"I’m so sad that I texted him for the very last time" - AEW star Matt Hardy bids an emotional farewell to Jay Briscoe
AEW star Matt Hardy is one of many performers who have taken the time to bid farewell to Jamin Pugh, known by wrestling fans as Jay Briscoe, who tragically passed away on January 17th 2023, at the age of 38.
Following AEW's live Dynamite and their tapings for Rampage and Dark: Elevation in Fresno, California, on January 18th, a special ROH tribute show was filmed entitled "Jay Briscoe: A Celebration of Life."
The show went live on Ring of Honor's YouTube channel. It involved various matches that took place on the night, as well as highlights of some of Jay's most notable matches from his ROH career against the likes of Christopher Daniels, Adam Cole and Claudio Castagnoli.
During the show, a number of talking head segments were also filmed, where people sat down to discuss how much Jay Briscoe meant to them and how much they will miss him. Matt Hardy was one of those who sat down, and here's a portion of what he had to say:
"Jay was a good human being and I’m so honored that I got to know him like I knew him, and I’m so sad that I texted him for the very last time, that I can’t text him anymore. So I hope everyone out there will keep his family, and especially his two daughters who were also injured, in their thoughts and their prayers, and I just hope they can find a normal life coming out of all this because it is such a sad, awful situation. Jay Briscoe, I love you man, and I miss you, I hope to see you again one day.” [1:01:57-1:02:36]
Hardy and Briscoe fought each other on numerous occasions in Ring of Honor, with Matt even challenging Jay for the ROH World Championship in 2013. Matt and his brother Jeff Hardy also got to wrestle The Briscoe Brothers, with The Hardys retaining their ROH Tag Team Titles in a match in 2017.
ROH Television Champion Samoa Joe also sat down and discussed Jay Briscoe
Someone who is just as closely associated with the Ring of Honor as Mark and Jay Briscoe is current ROH Television Champion Samoa Joe. Jay and Joe feuded on and off during Ring of Honor's earliest years, with their most famous match coming inside a steel cage at the 2004 "At Our Best" event.
“This is the kind of effort that makes legends. This is the kind of effort that [t]akes you from one of the great ones to one of the immortal ones.” (Jay Briscoe vs. Samoa Joe · 3.13.04) 👑 https://t.co/FRetk8FM4P
During the recent tribute show, Samoa Joe sat down and talked about his late friend, looking back on their time in the ring together and how special Jay was as a human being.
"If you knew Jay, or you know Mark, they are your brothers. I was fortunate enough to watch Jay grow from a wild kid who would do anything in the northeast, to one of the best performers in the world. To an amazing father, and I think that best sums up why it hurts so much. You know my brother wasn’t born perfect, but he was filled with love and I think that’s why we’ll miss him the most. I love you Mark, my love to the Pugh family and I pray for them girls until they’re out of harm’s way. God bless you.” [17:05-18:18]
Everyone at Sportskeeda Wrestling sends their condolences to the Pugh family during this difficult time, and you are in our hearts, thoughts, and prayers.
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