Jamin Pugh, better known to wrestling fans around the world as Jay Briscoe sadly passed away on January 17th.
The Ring of Honor legend died as a result of injuries suffered in a car crash, a little over a week before his 39th birthday. After originally being prevented by Warner Bros. Discovery, AEW aired a very special edition of AEW Dynamite on January 25th dedicated to the beloved star.
Wrestling World Honours Jay Briscoe
The show also featured an appearance from Mark Briscoe who wrestled an emotional main event against another ROH veteran, Jay Lethal. Naturally it was Briscoe who scored the win, paying tribute to his brother using a number of his moves including the Jay Driller to grab victory. He later leaned into the camera offering a simple, yet heart-breaking “Jamin, I love you.”
In the days following Jay Briscoe’s passing tributes poured in from all corners of the wrestling world, something which continued during Dynamite. Several WWE stars such as Sami Zayn, Bayley, and Natalya all took to social media in response to a tribute package from AEW.
Beautiful tribute. ❤️
— Nattie (@NatbyNature) January 26, 2023
I’m so inspired by the Briscoes. Thank you ❤️
— Bayley (@itsBayleyWWE) January 26, 2023
TEARS https://t.co/2BZ9rZr4wI
— Sami Zayn (@SamiZayn) January 26, 2023
I love you Jay. ❤️❤️❤️ https://t.co/z0MoBlX5Tq
— Roderick Strong (@roderickstrong) January 26, 2023
REACH FOR THE SKY, BOY
— Eddie Orengo (@EddieOrengoWWE) January 26, 2023
Mark along with his brother Jay had previously been banned from appearing on AEW television at the behest of Warner Bros. Discovery. The ban stemmed from homophobic comments Jay made on social media back in 2013.
It is important to note that Jay apologised numerous times for these comments and worked tirelessly to educate himself on LBGTQ issues and became known as an ally to the LGBTQ community in the years before his death.
Speaking ahead of the January 25th edition of Dynamite, AEW boss Tony Khan said that he had fought incredibly hard in order to make the episode happen and feature Mark Briscoe. Khan added that the match between Mark and Jay Lethal came after they requested the bout as their way of paying tribute to the tag team star.