Jay Briscoe

Jamin Dale Pugh (January 25, 1984 – January 17, 2023), better known by his ring name Jay Briscoe, was an American professional wrestler.

He was best known for his time with his brother Mark Briscoe as the Briscoe Brothers in Ring of Honor, where he was a two-time ROH World Champion, ROH World Six-Man Tag Team Champion, and record 13-time ROH World Tag Team Champion.

Other championships held by Briscoe over his career include the Impact World Tag Team Championship and IWGP Tag Team Championship.

He was inducted into the ROH Hall of Fame in 2022.

Jay Briscoe was trained to wrestle by Eddie Valentine, Glen Osbourne, and Jim Kettner.

He debuted on May 20, 2000, at the age of 16.

Throughout 2000, he and his brother Mark wrestled a handful of tag team matches for the Delaware-based East Coast Wrestling Association.

In January 2001, they appeared with Maryland Championship Wrestling.

The Briscoe Brothers made their debuts for Combat Zone Wrestling (CZW) at Delaware Invasion on January 20, 2001, being brought in to job as part of a three-on-one handicap match against Trent Acid.

At the inaugural Best of the Best event, a show somewhat atypical of CZW in that it is a tournament spotlighting athletic junior heavyweight wrestling as opposed to violent hardcore matches, the two advanced past the first round in a three-way match with Nick Mondo where the stipulation was whoever took the fall would be eliminated.

They were then matched against each other in the second round, with Jay winning and advancing further.

This match was seen by fans as the best of the tournament, and seen in retrospect as having been responsible in large part for helping launch the brothers' careers, as they were new to the independent circuit and very young at the time.

After losing in title opportunities at Breakaway Brawl and A New Beginning, the brothers won the CZW Tag Team Championship on July 14, 2001, as they defeated the original H8 Club at H8 Club: Dead?.

They lost it, however, in their first defense, to Johnny Kashmere and Justice Pain on July 28, 2001, at What About Lobo? Mark wasn't used for several months after that, but Jay continued on as a singles wrestler in that time, even facing Justice Pain for the CZW Heavyweight Championship at September Slam on September 8, which he lost.

At the end of 2001 and into 2002, CZW's territory (that is, the area at which they held the majority of their events) was shifting from Sewell, New Jersey, to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in order to hold events regularly at the old ECW arena, beginning with December 15's Cage of Death 3.

At this event, they faced Nick Gage and Nate Hatred, but wore masks and were identified as The Midnight Outlaws.

This was likely to get around the fact that Jay was only 17 and Mark only 16 at the time; this meant, as they were under 18 years of age, that they could not legally work in a sport wrestling exhibition in the state of Pennsylvania.

As CZW regularly began holding shows in the Philadelphia area, the Midnight Outlaws made appearances at the next four CZW events.

Jay Briscoe made his Jersey All Pro Wrestling (JAPW) debut on March 24, 2001, at March Madness Night 2, losing to Insane Dragon and Dixie teaming with his brother Mark Briscoe.

It is unclear how, if at all, JAPW's ownership and management worked around Pennsylvania's child labor law, as both brothers were underage at the time of this and two subsequent appearances in the old ECW arena.

They made three other appearances in JAPW in 2001, and unsuccessful challenge for Dragon and Dixie's JAPW Tag Team Championship on June 15 at Here to Stay.

At A Higher Level of Pain on April 13, 2002, Jay appeared across the ring from the Midnight Outlaws, tagging with Ruckus against Mark and someone else.

By this time, he had turned 18.

Jay Briscoe made his return to JAPW in 2002.

On July 13, 2002, at Unfinished Business, Jay Briscoe and Insane Dragon won the JAPW Tag Team Championship after scoring simultaneous pinfalls on the members of Da Hit Squad.

The six men went on to meet in a rematch of sorts at the next event, Royal Consequences 2 on August 10, 2002, Jay and Insane Dragon defended the titles against Da Hit Squad and the team of Mark Briscoe and Deranged in a tables, ladders, and chairs match, which Da Hit Squad won.

Two shows later, on September 20 at Family Crisis 2, Da Hit Squad successfully retained the title over the Briscoe Brothers in a regular match.

Jay and Ruckus won the match, and this was the last time either Jay or Mark appeared for CZW until April 12, 2003, where Jay and Mark both returned for Best of the Best 3.

Jay was a surprise entrant after being taunted by A.J. Styles, and Mark filling in for the injured Ruckus.

Jay advanced to the semi-finals, where he lost to B-Boy, and Mark lost his fill-in match to Sonjay Dutt.

The two faced off with the Backseat Boyz for the CZW World Tag Team Championship at Truth or Consequences on June 14, but failed to win the belts.

The Briscoe Brothers did not appear for JAPW again until late 2005, again in a tables, ladders, and chairs match for the tag team title, this time against the teams of Teddy Hart and Homicide, the Backseat Boyz, and The S.A.T. The match, which took place at JAPW's 8th Year Anniversary Show, was won Hart and Homicide.

At the next show, Fall Out, the S.A.T. defeated them and thus became number one contenders to the tag team championship.

More recent JAPW appearances came in early 2006, losing along with the Outcast Killers to the S.A.T. once again at Wild Card II in a tag team title match, and then at Brotherly Love to the team of Sabu and Sonjay Dutt, a match they also lost.

On December 11, 2010, at Cage of Death XII, the Briscoe Brothers Returned to CZW challenging newly crowned CZW World Tag Team Champions Philly's Most Wanted of BLK Jeez and Joker to a title match in January.

On January 7, 2011, at "From Small Beginnings Come Great Things" Philly's Most Wanted retained the CZW World Tag Team Championships against the Briscoe Brothers in a no contest.

The Briscoe Brothers then challenged Philly's Most Wanted to a no disqualification rematch.

On February 12, 2011, at "Twelve: The Twelfth Anniversary Event" The Briscoe Brothers defeated Philly's Most Wanted to become the new CZW World Tag Team Champions.

They lost the title back to Philly's Most Wanted on May 14, 2011.

The Briscoe Brothers returned to CZW again on November 10, 2012, facing Dave and Jake Crist in a losing effort.