Jay Briscoe vs. Mark Briscoe
Jay Briscoe and Mark Briscoe adhere to the code of honor (that’s always something you’d hope to see between two brothers!) The Briscoes start off with some chain wrestling, but that doesn’t last long. Mark lands a chop on Jay, and that fires both men up. These two hit a flurry of attempted strikes, but consistently out-class each other leading to a standstill. The momentary high-octane action subsides when The Briscoes fall back into their chain wrestling. Despite performing multiple chain wrestling maneuvers, it doesn’t feel as though there is significant downtime. Both men spill to the outside as we head to commercial break.
Back from commercial break, we witness Mark Briscoe land a suicide dive dropkick on Jay Briscoe. Mark then lands a “Cactus Elbow” from the apron (nice call, Riccaboni!) Both men start to brawl on the outside. Mark lands a suplex on Jay and makes his way back into the ring to break the count. The two bring the action back inside before spilling back onto the apron. Jay lifts Mark into the fireman’s carry, but Mark fights out of it. Mark lands a running blockbuster off the apron, which looked absolutely brutal! We see Mr. Mark Briscoe return to the ring with a chair, but he doesn’t plan on using it on his brother. Mark sits up the chair for a Sabu-Esque maneuver, but Jay intercepts Mark and drops him with a Riccoli Driver on the chair. Jay lands a neckbreaker for a two-count.
We return from the commercial break for a final time tonight, where Jay and Mark are in the midst of a chop battle. Mark lands a spectacular cartwheel death valley driver and diving leg drop for a two-count. These two look absolutely spent! Jay lands the Jaydriller (another brutal-looking maneuver) and Mark somehow managed to kick out. He attempts a second Jaydriller, but before he can make the kick out, Mark Briscoe rolls out of the ring. The match heads to the outside, and Mark Briscoe sets up a table placed at ringside. The offense of The Briscoes seems to be very chop-heavy. Jay is set up on the table by Mark, who goes out of his way to climb the turnbuckle and land a diving elbow drop through the table on the outside. The match ends via count-out when Mark Briscoe managed to beat the count of twenty.
Result: Mark Briscoe defeated Jay Briscoe via Count Out
Walker’s Words: I now understand why they placed the ROH Pure Championship match as the opener. With the opening match being a slow-paced yet intense representation of Ring of Honor’s history, this match between The Briscoes showcases an opposite end of the spectrum. This match was not the greatest match in the world, but it was surely one of the most fun matches I’ve seen in a long time. This match showcases the wild, high-octane, and intense action that Ring of Honor is traditionally known for. These two matches were so different, yet both encapsulate the spirit of the company very well. I enjoyed this, and I am excited to see next week’s contests!
Grade: A-
Final Thoughts
This is the first episode of Ring of Honor I have actually watched fully. I enjoyed this episode a lot, and I feel as though this is the beginning of a new interest in a professional wrestling product for me. The Foundation seems like a very cool tag team, and witnessing the bond between Gresham and Lethal was special. The embrace at the end of The Briscoes match was a heart-warming way to cap off the show. Thematically, this show embraces camaraderie and brotherly love. What a way to commemorate 500 episodes of television. This was a great show (even if I wish we were addressing a new ROH Pure Champion.) Go out of your way to watch this one if you haven’t!
