Top AEW Star Says ‘I Wouldn’t Be Where I’m At Without Jay Briscoe’

ROH

A top AEW star says “I wouldn’t be where I’m at without Jay Briscoe”.

On January 17, the wrestling world was shocked to learn of the passing of ROH Hall of Famer Jay Briscoe (Jamin Pugh) in a fatal car accident at the age of 38.

Briscoe was a legend in Ring of Honor as a 13-time ROH World Tag Team Champion with his brother Mark and a 2-time ROH World Champion with numerous classic bouts for the promotion. This has led many wrestlers and past rivals to express their gratitude for what Briscoe brought to their careers.

During his career, one of Jay Briscoe’s greatest rivals was Adam Cole who he shared the ring with many times, including battles in a Ladder War and a Fight Without Honor.

Speaking to Dave Meltzer and Garrett Gonzales on Wrestling Observer Radio, Cole reflected on his rivalry and friendship with Jay.

Crediting him for where he is today and reflecting on losing Jay, Cole said:

“It was devastating, it really was. Not just for me, but for so many of his friends. Jay, I mean this, whether you met Jay Briscoe for one day or you have known him for a decade like I have, even longer for other people.”

“He just had this amazing ability to make you feel like you were the most important person in the room. He was so welcoming, so kind, so fun to be around.”

“Unbelievable family man, husband, father, son, and brother. He seriously was one of the best people I’ve ever met in wrestling. To get that news, at first, it didn’t seem real.”

“It was one of those things where I was like, ‘this has to be a mistake.’ Then the news started flooding in online.”

“Then it kind of sunk in even more. I mean it when I say, the character that I am today, the situation that I’m in today, I guarantee I would not be where I’m at without him.”

Recalling their feud in Ring of Honor, the former three-time ROH World Champion said:

“He was the first real angle that I had in Ring of Honor in such an important period where I had just won the Ring of Honor Championship, and Jay was so adamant about making my character, and me as a performer come across like the biggest deal that he possibly could. There is not a selfish bone in Jay’s body.”

“The dynamic, at the time, I was wearing suits with slick-backed hair and the watch, and Jay is on the farm cutting promos and screaming and yelling, the dynamic was so different in the best way possible.”

“At that point in my career, there was a lot of pressure on me that I was putting on myself. I had just won the ROH Championship, I was the PWG Champion as well, and all this pressure started flooding in.”

“You think about all the great champions there have been before you, and how you want to live up to this legacy of what Ring of Honor and PWG is, and Jay gave me so much confidence with how encouraging he was, how excited he was with everything.”

Crediting Briscoe for believing in him, Cole stated:

“Jay believed in me being Ring of Honor Champion almost more than anybody. He was so adamant about making sure that I looked as good as possible, and I learned so much from Jay with how he put matches together, his promo intensity was so fascinating to watch.”

“I love Jay Briscoe to death. My heart goes out to his entire family. He was a really special guy and I mean every word when I say I wouldn’t be where I’m at without him. I love Jay.”

Transcription via Fightful

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• jay briscoe
• adam cole
• ROH
• AEW

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