
Jay apologized multiple times for his homophobic comments, which he stated were as part of his heel character and not reflective of his personal beliefs.
It has been said that by the time of his passing, Jay’s apology was considered 100% legitimate by the wrestling world, and he had the support of many LGBTQ+ wrestlers in the industry.
Mark Briscoe was allowed to compete on this week’s episode of AEW Dynamite, but only after a lot of pushback from Warner Bros. Discovery.
In the main event of the show, Briscoe defeated Jay Lethal in a tribute match to Mark’s brother Jay, who died earlier this month.
It has been reported that the match was not approved until the day before Dynamite and that multiple segments were shortened to give the main event plenty of time
Warner Bros. Discovery Ban
Jay Briscoe unfortunately never got the chance to compete on AEW TV, due to a ban against the brothers implemented by Warner Bros. Discovery.
This ban was due to controversial tweets made by Jay a decade ago, comments that Briscoe would apologize for and explain as part of his heel character.
This week’s emotional tribute show to Jay Briscoe was a huge night for AEW, but wasn’t approved until very late in the game.
Briscoe died last Tuesday in a car accident, mere minutes from his home in Laurel, Delaware. He was 38.
Both Jay and Mark had previously been banned by WBD from appearing on AEW programming over controversial comments Jay made a decade ago.
Tribute Show
This week’s show went off well, but there were several changes made to the show before it went live.
Fightful Select reports that prior to Tuesday, it didn’t appear that Mark Briscoe’s match against Jay Lethal was happening.
AEW had to move “many things around” to make the match a reality, and Ian Riccaboni was flown in just hours before the show.
The AEW TNT Championship match between Darby Allin and Buddy Matthews was the originally scheduled main event of the show.
That match had some time trimmed to add to the Briscoe-Lethal match, and the same happened with the Acclaimed’s therapy segment.
One source said it was impressive how they were able to provide Mark Briscoe and Jay Lethal as much time as they needed without compromising anything else that was advertised.
Dalton Castle was at the show and came to sit front row to cheer on Mark Briscoe, who defeated Lethal in the main event.
Those working in AEW who spoke to Fightful said they were very happy with how the show went.
Mark Briscoe believes that Jay Briscoe is not truly gone and he has just moved on to the next higher level of existence. Now it’s time to wrestle for him.
The ROH veteran addressed the passing of his brother in a video published on Caprice Coleman’s Twitter account. He mentioned that he wouldn’t have been able to continue wrestling this long, if his brother was not with him:
“Ain’t no way I’ve been wanting to do this for this long if ain’t have my boy with me this whole time. But now, it’s time to carry on for him. Family is beyond. This life is temporary. Let’s focus on the eternal, not the temporal.”
Jay Briscoe passed away in an unfortunate car accident on January 17. The wrestling world has since come together to mourn the loss and pay tribute to the ROH legend.
Mark Brisoce: “He Ain’t Gone”
Mark Briscoe mentioned how Jay is not with him in person. Though the late star is still in his heart and knowing that has helped him keep going:
“He’s still with me right here [points to his heart]. He ain’t gone. If I thought he was gone, I wouldn’t be no good. I know he ain’t gone. I know he just moved on to the next higher level of existence. You know what I mean? That’s what keeps me going and keeps me pushing forward.”
– Mark Briscoe
AEW presented a tribute show for Jay Briscoe on this week’s Dynamite. You can check out the tribute video they put together below:
Mark Briscoe was allowed to appear on this week’s Dynamite but only after the monumental efforts of AEW President Tony Khan.
The Briscoes were not allowed to appear on AEW programming due to an edict by Warner Bros. Discovery, over problematic comments made by Jay a decade ago.
After Jay’s death earlier this month, Mark was allowed to compete on this week’s Dynamite, where he faced Jay Lethal.
Khan’s Efforts
Briscoe’s debut on this week’s Dynamite came hours after a report stating that WBD wanted no part of him on their show, due to Jay’s comments.
Speaking on Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer stated that it was Tony Khan who went to bat for the Briscoes.
“You have to credit that one to Tony Khan. I mean, he pushed and pushed and I mean, he pushed really hard on this one and got them to change their minds. They [Warner Bros. Discovery] were pretty dead-set against it. I mean, the social media stuff, that possibly could have helped.”
Dave Meltzer.
Team Effort
While Khan was able to convince WBD to ditch their ban on either Briscoe, he wasn’t the only one who worked on this.
On his show, Meltzer said that it was a team effort of people who showed the better side of Jay Briscoe to AEW’s broadcast partners.
“It was certainly a lot of people. We said it last Wednesday, but a lot of people had been saying it all week like ‘how do you ban Jay Briscoe, the tribute show? How do you ban the tribute show when you’re showing Dana White on Slap-Fight?’ Dana White’s mistake was December 31st, 2022 [and WBD moved on.] Jay’s mistake, a big mistake, both of them were big mistakes. His mistake was in 2013 and he had certainly apologized and atoned for it. Just read the article that I did. The stuff from [ROH commentator Ian] Riccaboni and other people. Cary Silkin and others.
“Nobody hid from that part of Jay Briscoe’s life, and neither did he. So [allowing Mark on Dynamite] was the right thing to do and I’m glad he got to do it. But it took a lot a lot a lot of work to get it done.”
Meltzer added on his show that Mark is free to compete on AEW going forward, implying that his appearance this week was not a one-off.
JungleHOOK (“Jungle Boy” Jack Perry & HOOK) def. Ethan Page & Matt Hardy
Bryan Danielson def. Brian Cage
Ruby Soho def. Toni Storm
Jay Briscoe Tribute Match: Mark Briscoe vs. Jay Lethal
Clips & Recap
Chris Jericho & Sammy Guevara vs. Ricky Starks & Action Andretti
Action Andretti started to get heated up and hit a dive on both Jericho and Guevara on opposite ends of the ring. Sammy and Action were paired up for most of the match, leaving Ricky and Chris to face off. Ricky was able to hit a spear on Jericho, but Sammy broke it up. Chris tried to sneak a roll up and Ricky kicks out. Andretti was getting some steam against Sammy before Chris interfered. Ricky hit Chris with a Rocheambeau on the outside. Garcia interfered and hit Andretti with the bat for Sammy to hit the GTS to get the win.
TNT Championship: Darby Allin (with Sting) vs. Buddy Matthews (with Julia Hart)
Buddy Matthews came prepared in the mind game department because his face paint almost exactly matched Darby’s. Buddy pulled the apron out from under Darby, and it looked like Darby injured his leg. The lights go black and Malakai Black and Brody King appear. Ortiz comes out with a kendo stick to help Sting fend them off. Darby hit a Scorpion Death Drop in the ropes. Buddy kicked out, but Darby stayed on him. He hit a Coffin Drop on Buddy while he hung on the ropes for the win.
After the match, Tony Schiavone interviewed Darby in the ring. Before Darby could even speak, Samoa Joe appeared on the screen and said he’s coming to take back his title.
Adam Cole appeared in a vignette where he said he didn’t know he was returning but the video ended with him staring at a Revolution poster.
Ethan Page & Matt Hardy vs. JungleHOOK (“Jungle Boy” Jack Perry & HOOK)
Ethan Page let his ego get the best of him. JungleHOOK worked really well together and had great tag teamwork. HOOK was able to grab Matt Hardy’s legs to prevent him from breaking up the Snare Trap that Jungle Boy had locked in.
Winner: JungleHOOK (“Jungle Boy” Jack Perry & HOOK) by submission.
Family Therapy with The Acclaimed (Max Caster & Anthony Bowens), Billy Gunn, and The Gunns (Austin & Colten Gunn) ended with The Gunns saying they want the AEW Tag Team Championships
Hangman Page talked with Renee Paquette and said he wanted another match with Jon Moxley but Wheeler Yuta challenges him to a match on Rampage for this Friday
Bryan Danielson vs. Brian Cage
Danielson struggled to get offense in at the beginning due to Brian Cage simply throwing him around. Cage hit Bryan with many German suplexes. He worked fast and constantly relied on his strength. Bryan was able to transition some of his power moves into submission moves and deliver some moves of his own. Cage tried to go for a powerbomb symphony, but after the first one, Bryan was able to roll through for the pin.
After the match, Brian Cage attempted to break Danielson’s arm to get the money offered by MJF. MJF came out to the ring and had Cage twist Bryan’s arm in the chair and sent him into the ring post. MJF got in the ring to beat down a defenseless Danielson.
Takeshita came out to save Bryan Danielson and got the one up on Brian Cage.
Toni Storm cut a promo calling the original AEW women “homegrown idiots” and said that Ruby should join her side.
Ruby cut a promo and said that the AEW women gave her great opportunities and that Toni Storm’s journey ends with her.
Toni Storm vs. Ruby Soho
Ruby used strikes, while Toni used suplex combinations. Toni Storm faked a nose injury to lure in Ruby Soho. She then took advantage with a suplex and a rolling DDT. When Toni was looking for Storm Zero, Britt Baker made her entrance. This helped Ruby hit Destination Unkown for the win.
MJF cut a promo saying Takeshita is very talented. He tried to warn him to stay out of his business or there will be consequences. MJF then announced that Timothy Thatcher will face Danielson next week on Dynamite.
Jamie Hayter called Emi Sakura a legend. She showed her respect, but promised to hit her hard.
Ian and Caprice joined Excalibur on commentary for the Jay Briscoe tribute match.
Jay Lethal came out wearing a Jay Briscoe shirt.
Mark Briscoe came our in great spirits and holding both ROH Tag Team Championship titles.
Jay Briscoe Tribute Match: Mark Briscoe vs. Jay Lethal
Mark and Jay traded chops in the corner with neither backing down. They matched each other’s speed and combinations. Mark had to break out the Red Neck Kung Fu and the Iconoclasm. After a close call, Mark was able to roll out the ring. Mark hit a Blockbuster on the outside and on to the floor. He dropped a Froggy Bow from the top rope on to the Time Keeper’s table. Mark hit the Jay Driller for the three count.
All Elite Wrestling superstar Britt Baker won’t compete on tonight’s episode of AEW Dynamite due to injury.
The company broke the news this morning on its Twitter account. AEW wanted Baker to compete in a 3-way match against Ruby Soho and Toni Storm on the Jan. 25 episode of AEW Dynamite. Since Baker is injured, Soho and Storm will compete in a singles match.
Due to injury, Dr. @RealBrittBaker D.M.D. will not be able to compete in the scheduled 3-Way Match on #AEWDynamite.
It’s unclear what the severity is of the injury or how long Baker will be out of action. Her last aired match was against Billie Starkz on AEW Dark on Jan. 24. Baker took a kick to the face that caused her nose to bleed during the match. AEW hasn’t shared if it’s a nose injury or if there is another issue.
AEW Dynamite Preview
The Jan. 25 episode of AEW Dynamite will be an emotional one. Tonight’s episode will have Mark Briscoe making his AEW debut against Jay Lethal in tribute to his late brother Jay, who tragically passed away last week. The significance of the match happening tonight is also because today would’ve been Jay’s 39th birthday.
The rest of the show will have exciting matchups. The Jan. 25 episode of AEW Dynamite will have TNT Champion Darby Allin defending the title against Buddy Mathews. The show will also continue the build to the main event of the AEW Revolution pay-per-view, MJF’s hand-picked opponent Brian Cage taking on Bryan Danielson.
You can check out our preview article here to see the rest of the AEW Dynamite card.
Mark Briscoe will still not be allowed to appear for All Elite Wrestling, even after the death of his brother Jay.
Jay Briscoe died in a car accident last week when a vehicle driving the other way swerved onto his lane, mere minutes from Jay’s home in Laurel, Delaware.
Briscoe was 38 at the time of his death, and his daughters, who were in the vehicle at the time, have since undergone surgery.
Controversy
The Briscoes were one of the most popular tag teams of their era but were banned from appearing for AEW.
The decision was made by AEW’s partners at Warner Bros. Discovery, who did not want the Briscoes given controversial statements from Jay’s past.
In June 2011, Jay stirred controversy when he tweeted “a lot of f*gs out in New York today,” and would share a similar homophobic message following Hurricane Irene.
When the Delaware Senate passed a bill allowing same-sex couples to marry in May 2013, Briscoe said “try and teach my kids that there’s nothing wrong with that and I’ll f*cking shoot you.”
After considerable backlash, Briscoe explained these comments as his redneck heel character, and did not reflect his personal beliefs on homosexuality.
Briscoe also agreed to donate his full salary from the next two shows to the Partners Against Hate charity.
In 2021, Ian Riccaboni said “If folks only knew how Jay supports and puts over all talent, specifically LGBTQ+ talent, as a leader in the locker room.”
Following his death this month, Dave Meltzer said that Briscoe was considered to have completely reformed his views on the LGBTQ+ community, and that he enjoyed the support of LGBTQ+ wrestlers.
Banned from AEW
Though it was Jay who made the comments that saw the Briscoes banned by WBD, his brother Mark will suffer the consequences.
On Wrestling Observer Radio, Bryan Alverez read asked if Mark will be allowed on AEW TV and to join the roster following Jay’s passing.
“I already know the answer. The answer is no. Okay? I can’t tell you more. It could change, but that is the answer.”
Dave Meltzer.
Both Meltzer and Alverez were evidently frustrated, and Meltzer said he hopes this changes.
Gracie has regained feeling below her knees, after being left with no movement below her waist and no sensations below her knees after the crash.
Her strength is said to be improving after working with physical and occupational therapists, and she was able to assist with her transfer into a wheelchair on Monday afternoon.
Jaleigh’s feeding tube was removed on Saturday night, and the nine-year-old was allowed to eat as much as she wanted on Sunday.
On Monday, she was able to get out of bed and stand up, and was able to spend some time with her older sister.
After returning to her bed, Jayleigh’s wound VAC (vacuum-assisted closure) on her abdominal incision was removed.
Mark Briscoe
Mark Briscoe wasn’t in the vehicle at the time of the crash, but has kept silent to the public since the accident.
In his update, Wharton shared a text message from Mark, reading “GOD IS ON THE THRONE.”
Wharton added that he spoke to Mark over the phone on Monday night and described him as “chipper” as can be given the circumstances.
Our thoughts remain with the Pugh family at this awful time.
