A reported reversal by Warner Brothers Discovery has led to a huge match being scheduled for Wednesday’s AEW Dynamite as Mark Briscoe will make his AEW debut against Jay Lethal in a match that according to Tony Khan, both men requested as a way to “celebrate the life and legacy” of the late Jay Briscoe on what would have been his 39th birthday.
Last week marked an emotional week in pro wrestling as Ring of Honor legend Jay Briscoe was killed in a car crash shortly before what would have been his 39th birthday. An outpouring of support was offered for Briscoe’s family, especially his daughters who were injured in the accident, as well as Briscoe’s brother Mark. The two brothers had been wrestling for over 20 years, capturing the ROH World Tag Team Championship an astonishing 13 times a well as tag titles in NJPW, GCW, CZW, and Impact Wrestling. They are one of, if not, the greatest tag team in pro wrestling history. At the time of Jay’s death, the brothers were in the midst of their 13th and final reign as ROH tag champions having won the titles against FTR at Final Battle. That match ended a trilogy that is largest considered one of the greatest rated in pro wrestling history as all three matches achieved five stars or higher.
Tomorrow 1/25
Lexington KY
Live on TBS
8pm ET/7pm CT
Wednesday Night #AEWDynamiteMark Briscoe vs Jay Lethal
Requested by both men to celebrate the life + legacy of the late great
Jay Briscoe on his 39th birthday,
his longtime friend/rival Jay Lethal vs his brother Mark Briscoe pic.twitter.com/uzeQ0L4t5h— Tony Khan (@TonyKhan) January 24, 2023
Mark Briscoe Debut and What Comes Next
As announced on Tuesday, the 38-year-old Mark, who has been a part of Ring of Honor since the promotion’s first show (he was too young to wrestle but cornered Jay in his match) and who has also wrestled in Pro Wrestling NOAH, New Japan Pro Wrestling, Impact Wrestling, Pro Wrestling Guerrilla, NWA, GCW, and many more promotions, will finally be making his AEW debut. The Mark Briscoe debut will come against Jay Lethal, who was a longtime friend and in-ring rival of Jay Briscoe as the two engaged in one of ROH’s best feuds in 2015 and would also face off in ensuing years both in singles and tag team competition. Both Lethal and Mark Briscoe also have history, having first faced each other in a proving ground match in 2011.
With Mark Briscoe reportedly now allowed to appear on AEW television going forward according to Dave Meltzer and others, it remains to be seen how AEW will handle the tag team championship he currently holds. Perhaps Mark will be allowed to choose a new partner to defend Jay’s half of the titles. Or maybe he’ll prefer not to wrestle as a tag team wrestler anymore and vacate the titles to embark on a new singles career. Whatever the case, all of that will be decided in time. Tonight is simply about two men honoring a friend, a brother, a colleague, a mentor, and a true legend of the business.
Stay tuned to the Last Word on Pro Wrestling for more on the Mark Briscoe debut and other stories from around the world of wrestling, as they develop. You can always count on LWOPW to be on top of the major news in the wrestling world. As well as to provide you with analysis, previews, videos, interviews, and editorials on the wrestling world. You can catch AEW Dynamite Wednesday nights at 8 PM ET on TBS and AEW Dark: Elevation (Monday nights) and AEW: Dark (Tuesday nights) at 7 PM ET on YouTube. AEW Rampage airs on TNT at 10 PM EST every Friday night. Ring of Honor’s tribute to Jay Briscoe, which was filmed last week, will be available for free on Honor Club and YouTube soon.
