Category: ROH

Warner Bros. Discovery Blocked Jay Briscoe Tribute Show On AEW Dynamite

This past Tuesday, Jay Briscoe, real name Jamin Pugh, passed away following a car crash in Delaware at 38 years old. 

The wrestling world has been reacting ever since. The tributes continued on Wednesday’s AEW Dynamite, as the broadcast opened with a graphic of Briscoe and multiple wrestlers had “Jay” armbands during their matches.

Speaking on Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer reported that Warner Bros. Discovery did not allow AEW to do a full tribute show to Briscoe due to homophobic tweets Jay posted over a decade ago.

This is not the first time that WBD has blocked Briscoe’s involvement on AEW television, as they previously didn’t want AEW President Tony Khan to feature Jay or his brother Mark on its programming. Jay had apologized for the tweets multiple times over the years. 

Khan tapped a Ring of Honor-branded “Jay Briscoe: Celebration of Life” event after AEW Dynamite went off the air that will air on HonorClub and ROH’s YouTube channel for free.

Source: eWrestlingNews

Wrestling World Reacts To The Passing Of Jay Briscoe

Wrestlers and wrestling personalities are reacting in real time to the tragic news of Jay Briscoe’s death.

Leading the reactions are FTR, The Young Bucks, and The Usos — the three teams that have been mentioned in the same breath as The Briscoes as the greatest tag teams of the 21st century. 

“RIP to the homie Jay Briscoe,” The Usos wrote on Twitter. “Condolences to the your family. Rest in paradise uso. @SussexCoChicken #DemBoyz.”

“I’ve been in tears since I heard the news,” wrote Cash Wheeler of FTR. “I just don’t have the words. Rest in Peace Jay.”

“I’m doing ok,” wrote Dax Harwood of FTR, along with a photo of FTR and The Briscoes sharing a drink. “Thanks everyone for checking on me. I love you, Jay.”

Meanwhile, The Young Bucks changed their Twitter header photo to that of Jay Briscoe.

AEW star Matt Hardy, who shared the ring with Jay more than a dozen times, explained why he shared a genuine love for Jay.

“Heard this tragic news while flying,” Matt tweeted. “I’m DEVASTATED that Jay Briscoe (Jamin Pugh) tragically died today. I was honored to work with him many times. I loved Jay. Jay was SO real. Jay loved his wife & kids more than anything & we shared that bond. I’m heartbroken for his family.”

AEW star Chris Jericho tweeted, “Please pray for @jaybriscoe84’s family. Trust me this is worse than you think.”

Veteran ROH announcer Ian Riccaboni, who called the action for The Briscoes’ final ROH match at Final Battle, touched upon the close friendship he developed with “Dem Boyz” over the years.

“Jay was one of a kind,” Riccaboni tweeted. I traveled often with Jay and Mark. We couldn’t have been more different but that’s what made our friendship something I’ll cherish forever. He’d give you the shirt off his back, his last dime. He was so proud of his kids. Loved his family so much.”

Others such as Moose, “The Hurricane” Shane Helms, Big Swole, Frankie Kazarian and John Silver posted their reactions as well.

Jay Briscoe never wrestled on WWE television but had many fans within the current WWE roster.

WWE Chief Content Officer Paul “Triple H” Levesque led the tributes with a message that was re-tweeted by WWE’s official account.

“An incredible performer who created a deep connection with wrestling fans across the globe,” Triple H tweeted. “My condolences to the family and friends of Jay Briscoe.”

Shawn Michaels posted a tribute on behalf of the “WWE NXT” roster.

“On behalf of the @WWENXT community, I would like to express our condolences to the Briscoe family for their loss.”

Bayley tweeted, “I’m so sorry to hear about Jay Briscoe. To all my friends who were close to him, to all his fans, and to his family, I’m sending you so much strength and love. ❤️ #DemBoys.”

Shinsuke Nakamura tweeted, “RIP Jay Briscoe.”

GUNTHER, who shared the ring with The Briscoes at a wXw event in 2017, tweeted, “Rest in Peace, Jay Briscoe.”

Others such as Ricochet and Cody Rhodes reacted to the tragic news as well.

“This is so sad. ❤️,” tweeted Ricochet.

“I didn’t interact much with him, but upon meeting Jay I instantly understood something about him…his family was his everything,” tweeted Rhodes. “All the love in the world to them this evening.”

Meanwhile, Sami Zayn went as far as to credit The Briscoes for helping him advance in his pro wrestling career. The former El Generico wrestled The Briscoes on countless occasions for promotions such as PWG and ROH. 

“I don’t have the words right now to properly convey my sorrow,” Zayn wrote on Twitter. “I love Jay & Mark Briscoe. Always have. I wouldn’t be here without them. I’m very lucky to have shared the ring & shared so many laughs with Jay Briscoe and I’m so sad to know neither will happen again. RIP my friend.”

Finally, WWE announcer Vic Joseph acknowledged Jay’s passing during a live episode of “WWE NXT” Tuesday night.

“We were just informed of tragic news inside the wrestling community that Jay Briscoe has passed away,” Joseph said. “We want to take this moment to send our condolences to his friends and family.”

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Jay Briscoe Dead At Age 38

Veteran wrestler Jay Briscoe (real name Jamin Pugh) has passed away at the age of 38 yesterday evening in a auto accident.

Jay Briscoe was killed Tuesday evening in a car accident in Laurel, Delaware. One other person was killed in the collision, and two others were injured. Jay’s wife Ashley confirmed that two of the couple’s daughters were involved in the accident.

AEW and ROH owner Tony Khan shared the heartbreaking news via Twitter on Tuesday evening.

“Sadly, Jamin Pugh has passed away,” Khan wrote. “Known to fans as Jay Briscoe, he was a star in ROH for over 20 years, from the first show until today. Jay and his brother Mark dominated ROH, reigning as champions to this day. We’ll do whatever we can to support his family. Rest In Peace Jamin.”

Jay’s widow, took to Facebook to post an update on her family’s conditions following yesterday’s tragic crash.

Ashley wrote: “We need prayers! Gracie is on her way into surgery on her back. Jamin would want the whole world praying for his little girl. WE BELIEVE IN THE POWER OF PRAYER!! Pray for the doctors and everyone working on her! Pray for her precious legs to move again! Pray for Jayleigh who has some pretty serious injuries, but is stable and resting! Pray for Gannon waiting at home! Pray for strength for all of us! We have a long long road ahead of us!”

Jay and his brother, Mark, were the reigning ROH World Tag Team Champions, following their victory over FTR at ROH Final Battle on December 10. The Briscoes have been widely regarded as one of the best tag teams of the 21st century, having held tag team gold for promotions such as NJPW, Impact Wrestling, GCW and CZW, besides their 13 stints as ROH World Tag Team Champions.

During the course of his illustrious career, Jay also found success as a singles wrestler, holding the ROH World Championship on two separate occasions.  

The Briscoes were enshrined in the ROH Hall of Fame as part of the inaugural class in 2022. 

Laurel School District in Sussex County — where Jay went to school — released the following statement in acknowledgment of the hometown hero’s passing.

“Due to an unthinkable tragedy in our community this evening, The Laurel School District will be closed tomorrow, Wednesday January 18, 2023. Schools will reopen on Thursday. Please keep the Pugh Family in your thoughts and prayers.”

In the outpouring of support from those across the professional wrestling community last night and this morning, one of the most touted aspects of Pugh’s personality was his devotion to his family. One video, posted to Twitter, showed Pugh practicing a cheerleading routine with one of his daughters — something that many wrestlers might shy away from posting publicly, but Pugh was proud and happy to share.’

Source: Wrestling Inc.

AEW Issues Press Release For ROH’s Weekly TV Show

At Saturday’s post-ROH Final Battle 2022 media scrum, AEW President Tony Khan announced the return of HonorClub, which is where ROH’s weekly TV show will be featured.

The company sent out the following press release today to hype the news:

Tony Khan Announces Relaunch of Ring of Honor’s HonorClub Platform
— More than two decades of Ring of Honor Content Now Available For $9.99/Month, With New PPV and TV Content To Come —

On the heels of a momentous Ring of Honor Final Battle pay-per-view from College Park Center in Arlington, Texas, Tony Khan announced that the company’s HonorClub streaming platform has officially relaunched, featuring more than 2,500 hours of premium professional wrestling content dating back to 2002, with new weekly television episodes coming soon to the platform.

The announcement was made during an afternoon filled with title changes, as Claudio Castagnoli regained the ROH World Championship from Chris Jericho, Athena taking the ROH Women’s World Championship from Mercedes Martinez, The Briscoes winning the ROH World Tag Team Championships back from FTR in their third matchup this year, Wheeler Yuta winning the ROH Pure Championship back from Daniel Garcia and the Gates of Agony defeating Dalton Castle & The Boys for the ROH World Six-Man Tag Team Championships.

Fans can sign up immediately for HonorClub for just $9.99 per month by visiting WatchROH.com. HonorClub is accessible via the ROH app on iOS, Android, Roku and Amazon FireTV.

The relaunched platform features updated functionality, where fans will be able to enjoy thousands of hours of Ring of Honor content including classic matches from the full ROH television archive and hundreds of pay-per-views and special events. Khan also announced plans for a weekly ROH television show to be solidified at the top of next year. Pay-per-view events will be available for viewing on HonorClub 90 days after they happen live, with live broadcasts still airing via Bleacher Report.

ROH Final Battle 12/10/2022 (Results)

ZERO HOUR:

Jeff Cobb def. Mascara Dorada

Willow Nightingale def. Trish Adora

Top Flight def. The Kingdom

FINAL BATTLE:

Blake Christian & A.R. Fox def. La Facción Ingobernable (Rush and Dralistico)

Things went wild at the end, and A.R. Fox got the surprise win with a 450 on Dralisitico – looked to be a botch with Fox looking genuinely surprised as the ref insinuated that Dralistico didn’t get his shoulder up in time. RUSH and Dralistico took the loss well, throwing chairs and attempting to tie Fox up with cables. Odd ending, defo seems like it was a botch, and considering it was Dralistico’s debut and due to RUSH’s prior ROH booking, I don’t think this was the intended ending.

ROH Women’s Championship Match:
Athena def. Mercedes Martinez (c) to become new ROH Women’s Champion

Swerve In Our Glory def. Shane Taylor Promotions

ROH World Six-Man Tag Team Championship Match:
The Embassy (Brian Cage & Gates of Agony) def. Dalton Castle & The Boys (c) to become new ROH Six-Man Tag Team Champions

ROH Pure Championship Match:
Wheeler Yuta def. Daniel Garcia (c) to become new ROH Pure Champion

ROH Tag Team Championship Double Dog Collar Match:
The Briscoes def. FTR (c) to become new ROH Tag Team Champions

The Briscoes became ROH World Tag Team Champions for a record thirteenth time. As FTR were regrouping in the ring, The Gunns ran out of nowhere to dish out a beating before saying they want to kill FTR’s legacy. The Briscoes chased the ‘Ass Boys’ away as Dax Harwood promised to take The Gunns out.

ROH World Television Championship Match:
Samoa Joe (c) def. Juice Robinson

ROH World Championship: (If Castagnoli loses, he must join the Jericho Appreciation Society)
Claudio Castagnoli def. Chris Jericho (c) to become new ROH World Champion

Referee Paul Turner sent Ange and Magic to the back as Jericho hit a snap Codebreaker, but the follow up Codebreaker missed as Claudio finally got the big swing, with Jericho tapping out mid swing as Claudio regained the ROH World Championship. Wheeler Yuta arrived to celebrate with his BCC team-mate, as did former ROH World Champion Jerry Lynn as Claudio and the fans had fun with streamers. The Ring of Jericho era is over.

ROH Final Battle 12/10/2022 (Card)

AEW Presents ROH Final Battle Saturday December 10, 2022 from College Park Center at the University of Texas-Arlington in Arlington, Texas – 4 p.m. ET/1 p.m. PT, with Zero Hour starting at 3 p.m. ET/noon PT.

A ROH press release confirmed that Final Battle will be available through Bleacher Report (the same way fans have been ordering AEW pay-per-views) via its website or the B/R app for $39.99. The event can be pre-ordered here.

Fans in the U.S. can also order the PPV through InDemand on various cable and satellite TV providers. International cans can check out FITE or PPV.com to order the show.

CARD

ROH World Championship:
Chris Jericho (c) vs.  Claudio Castagnoli
If Castagnoli loses, he must join the Jericho Appreciation Society

ROH Pure Championship Match:
Daniel Garcia (c) vs. Wheeler Yuta

ROH Women’s Championship Match:
Mercedes Martinez (c) vs. Athena

ROH World Television Championship Match:
Samoa Joe (c) vs. Juice Robinson

ROH Tag Team Championship Double Dog Collar Match:
FTR vs. The Briscoes

ROH World Six-Man Tag Team Championship Match:
Dalton Castle & The Boys (c) vs. Brian Cage & Gates of Agony

Keith Lee & Swerve Strickland vs. Shane Taylor & JD Griffey

ZERO HOUR:

Willow Nightingale vs. Trish Adora

The Kingdom vs. Top Flight

Matt Menard & Angelo Parker vs. Shinobi Shadow Squad

Tony Khan Teases Update On ROH Television Situation

While speaking during Wednesday’s media call to promote this weekend’s Ring of Honor Final Battle pay-per-view event, ROH owner and AEW President Tony Khan hinted that an update on the promotion’s television deal could be coming soon. Khan acquired Ring of Honor in May of this year. Tony indicated to Brandon Thurston that an announcement regarding ROH’s TV future could come this weekend.

ROH Final Battle 2022 will take place this Saturday, December 10th at 4:00 PM EST from Arlington, TX. It will air live on pay-per-view.

https://twitter.com/BrandonThurston/status/1600559192984768513

Source: EWrestlingNews

Ring Of Honor TV Deal Announcement Expected Very Soon (Reportedly)

An update on Ring of Honor’s broadcasting situation and a possible deal is expected to be made soon.

In March, AEW President Tony Khan purchased Ring of Honor and made a rare appearance on AEW Dynamite to make the announcement.

Bryan Alverez of the Wrestling Observer reports that there are “definitely” rumors of a Ring of Honor TV deal, and an announcement is expected “imminently.”

Since purchasing the promotion, ROH has had two events, Supercard of Honor XV in April and Death Before Dishonor in July.

ROH Championships are regularly featured on AEW programming.

Source: EWrestlingNews

Samoa Joe Could Be Returning To AEW Soon

Samoa Joe could be returning to the AEW ring sooner than later, according to PWInsider.

PWInsider reports that the Peacock series “Twisted Metal” has now wrapped shooting, which means Joe could be returning to the ring soon. Based on the PlayStation video games, the series will see Joe in a dual role with Will Arnett as the character Sweet Tooth. Arnett is the voice, while Joe will be the physical appearance of the clown. The series also stars Stephanie Beatriz, Neve Campbell, Thomas Haden Church, and Anthony Mackie.

Joe last wrestled at the ROH Death Before Dishonor pay-per-view, where he defeated Jay Lethal. Joe is the current ROH World Television Champion. He has held the title since defeating then-champion NJPW star Minoru Suzuki on the April 13 episode of “AEW Dynamite.”

After his WWE release on January 6, Joe signed with both AEW and ROH. He made his AEW in-ring debut on the April 7 episode of “Dynamite.” He won his debut match against The Acclaimed’s Max Caster and qualified for the Owen Hart Foundation Tournament. Joe made it finals of the tournament but lost against Adam Cole at Double Or Nothing.

Before his AEW debut, he had made his return to ROH on April 1 at Supercard XV, where he saved Jonathan Gresham and Lee Moriarty from Jay Lethal and Sonjay Dutt. Supercard XV was ROH’s first event since being acquired by AEW CEO Tony Khan on March 2.

Along with his “Twisted Metal” role, Joe voiced King Shark for the upcoming DC video game, “Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League.”

Source: Wrestling Inc.

AEW Battle Of The Belts 3 Preview 8/6/22

AEW Battle of the Belts 3 will air this Saturday at 8 PM ET/7 PM CT taped Friday night in Grand Rapids, MI.

Here is the current lineup for the show:

* Claudio Castagnoli (c) vs. Konosuke Takeshita for the Ring of Honor World Championship

* Thunder Rosa (c) vs. Jamie Hayter for the AEW Women’s Championship

* Wardlow (c) vs. Jay Lethal for the TNT Championship