Major AEW star confirms canceled WWE plans alongside Wyatt Family
Factions are a primary focus for both WWE and AEW these days, but the Stamford-based company had a few successful groups throughout the 2010s as well, including the Wyatt Family. Mark Briscoe has now confirmed that he and his late brother Jay were close to being members of Bray Wyatt's stable.
The Wyatt Family debuted on WWE's main roster in July 2013. Bray Wyatt, Luke Harper, and Erick Rowan would soon be joined by Braun Strowman as they terrorized the roster, going to war with the likes of The Shield, CM Punk, and Randy Orton.
At that time, Jay and Mark Briscoe were building their legacy as the most successful tag team in ROH history. The Briscoe brothers were highly acclaimed in the ring, but their tryouts with WWE were ultimately fruitless, in part due to a series of anti-LGBTQ tweets by Jay.
Jay Briscoe tragically passed away in January 2023, and Mark is now the ROH World Champion. Mark Briscoe revealed in a recent interview with AIPT Comics that there were plans for him and Jay to debut as original members of the Wyatt Family in 2013, but those plans were scuppered.
“We were going to debut with the Wyatt Family,” said Mark.
AEW's Chris Jericho compares Mark Briscoe to Dusty Rhodes
The Briscoe Brothers have always presented themselves in an authentic light and often let their in-ring skills do the talking. The two engaged in several iconic rivalries over the years, most notably with FTR in ROH.
After Jay's passing last year, Mark Briscoe embarked on a singles run and found success in both AEW and Ring of Honor. He most recently defended his ROH World Championship against Chris Jericho at WrestleDream.
Speaking on the Busted Open Radio before the pay-per-view, Jericho claimed that Briscoe was "crazy" and pointed out similarities between the 39-year-old and wrestling legend, Dusty Rhodes.
"We're going to beat the hell out of each other. He's batsh*t crazy. What a talent that connects with the audience. I'm not going to say Dusty Rhodes because no one is Dusty Rhodes. He doesn't look like the typical wrestler; he doesn't act like the typical wrestler. He's a special talent and a special character. I want to help him get to the next level," Jericho said.
Mark Briscoe managed to defeat Chris Jericho at AEW WrestleDream, but it's unclear what's next for the champion. It seems that The Conglomeration's Orange Cassidy might stand against AEW World Champion Jon Moxley in the future. If that's the case, he'll likely need the help of his stablemates, including Briscoe.