Jay Briscoe, one of the best and most popular tag-team wrestlers in the world has died at the age of 38. Briscoe, whose real name is Jamin Pugh, was a stalwart of Ring of Honor for several years. The Briscoes, Jay and his brother Mark, have won the promotion's tag team championship 13 times total, including the current reign.
However, there's no word on the cause or time of death at this point but according to reports, Briscoe died in a car accident. The news was announced by AEW founder Tony Khan, who purchased Ring of Honor last March. The news of Briscoe's untimely death has left millions of his fans devastated, with tributes pouring in from all corners.
End of the Fight
News of Briscoe's death was first broken by Khan. "Sadly, Jamin Pugh has passed away. Known to fans as Jay Briscoe, he was a star in ROH for over 20 years, from the first show until today," Khan tweeted Tuesday night.
"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."
A lot of speculation is going on but the exact cause of his death is yet not known. According to pro wrestling reporter Dave Meltzer, Briscoe was one of two people who died in a car accident near Laurel, Delaware.
The Briscoes, who have won tag team championships for teams including NJPW, Impact Wrestling, GCW, and CZW in addition to their 13 reigns as ROH World Tag Team Champions, are largely recognized as one of the top tag teams of the 21st century.
During the course of his illustrious career, Jay also found success as a singles wrestler, holding the ROH World Championship on two separate occasions.
Tragic Death
The Briscoes were enshrined in the ROH Hall of Fame as part of the inaugural class in 2022. Following the news of his death, tributes to Briscoe have been pouring in from all corners.
"I've been in tears since I heard the news. I just don't have the words. Rest in Peace Jay," tweeted Cash Wheeler, of the tag-team FTR. The teams wrestled a trilogy of the matches, with the most recent coming in December.
"One of the top highlights of my short ROH run and career was being able to not only work with the Briscoes, but having the absolute privilege to wrestle Mark and Jay. One of the best wrestlers to ever do it and always so nice and helpful to everyone. Rest in peace," pro wrestler Danhausen said.
"Jay Briscoe was one of the toughest men I ever had the privilege of sharing a ring with, as well as being a tremendous brother, father, and man," AEW's Christopher Daniels wrote on Twitter. "I'm so happy to have had the opportunity to know him and wrestle him as often as I did. Rest in Peace, Jay, I love you."
"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."
