In lieu of a long-form retrospective obituary on Jay Briscoe's contributions during the Filkin and Sapolsky eras (not enough time as evidenced by the lack of a Jimmy Rave one over the past year), I will offer a few comments before C&P every ROH match of his that has been officially uploaded.
When I had the time to do the prologue chapters that led to ROH, it was obvious that as important as the ladder match between Low Ki and Xavier would be, the show-stealing Best of the Best match the month prior between the teenage Briscoes was equally important. It was raw, it was unpolished, and it was sensational, with a clear foundation to build from, not just for them as performers, but for what the ethos of the underground scene could become during the period that I now refer to as The Extreme Depression (starting with ECW's demise.)
With hindsight, it is clear just how vital the Briscoes were in ROH's early years of providing prestige to the Tag Titles. Their absence from September 2004 and throughout all of 2005 perhaps played the biggest reason for that championship losing its luster. While there were other reasons at hand, Gabe Sapolsky didn't have the Briscoes band-aid he could lean on to compensate for his poor booking of the Tag Team Title picture that year.
While Austin Aries & Roderick Strong would prove to be the reign that turned the Tag Titles into a box-office main event attraction, it was the series with the returning Briscoes that defined the reign. The third match in the company's Liverpool debut at Unified is the absolute greatest version of a typical indie tag team match - trading bombs and establishing equal footing rather than cutting the ring in half, building to hot tags, and adhering to the psychology of tag legalities.
As ROH's peak golden age came to a close in late 2006, Homicide finally reaching what is now clearly his career-defining moment, it is now clear in hindsight that the only really hot, long-term, in-depth feud entering 2007 was Jimmy Jacobs vs. BJ Whitmer and its other participants such as Brent Albright and Colt Cabana. But at the time, it was very obvious that the feud would be coming to a close come WrestleMania 23 weekend; a hot drink-stirring program would be needed going into the upcoming PPV era.
It was thought that it would be the Faction Warfare, but Sapolsky got that completely wrong. Instead, it was Kevin Steen & El Generico who finally reached the elusive landmark career moment of getting over in ROH, and doing so against the Briscoes, earning a "Please Come Back" chant. Their full-time return to the company was perfectly set after the Jacobs vs. Whitmer saga would end, giving the company a visceral blood feud.
The Briscoes vs. Steen & Generico isn't just in the mix with ROH vs. CZW and Jacobs vs. Whitmer as the greatest ROH feud of 2006-2007; it was the feud that kept ROH interesting as it otherwise lost its creative edge as it moved upwards to PPV in 2007. Without this feud, it's very easy to imagine that the company's loss of goodwill that significantly increased in 2008 would've come much sooner. Without this feud, I don't believe Sapolsky's tenure as ROH booker would've reached the end of 2007; it's difficult to fathom he would've even kept his job for that long without this feud.
Furthermore, while the Briscoes vs. Steen & Generico wasn't perfect by any means - it certainly had some booking warts thanks to Sapolsky's obvious burnout - it is the prototype of what I believe every top, main event tag team program should be. It is what I have been BEGGING the Young Bucks to finally put on their Hall of Fame resumes. Not just a bunch of matches over 2-3 months for no real booking rhyme or reason - but a series of matches that build a cohesive, long-form storyline narrative, with true peaks and valleys, all culminating after about a half year or even longer in a historic gimmick stipulation match, as was the case when this feud ended with ROH's first-ever ladder match at Man Up.
If Glory By Honor V Night 2 a year earlier was the end of the real golden age, then Man Up was the end of what could still have been subjectively referred to as a "winning season." The biggest reason: Sapolsky no longer had the Briscoes vs. Steen & Generico to compensate for the numerous booking inefficiencies that had been accumulating; the Briscoes vs. Age of the Fall in the follow-up never came close to reaching the prior feud's majesty - a majesty that I believe would've fit in perfectly during another golden era such as mid-1990s ECW.
It's also very clear tonight that the ROH roster's workrate continued well into the HDNet era, in some ways compensating for the booking that had lost its intricacies. The Briscoes are very much a part of that dynamic, with consensus show-stealing matches not just against regular tandems like Steen & Generico and the Kings of Wrestling, but also thrown-together pairings such as Aries & Kota Ibushi, Shingo as he tagged on different occasions with Naruki Doi and Susumu Yokosuka, and Matt Sydal as he tagged on different occasions with Davey Richards, Christopher Daniels, and Claudio Castagnoli.
Of course, the most high-profile tags would be against a who's who of major tag team attractions among the indies and beyond, and well into the SBG years - the Wolves, the Bucks, reDRagon, CM Punk & Colt Cabana, and KENTA & Naomichi Marufuji. There would be other well-received matches against the likes of Amazing Red & AJ Styles, the No Remorse Corps, Generation Next, the list goes on.
But it's hard to argue that any tag team match in ROH history is not only the company's greatest, but its most defining. It was the perfect place and time on a night when the company bid farewell to Cabana, and quietly did so to other talents as well - The Briscoes vs. Motor City Machine Guns @ Good Times, Great Memories. A more psychologically polished version of the sensational classic involving Aries & Strong @ Unified, this earned a five-star rating from me a decade later, with the only tag match in company history coming close to it being Low Ki & Samoa Joe vs. Homicide & Kenta Kobashi.
It's also worth noting that as ownership changed in 2011 and the Smoky Mountain of Honor era began, there was one admittedly visceral feud ongoing at the time and would headline the first major event of that era - the Briscoes vs. the All Night Express. This is a true testament to the Briscoes, for it was them that made Rhett Titus and Kenny King enjoy their creative storyline peaks, and easily the most important match of their ROH tenures with the ladder match main event @ Death Before Dishonor XIX.
As a tag team, that has to be the Briscoes' greatest legacy in ROH. They made the belts prestigious. They cemented one of the greatest teams ever to finally get a foothold in the company, and turned into the company's top storyline of the year. They were in the company's greatest tag team match ever. They were the peak of another tag team in the company as it underwent its biggest change since the controversy in 2004.
Speaking of the controversy in 2004 - we cannot neglect to put some focus on Jay as a singles performer. It wasn't just that he would eventually win the top prize on two occasions; his contributions in singles matches were well worthy of their own DVD compilation long before that magical night at the Manhattan Center on WrestleMania XXIX weekend. For many would say that it was the first time that ROH piggybacked off of the Showcase of the Immortals back in 2004, that Jay had his greatest singles match of his career, bleeding an absolute gusher in the cage match against Samoa Joe. At a time when the company had been blindsided by its ownership in an unfathomable way, Jay and Joe put on a classic worthy of being held the following day at Madison Square Garden, taking the minds of those who were there away from the freshly-induced black cloud hanging over ROH.
There are so many singles gems to be found on Jay Briscoe's body of work - the company's first-ever match between him and Red, his brother Mark, Joe, Danielson, Aries, Steen, Generico, Richards, Nigel McGuinness, Takeshi Morishima. But I think that above them all, his clear standout has to be at a time when I had long checked out of staying current with ROH - the champion vs. champion match against Jay Lethal @ Best in the World 2015. Only staying aware of ROH but not making time to consume its content, this is quite clearly the peak of Hunter Johnston's booking tenure in the company, as the buzz for this match could never be reached again, not even for any particular ROH-branded matches at the historic G1 Supercard.
It would be remiss not to mention the hateful, ignorant statements Jay published so many years ago, and the apparent long-term impact it had both on him and Mark once Tony Khan purchased the company. I was of the feeling that at some point in 2023, they would eventually make it onto the AEW roster and be featured on Turner television, perhaps playing a role in what's hoped to become a storyline involving The Elite, FTR, and CM Punk. Maybe it was the case that they would end up at that point, perhaps in a different direction.
In mentioning the conflict that's been in AEW, I can only hope that perhaps this tragedy compounded with Brodie Lee's death being what helped lead to what was supposed to be an epic, game-changing chapter in the company's history - perhaps this will put some things into perspective. Perhaps the fact that this person who had spewed ignorance is now being beloved by people of so many different backgrounds and worldviews can lead to mended fences. Perhaps that in this case, this was such a sudden, unexpected, blindsiding tragedy will make both those in the industry and those who support it put away their bickering.
For a performer that is on the Mt. Rushmore of ROH, I cannot think of a better silver lining legacy. That as so much of a dark cloud swirls around WWE, perhaps this can lead to something so impactful that as Dax Harwood has said, has the potential to be felt many decades from now.
Most of all, the biggest takeaway is that life is short and can be taken away. We have seen this with other high-profile ROH alumni such as Trent Acid, Xavier, Jimmy Rave, Larry Sweeney, Eddie Guerrero, and Mitsuharu Misawa. It's a reminder to appreciate life as it happens, to live life on one's own terms instead of just chasing the biggest mainstream dollar, and to learn to forgive and have empathy towards others who have walked a different path in life.
As one who travels around the nation frequently, my next travel will include the beautiful state of Alabama. There's a certain track I always play as I cruise through its scenic interstates, always having the additional perk of taking myself back to the greatest time in underground wrestling history. I can't wait to do it all again when I return to 'Bama next month -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xpRP91qaaS0
First Match in ROH History
Jay Briscoe vs. Amazing Red
The Era of Honor Begins - February 23, 2002
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xFdrkTv1HwM
Jay Briscoe vs. Mark Briscoe
One Year Anniversary Show - February 8, 2003
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L27Uw7E0X2w
Samoa Joe vs. Chris Sabin vs. Jay Briscoe vs. AJ Styles
Beating the Odds - September 6, 2003
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0MxF8mLsCtk
Tag Titles Match
Izzy & Dixie vs. The Briscoes
Main Event Spectacles - November 1, 2003
NO PRE-MATCH OR POST-MATCH SHOWN
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w7ZTCl6eCmc
Tag Titles Match
The Briscoes vs. Samoa Joe & AJ Styles
The Conclusion - November 28, 2003
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h3Kys1P1sZ0
Jay Briscoe vs. Bryan Danielson
Final Battle 2003 - December 27, 2003
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yux1omGwXZw
Tag Titles Match
The Briscoes vs. Samoa Joe & Bryan Danielson
The Battle Lines Are Drawn - January 10, 2004
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FrvyKRD4OYE
The Briscoes vs. Matt Sydal & Davey Richards
Anarchy in the UK - August 13, 2006
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AXJrBJOwGXs
Hardcore Match
The Briscoes vs. Samoa Joe & Homicide
Motor City Madness 2006 - October 7, 2006
https://youtube.com/watch?v=H3ZnAlGRLes
Jay Briscoe vs. Mark Briscoe
Fifth Year Festival: Finale - March 4, 2007
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HLKMVc9OuuA
Tag Titles Match
The Briscoes vs. Motor City Machine Guns
Good Times, Great Memories - April 28, 2007
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pd5RwNqriT4
Tag Titles Match
The Briscoes vs. Shingo & Susumu Yokosuka
Live in Osaka - July 17, 2007
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q0mViVt3e0c
Hardcore Match
The Briscoes vs. Necro Butcher & Joey Matthews
Take No Prisoners 2008 - March 16, 2008
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KWYjSImEi_k
Tag Titles Match
Kings of Wrestling vs. The Briscoes
ROH on HDNet - Taped August 21, 2010
Aired October 25, 2010
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=84fLA--LUz4
The Briscoes vs. Future Shock
Honor Takes Center Stage Chapter 1 - April 1, 2011
POST-MATCH NOT INCLUDED
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0o7ozYt5EQk
The Briscoes vs. All Night Express
Honor Takes Center Stage Chapter 2 - April 2, 2011
POST-MATCH NOT INCLUDED
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vSCSUMHbGIU
Tag Titles Match
The Briscoes vs. Young Bucks
10th Anniversary Show - March 4, 2012
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=32mdWvK8ZC0
The Briscoes vs. The Headbangers
TV Taping - November 3, 2012
Aired December 1, 2012
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fJEs5IL6qbk
Elimination Match
Adam Cole & Matt Hardy vs. The Briscoes vs. Chris Hero & Michael Elgin
Wrestling's Finest - January 25, 2014
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nDNmNb3RqkI
No DQ Match
The Briscoes vs. Outlaw, Inc.
Raising the Bar Night 2 - March 8, 2014
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AZQiosi-Ebc
Jay Lethal, J. Diesel, Bobby Fish, & Adam Cole vs. Moose, The Briscoes, & Papa Briscoe
Future of Honor #2 - July 27, 2014
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=knrgbM50pc0
ROH Title Match
Jay Briscoe vs. Michael Bennett
ROH TV - Taped September 27, 2014
Aired October 25, 2014
TIME STAMP 16:25
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YAonDmZIvY0
The Briscoes & ODB vs. Matt Taven, Michael Bennett, & Maria Kanellis
ROH on SBG - Taped January 24, 2015
Aired February 7, 2015
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FcTshRz2g2k
ROH Title Match
Jay Briscoe vs. Samoa Joe
Supercard of Honor IX - March 27, 2015
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QCyCclBs-fE
The Briscoes vs. Kazuchika Okada & Shinsuke Nakamura
War of the Worlds 2015 Night 1 - May 12, 2015
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ut2Whc6xHjE
The Briscoes vs. Roppongi Vice
Death Before Dishonor XIII - July 24, 2015
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RJUw9zk0tYs
Jay Lethal, Jay Briscoe, Cliff Compton, Cheeseburger, & Adam Page vs. Roderick Strong, Mark Briscoe, Matt Jackson, Moose, & Cedric Alexander
TV Taping - November 20, 2015
Aired December 19, 2015
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VflxHjh32NM
The Briscoes vs. War Machine vs. All Night Express vs. Beer City Bruiser & Silas Young
Reloaded Tour 2016: Pittsburgh - September 16, 2016
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fX2aI6gdk6w
Six-Man Tag Titles Tournament Quarterfinal
The Briscoes & Toru Yano vs. Jay White, Kushida, & ACH
All Star Extravaganza VIII (PPV) - September 30, 2016
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NAFZHvaPj4Q
Tag Titles - 2/3 Falls Match
Young Bucks vs. The Briscoes
Honor Reigns Supreme 2017 - February 4, 2017
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tAO-6pmWETE
Six-Man Tag Titles Match
The Briscoes & Bully Ray vs. The Boys & Dalton Castle
Best in the World 2017 (PPV) - June 23, 2017
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qddyne2tF2Y
The Briscoes vs. Rey Bucanero & Ultimo Guerrero
War of the Worlds UK: Edinburgh - August 20, 2017
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YYYMpXJO8Xw
The Briscoes vs. Flip Gordon & Jushin Liger
War of the Worlds 2018 Day 1 - May 9, 2018
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sHmkz5cRDsk
Tag Titles Match
The Briscoes vs. Killer Elite Squad
State of the Art 2018: Dallas - June 16, 2018
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bh5WjKkVYPM
Tag Titles Shot Match
The Briscoes vs. 2 Guys 1 Tag
ROH TV - December 15, 2019
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jRT76KSN3L8
Fight on the Farm
Jay Briscoe vs. Mark Briscoe
ROH TV - July 2, 2021
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vgiXVzFoqk4