A2Z Analysiz – Briscoe Brothers: Sandy Fork Originals (Young Bucks, Adam Cole, Kevin Steen)

Reviews, Top Story, Wrestling DVDs

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~Disc 1~

MATCH #1: GHC Tag Team Title Match – Jay & Mark Briscoe vs. Naomichi Marufuji & Takashi Sugiura, The Second Navigation 2008, 3.2.08

This is from a Pro Wrestling NOAH show at the Nippon Budokan in Tokyo. Marufuji and Sugiura have been the Champions since 10.27.07, and this is their second defense. The graphic for the match calls the building the “Nippon Bubakan.” Nice job, monkeys. Jay and Marufuji start it off. They take it down to the mat and mix in some chain wrestling. Mark tags in and they continue to keep it on the mat. Sugiura tags in and I admit I don’t know anything about him. He changes up the tone of the match, using his power to try and intimidate Mark, who counters with his speed and agility. Mark sends Sugiura to the floor and wipes him out with a dive. Marufuji and Jay take up the fight in the ring and they quickly take it to the apron. Both men dropkick each other and they tumble to the floor. Mark and Sugiura get back in the ring and Mark hits a springboard back elbow for two. The momentum continues to shift as both teams try to set the pace. The champions are successful at doing so, and they isolate on Jay. After a few minutes Jay is able to connect with some offense and tag his brother. Mark tries coming in a house afire but Marufuji is there step-for-step with him. The younger Briscoe takes Marufuji down with a Finlay Roll and tries a quebrada but slips and almost lands REALLY badly on his neck. He’s pretty lucky there. The Briscoes are able to remain in control and they work Marufuji over. After several minutes Sugiura gets the hot tag and he cleans house. The momentum continues to shift and the pace stays pretty quick given they’re about 20 minutes in at this point. Jay and Marufuji battle back and forth and both men connect with a superkick and they’re down. Tags are made and Sugiura is cleaning house again. Marufuji and Jay take the battle to the floor. Sugiura hits Mark with a Dragon Suplex for two. He puts Mark in the Ankle Lock and Jay breaks that up. The Briscoes double-team Sugiura and hit a Superfly Splash / Guillotine Legdrop combination. Marufuji breaks up that cover. Mark hits Sugiura with an exploder suplex and then lands a Shooting Star Press for two. The Briscoes try the Doomsday Device but Sugiura avoids it and hits two German Suplexes, one for each brother. The champions are in control now and trying to put Mark away. The Briscoes come back and hit the double-team neckbreaker and Mark follows with a springboard moonsault for a near-fall. The action continues coming from all over the place and all four men end up down, recovering. Mark and Marufuji get up in the ring and trade shots. Marufuji hits a modified Fisherman Buster for a near-fall. The Champions set up for a Super Shiranui on Mark but Jay breaks it up. The Briscoes hit Sugiura with the springboard Doomsday Device and he rolls to the floor. They try it on Marufuji but he catches Mark in midair and slams him down to the mat to get the pin at 29:45. The match never felt that long and all four men kept up the pace and energy throughout. Both teams worked well as units and as opponents for each other, and I wouldn’t mind seeing this again.
Rating: ****

MATCH #2: No DQ Match – Jay Briscoe & Austin Aries vs. Jimmy Jacobs & Tyler Black, Northern Navigation, 7.25.08

Jacobs and Black are the ROH World Tag Team Champions here, but the titles are not on the line. Jay and Aries charge the ring and the brawl is on. Aries takes it to Jacobs while Jay and Black battle on the floor. This is a rematch from A New Level back in May. Aries and Jay are just dominant here, easily controlling the opening minutes. In fact, they’re so dominant that Necro Butcher runs out to join his Age of The Fall brethren. That obviously gives Jacobs and Black the advantage. Soon after Mark Briscoe runs out to even up the odds! I guess it’s more of a six man tag now, but since the match was No-DQ to begin with Mark and Necro can interfere as much as they want. The action is literally happening all over the building, with Aries and Jacobs at ringside, Necro and Jay somewhere in the crowd, and Mark and Black elsewhere in the crowd. Eventually they all make it back to the ring and Necro takes the referee out with a chair shot. Mark shows Necro his Redneck Kung Fu and then dropkicks a chair into his face. Necro comes back and delivers a bulldog off the apron through the ringside table. Mark may have re-injured his wrist, and he gets taken to the back. In the ring Jay is a bloody mess and the AOTF is working him over, as they have the one-man advantage again. Referee Paul Turner comes out to replace the fallen Sinclair. Every time Aries and Jay try to fight back the AOTF use the numbers advantage to overwhelm them. Jacobs gets on the mic and tells Necro to get a piece of the broken table. He talks trash to Aries, and tells Necro to use the weapon to prove his allegiance to him and the AOTF. Jay takes Jacobs down and Aries tries to talk some sense into Necro. Black rescues Jacobs and Jay is taken out. Jacobs once again tells Necro to take an eye. Necro is conflicted and Black tries to keep the peace between them. AOTF is having major dissension, and Necro walks out on them! That gives Jay and Aries the chance o recover. Aries hits Jacobs with an Implant DDT on a chair. Jay and Aries isolate on Jacobs and destroy him. Jacobs’ mouth is busted open. Black comes to the rescue and hits Jay with Paroxysm for two. Jacobs locks Jay in the End Time. Aries breaks that up with the kick to the head. He follows with the Brainbuster and goes up top but Black knocks him down. Aries and Jay then hit the Doomsday Device on Black! Jay follows up with the Jay Driller to get the win at 21:14. That was well constructed chaos and was both an effective brawl and good storytelling between Aries, Jacobs, and Necro.
Rating: ***¾

MATCH #3: Jay & Mark Briscoe vs. Ruckus & Jigsaw, Death Before Dishonor VI, 8.2.08

The Vulture Squad is represented by Jigsaw and Ruckus, and they’re accompanied by Julius Smokes. Mark and Jigsaw start the match for their teams. They take it right to the mat and trade armbars. Jigsaw uses a Gory Special and then they trade armdrags and some other counters on their way to a stalemate. Mark takes Jigsaw down and hits a slingshot double stomp. He tags Jay and they knock Jigsaw down with a double shoulder tackle. Jay hits a hard bodyslam for two. Jigsaw makes the tag and Ruckus is all over Jay. Mark comes in and takes Ruckus down with a clothesline. Ruckus and Jay are outside the ring, and Mark quickly follows them with a dive over the ropes. Jigsaw follows suit and wipes out both Briscoes while Ruckus was able to get away. Ruckus goes up and hits a moonsault off the top rope to take everybody down. Back in the ring Ruckus hits the moonsault legdrop but Mark gets a rollup out of it for two. The Briscoes dominate both men but then the Vultures come back with some double-teaming of their own. Superkicks start flying – Mark hits Jigsaw with one and then flattens him with a powerbomb. The Briscoes then hit Jigsaw with the Springboard Doomsday Device to get the pin at 5:57. That was a bit squashy but since it’s the Vulture Squad I don’t care. The Briscoes looked dominant.
Rating: *½

MATCH #4: Jay & Mark Briscoe vs. LAX (Homicide & Hernandez), Ring of Homicide 2, 10.25.08

Julius Smokes is in LAX’s corner for this match. Great, thanks for that. Mark and Homicide start the match with some mat wrestling and stuff. Jay gets tagged in and tries to wear Homicide down. Homicide fights out and tags in Hernandez. He’s able to hit both Briscoes with a big clothesline and then a delayed vertical suplex on Mark. That gets two. Hernandez tags in Homicide, who throws Mark to the floor and hits the Tope Con Hilo. Back in the ring LAX stays in control on Mark. Homicide and Mark trade blows, and Homicide knocks him out with a head butt. He then practically drags Mark over to his own corner so that he can make the tag to his brother Jay. He briefly works over Homicide, but then falls victim to the strength of Hernandez. Mark interferes from the apron and we see that he’s bleeding from the right eye as a result of Homicide’s head butt. At any rate, the Briscoes take over and isolate Homicide in their corner. The Briscoes heel it up by cheating, which is a wise given the circumstances. Homicide almost makes a couple of comebacks but the Briscoes are able to cut him off. I forgot how funny it was to watch Homicide do what he calls selling. He makes the blind tag to Hernandez, and he comes in to clean house. The match breaks down to a brawl and the referee has completely lost control. Mark hits a dive to the floor on Homicide, and then Hernandez follows him out, wiping out both Briscoes and landing on his feet. Back in the ring Hernandez almost kills Mark with a modified powerbomb, and Homicide follows up with a top-rope elbow drop for two. He then locks on the STF and Mark reaches the ropes. Meanwhile Hernandez has Jay locked in a bear hug. Mark hits a discuss clothesline on Homicide, sending him to the floor. The Briscoes try to double team Hernandez but Homicide pulls Mark to the floor. Mark recovers and they hit a double superplex on Hernandez. Everyone starts pulling out finishers now but the pins keep getting broken up. Homicide misses the diving headbutt and Jay hits the Jay Driller but Homicide kicks out. That’s preposterous. Hernandez comes in and tries the Border Toss twice but Jay blocks it and hits a Death Valley Driver. That puts Hernandez in perfect position for the Briscoes to hit the Shooting Star Press/Guillotine Leg Drop combo, and they hit it perfectly to score the pin at 23:03. That was much better than I thought it would be, and the match really got good when the Briscoes went heel. They really nailed that finish too.
Rating: ***¾

MATCH #5: Jay & Mark Briscoe vs. Kensuke Sasaki & Katsuhiko Nakajima, Final Battle 2008, 12.27.08

Nakajima and Mark start the match. Mark backs Nakajima into a corner and delivers a clean break, but when Nakajima backs Mark in, he chops him in the chest. They trade kicks and slaps and neither man will back down from the other. Nakajima hits a hard kick to the chest and Mark tags his older brother Jay into the match. They go back and forth, and the crowd supports both teams. Sasaki tags into the match and gets a nice pop. He wins a chop exchange but gets hit with a dropkick. Sasaki quickly comes back with a clothesline and a suplex for two. Nakajima tags back in and Jay drives him into the corner and tags Mark. The former five-time ROH World Tag Team Champions isolate on Nakajima now, keeping him in their half of the ring. Nakajima comes back by sweeping Mark’s injured leg out from under him and tagging in Sasaki. He continues working on Mark’s knee, and Nakajima does the same. After several minutes Mark finally makes the tag to Jay and he cleans house. Nakajima comes back with some kicks but Jay comes back with a chokeslam for two. Soon after Nakajima makes the tag to Sasaki, and he wins a chop battle with Jay and then hits a powerslam for two. A judo throw gets another two. Jay landed awkwardly on his shoulder and Sasaki locks on a submission, but Mark breaks it up. Sasaki knocks them both down with a simultaneous clothesline. The match breaks down to a big brawl and referee Paul Turner has lost control. Nakajima hits a series of brutal superkicks on Jay. A running knee and another kick get two. Yet another superkick gets another near fall for Nakajima. The Briscoes briefly recover and try the springboard Doomsday Device but Mark can’t complete the move due to his injured knee. Jay hits Nakajima with a clothesline but Nakajima breaks it up. Mark and Sasaki go to the floor and Mark whips him into the guardrail. Back in the ring the Briscoes hit the Doomsday without the springboard, but Sasaki breaks it up. Moments later Jay is able to nail Nakajima with the Jay Driller to get the pin at 16:47. That was the good, hard-hitting match I expected it to be, and much better than the one from last night. The Briscoes are still great.
Rating: ***½

Immediately after the match the American Wolves come out and attack the Briscoes. They handcuff Jay to the ropes and then brutalize Mark’s knee with a chair. The ROH World Tag Team Champions Kevin Steen and El Generico come out to run them off.

MATCH #6: Jay Briscoe vs. Roderick Strong, Tag Title Classic, 4.18.09

The friendly rivalry continues! The crowd supports both men as they take it to the mat in the opening minutes. Strong takes first control and nails an early backbreaker for two. He continues working on the back until Jay makes the comeback with a nice dropkick for two. Jay controls for the next minute or two, and then they fight on the apron and Strong regains control, knocking Jay to the floor and hitting a flying forearm off the apron. Back in the ring Strong stays in control, hitting a belly-to-back suplex for two. Jay comes back and hits a blockbuster for two. A gourdbuster gets another two for Jay. Strong comes back with a slingshot falcon arrow for two. He hits a backbreaker for another two. He locks on the Boston Crab but Jay reaches the ropes. Strong tries the Gibson Driver but Jay blocks it and h it’s a Death Valley Driver. Jay tries the Jay Driller but Strong blocks it. He hits a big boot to the face for two. He puts on the stretch plumb, which Strong counters to a small package for two. Jay misses a charge in the corner and eats a boot to the face, followed by a running Yakuza for two. Strong hits a gutbuster but Jay comes back with a spinebuster for a two-count. They fight up top and Strong hits a superplex, which leads to a double-pin situation but they kick out. Back to their feet they trade forearms much to the delight of the crowd. Strong gets a rollup for two, and they trade pinning combinations for various two-counts. Jay counters a Stronghold attempt into an inside cradle for the pin at 13:40. That was another excellent match, and makes me wonder why they’ve never made a serious effort with Jay as a singles wrestler.
Rating: ***½

MATCH #7: World Title Match – Jay Briscoe vs. Jerry Lynn, Validation, 5.9.09

Lynn has been the champion since 4.3.09, and this is his sixth defense. The challenger is accompanied by his brother, Mark Briscoe. Neither the champion nor the challenger gets a totally positive reaction from the crowd. Jay’s got his work cut out for him if he wants to convince people he has a chance of winning this match. This is his sixth shot at the title (one against Xavier, two against Samoa Joe, one against Takeshi Morishima, one against Nigel McGuinness, and now this one). They take it to the mat and trade holds and the usual stuff for a Lynn match. Jay goes to work on the arm, and Lynn responds in kind. The challenger control most of the early action, going at a fast pace to try and wear down the aged champion. Lynn comes back out of nowhere with a Super Bulldog for two. They take the battle to the floor, where Jay hits a huge kick to the face to send Lynn in to the crowd. Back at ringside Jay sets up a chair but Lynn is the one who uses it, hitting a big DDT. Somehow Jay basically recovers first and successfully executes a superplex. They get back to their feet and trade forearms. Lynn avoids a Death Valley Driver and hits the inverted DDT for two. Moments later he hits another DDT for a two-count. He sets up for the Cradle Piledriver but Jay avoids it and nails a superkick for two. Jay appears to be going for a tornado DDT, which Lynn blocks and turns into a super rana. Lynn follows up with a forearm and once again tries the Cradle Piledriver, and Jay avoids it. Jay hits a running clothesline, and Lynn has to grab the bottom rope to break up the pin. He goes for the Jay Driller, which Lynn reverses to the TKO for a two-count. Jay comes back and hits a spinebuster for two. He goes up top for the guillotine legdrop and he nails it, but Lynn kicks out at two! A Death Valley Driver by Jay gets another two-count. Jay tries the Jay Driller once again but Lynn back body drops his way free. Lynn hits a running clothesline and the Cradle Piledriver, but Jay kicks out at two. Jay gets up and hits a superkick right in the face. Moments later he’s able to hit the Jay Driller but Lynn kicks out at two. I don’t think that move should ever be kicked out of. Jay goes for another Jay Driller, and Lynn avoids it and hits a Cradle Tombstone Piledriver to get the pin and retain the title at 16:02. This was exceptionally weak for a main event. The match was all counters and no-selling, with very little heat ever getting built up to any kind of dramatic climax. The competitors both did fine work, and it wasn’t boring, but for a main event to not have any drama just doesn’t work for me – I mean, who thought Jay Briscoe really had a shot of walking out champion?
Rating: **¾

MATCH #8: Jay & Mark Briscoe vs. Kevin Steen & El Generico, ROH on HDNet #25, 9.14.09

Mark and Steen start the match. They go back and forth a bit and Mark lands a leg lariat. Steen tags out and they take the pace up several notches. Jay wants to try so he tags in, and moments later Steen tags in. Everyone just wants to feel each other out in the early going – these teams have faced each other so many times that they have to search for ways to combat each other. Things get heated between Steen and Jay, and the spit flies. Momentum shifts back and forth with both teams trying to establish an advantage. Prazak and Hogewood note how even this match has been and that neither team has been able to sustain momentum. Mark and Generico both hit dives on their respective opponents, and then get back in the ring and tear into each other. Generico sets up for the running Yakuza Kick but Mark cuts him off with a superkick! Both men are down. Tags are made and Jay and Steen trade hands aggressively. Jay stomps Steen down in the corner. Generico rescues his partner with a running Yakuza Kick and Mark then takes Generico out with an exploder suplex. Steen hits Mark with the pop-up powerbomb and all four men are down. The best one off is Steen, and he hits Mark with a Codebreaker but gets nothing but knees on the Swanton. Generico tags in and finds himself the victim of Briscoe double-teaming. Jay hits Steen with a Death Valley Driver on the apron! The Briscoes hit Generico with the double-team neckbreaker for a two-count. They go for the Doomsday Device but Steen prevents it. The match is devolving into absolute chaos. To further the chaos, the American Wolves (Davey Richards and Eddie Edwards0 run out to attack both teams and the match is ruled a no-contest at 12:13. Eventually the Briscoes and Steen/Generico somewhat join forces enough to run the Wolves off. Even with the no-contest finish, the formula is very simple: Steen & Generico + Briscoes = $$$.
Rating: ***¾

MATCH #9: Jay & Mark Briscoe vs. The Young Bucks, The Final Countdown Tour: Dayton, 9.18.09

Mark and Nick Jackson start the match for their respective teams. They take it to the mat in the early going, which is not exactly what I expected to see. Mark takes the first advantage, but Nick weathers the storm and starts working the arm. He makes a quick tag to his brother, and the Bucks continue making ridiculously quick tags and showing off their athleticism. Mark gets whipped into the ropes too close to his brother, allowing Jay to make the tag. The Briscoes work Matt over for a few minutes until Matt avoids a charge in the corner and tags Nick. Jay fights back and makes the tag to Mark, who immediately locks on an abdominal stretch. The Young Bucks retake control, as the match struggles to find a rhythm. Jay and Mark start playing the heels, reminding me of how much fun those days were. The Bucks make another comeback, and then the Briscoes make a comeback, etc. The Briscoes finally take control for an extended period of time, and finally Matt makes the hot tag to Nick. Matt recovers rather quickly and gets tagged back in, only to be hit with a Death Valley Driver by Jay. The match breaks down to a brawl with all four guys going at it. Matt hits Mark with a spinning Diamond Dust for two. The Bucks try More Bang for Your Buck on Mark but he avoids it. Second later the Briscoes hit the Doomsday Device on Matt to get the pin at 18:03. Call me crazy, but I just did not get into this match. It was all spot-spot-spot, with no selling and no real cohesion. There were way too many comeback spots, and the match actually felt much too long. I’m not sold on the Bucks.
Rating: **¾

MATCH #10: World Tag Team Title Match – Jay & Mark Briscoe vs. The American Wolves, Final Battle 2009, 12.19.09

The Wolves have been champions since 4.10.09, and this is their tenth defense. This feud began one year ago at Final Battle 2008. This is the Wolves’ first title defense since Ladder War II almost three months ago. Richards and Mark start the match. They chain wrestle for a bit, and then Edwards gets tagged into the match. Edwards and Mark trade kicks to the back and Edwards tags back out to Richards. Mark subdues Richards with a headlock and then goes after his leg. They trade some holds and wrestle to a stalemate, and then tag their partners. Edwards kicks Mark right off the ring apron just to be a dick. Richards gets tagged back in and Jay returns the favor by kicking Edwards to the floor, and then the Briscoes level Richards with a double tackle, sending him to the floor. The Wolves attempt to regroup on the floor while the crowd chants “Man Up.” Back in the ring it turns into a pier-six brawl, with everyone kicking each other in the face and head. Mark hits Edwards with a t-bone suplex and Jay follows up with a boot to the face for two. The challengers are cutting the ring in half and working Edwards over. The Wolves use some clever double-teaming to target Mark’s knee and take advantage on him. Mark comes back with an Ace Crusher on Edwards and makes the tag. Jay is all over both Edwards and Richards. He drops Edwards with a spinebuster for two. Edwards appears to be injured, while Richards throws Mark into the guardrail and kicks him into the crowd. In what should come as a shock to no one, Edwards was playing possum, and the Wolves hit Jay with the Superkick-German Suplex-Jackknife Pin combination for a two-count. The Wolves work Jay over for several minutes. Jay comes back with a Death Valley Driver on Edwards and both men make tags. Mark is on fire with his Redneck Kung Fu. He hits Richards with an Iconoclasm for two when Edwards breaks it up. Mark hits Richards with a missile dropkick, and then the Briscoes execute the Sidewinder (!) for a near-fall! I love that move. Jay sets Richards up for the Jay Driller but Richards escapes it. Edwards gets tagged in and he exchanges strikes with Jay. He hits an enziguiri and then charges into a big boot. He fights back with the Backpack Chinbreaker for two. Edwards hits a super Frankensteiner and Richards hits a running kick to the chest. Richards follows up with a DR Driver but it only gets two! Edwards has a Half Crab locked on Jay, while Richards has a Texas Cloverleaf on Mark. The Briscoes counter them both with small packages for two-counts. Mark gets dumped to the floor and the Wolves hit the double-team Alarm Clock and a powerbomb/lungblower combination for two. Edwards locks Jay in the Half Crab and he reaches the ropes to break it. The Wolves try a Doomsday Device but Mark breaks it up and the Briscoes throw some suplexes. Jay turns Edwards inside out with a lariat for a two-count. He goes for the Jay Driller but Edwards fights it off. The Briscoes hit Edwards with a double superkick for a two-count. Jay hits Edwards with the Jay Driller, which only gets two. I hate how that move doesn’t mean the end of a match. The Briscoes nail Edwards with the Doom to get the pin and their sixth ROH World Tag Team Title at 22:52. I think they could have cut a few momentum shifts out of the early going and had a much tighter match at 18 minutes or so, but this was still really a very good match. I’m not sure why the Wolves got to go three months without defending the titles between Ladder War and this, when they could have been doing things with the Tag Titles.
Rating: ***½

~Disc 2~

MATCH #11: World Tag Team Title Match – Jay & Mark Briscoe vs. The Young Bucks, ROH on HDNet #48, 2.22.10

The Briscoes have been the Champions since 12.19.10, and this is their first defense. Mark and Matt Jackson start the match. They wrestle on the mat and try to set the tone of the match. The champions take the first control and try to keep Matt isolated in their half of the ring. The Bucks make a brief comeback but the Briscoes use their superior strength to reclaim control. Now the Champions isolate Nick Jackson and wear him down. The resilient Nick catches Mark with a shoulder to the midsection and then the slingshot X-Factor. Tags are made and Matt is a house afire. Matt connects with a bulldog for two. The Bucks successfully use their high-flying and double-team skills to put the Briscoes on the ropes. Jay slices Nick out of the air with a hard clothesline and then sends Matt to the floor. Mark comes in and starts throwing both Bucks around. The referee is losing control as both teams are flying in and out of the ring. The Briscoes hit a modified Sidewinder on Nick for two. Mark puts Nick on the top rope. He hits an Ace Crusher but at the same time Matt has come back in the ring and he catches him in a powerbomb! I don’t believe I’ve seen that before. Matt tags in officially and hits a high cross body block for two. Mark hits Matt with the Iconoclasm for two. All four men brawl in the ring now and the referee has no control. The crowd is chanting for both teams. The Bucks hit superkicks and the Briscoes respond with their own and all four men are down. Back on their feet Mark tries the Cutthroat Driver but can’t hit it. The Bucks try More Bang For Your Buck bur Mark avoids it. The Briscoes then hit Matt with the super double-team neckbreaker but Nick breaks up the cover. That’d be a worthy finishing move. The Briscoes go for a Spiked Jay Driller but Nick breaks it up and Matt gets a cradle for two. Nick and Mark are battling on the floor while Jay and Matt fight in the ring. Matt misses a high cross body block and now the Briscoes hit the Doomsday Device for the pin at 15:50. I had come to like the Bucks by this point and this match was pretty much wall-to-wall action. There was quite a bit of no-selling, but both teams did it equally so one looked bad. This was tons of fun.
Rating: ***½

Closing Minutes of Jay & Mark Briscoe vs. Chris Hero & Claudio Castagnoli, The Big Bang, 4.3.10

We’re joined in progress here. Jay tags in and goes for the Jay Driller but can’t hit it, but he can hit the Death Valley Driver. Hero breaks up the cover. Jay superkicks Hero to the floor and the Briscoes go for the Doomsday Device on Castagnoli but Mark gets caught and powerslammed! That gets a two-count for Castagnoli. Hero pulls Jay to the floor and pokes him in the eyes. Back in the ring the Kings hit the KRS-One but Mark kicks out! Hero accidentally elbows Castagnoli and Jay kicks Hero square in the face. Jay hits Castagnoli with the Jay Driller but Hero breaks up the cover. Hero distracts the referee as the Briscoes again go for the Doomsday Device. Hagadorn breaks that up and earns Jay’s ire. The distraction allows Hero to slip on the golden elbow pad and he cold cocks Jay with it. Castagnoli gets the pin and we have NEW World Tag Team Champions at 30:19. That match did not feel 30 minutes long at all. I swear these teams could fight each other all night and it would be entertaining.

MATCH #12: Jay & Mark Briscoe vs. Kenny King & Rhett Titus, Supercard of Honor V, 5.8.10

Jay and King start the match for their respective teams, and Jay takes first advantage with a tenacious headlock. King fights back by showing off his impressive athleticism. Jay is not impressed though, and he dishes out kicks to both King and Titus. Tags are made and Mark hits Titus with a back elbow off the top rope. Jay clotheslines Titus to the floor and they both tumble out to the floor, and Mark follows them out with a moonsault off the top rope. Back in the ring Mark goes to work on King. They double-team him a bit until King counters the double Biel by landing on his feet! Titus joins King in the ring and they hit simultaneous dropkicks on Jay and Mark to take control. Jay comes back with a cross body block on King and makes the tag. Mark unleashes his Redneck Kung Fu. He hits King with a spinning heel kick and then a Northern Lights Suplex for two. Mark goes up top but Titus knocks him down and King kicks him in the head for a two-count. They work Mark over briefly and then Jay gets a hot tag. Jay is a house afire, beating up everyone in sight. Well, mostly just Kenny King and Rhett Titus. Jay hits Titus with a falcon arrow for a two-count. The Briscoes hit a sidewinder elbow drop on Titus for two. King and Titus come back and double-team Jay, who doesn’t seem interested in selling a damn thing. Mark joins in on the fun and they hit simultaneous fisherman busters. They lift King up for the Doomsday Device and King lands on Titus before getting pinned at 12:54. That was a solid opener and I’m sure the Briscoes were told to just fire up the crowd and they certainly accomplished that.
Rating: **½

MATCH #13: World Tag Title Match No DQ Match – Jay & Mark Briscoe vs. The Kings of Wrestling, Death Before Dishonor VIII, 6.19.10

The Kings have been the champions since 4.3.10 and this is their second defense. Bobby Cruise announces that the Briscoes have still not arrived at the building. Claudio Castagnoli and Chris Hero get on the mic and talk some trash, and then the Briscoes run in from the crowd and the match WILL happen! It’s a huge brawl from the get-go with the brothers from Delaware dominating. Castagnoli is the first one to bleed. Mark is the second one to get busted open, from the guardrail, and it’s a gusher. The Kings isolate on Mark for a while until the hot tag, and Jay rams Hero’s head into the turnbuckle so many times that he busts him open! Hagadorn gets involved and produces a rope for Hero to tie Jay around the ring post by his neck! Referee Paul Turner tries to free Jay from the post while the Kings just destroy Mark in the ring. Eventually Jay gets free and the Briscoes go nuts on the champions. Shane Hagadorn tries to interfere but take the Doomsday Device for his troubles. Hero hits Mark with the loaded elbow pad but he kicks out! They go to the floor and Castagnoli takes Jay down with a European Uppercut. Hero dispatches of Mark and puts the loaded elbow pad on his foot and the Kings execute the Big Swing/Dropkick to get the win at 18:16. That was awesome – full of hate and blood and the crowd was nuts for it and these two teams just have tremendous chemistry.
Rating: ****¼

MATCH #14: Jay & Mark Briscoe vs. The American Wolves, The Bluegrass Brawl, 7.22.10

Edwards is the current ROH TV Champion. These two teams have fought a bunch of times in ROH, but it’s usually pretty good. Edwards and Mark start it off, but Richards demands to be tagged in and Edwards obliges. They take it down to the mat and Mark focuses on the arm. Richards escapes with his usual and tags are made. Jay and Edwards wrestle on the mat as well. Edwards lets Jay push him into the Wolf corner and tags Richards. Jay and Richards trade shoulderblocks and Mark makes a blind tag. The Briscoes take control with some successful double team moves. They work on Richards for as long as he’s willing to sell their offense, and then Richards low-bridges Jay while Edwards kicks him in the face. They send Jay to the floor and Edwards bodyslams him. Back in the ring Richards gets a two-count and then tags Edwards. Jay avoids a charge in the corner and hits the corner STO and then tags Mark, who hits a neckbreaker for two. The Wolves use some clever double teaming to take advantage of Jay’s previously injured knee. They work him over for several minutes before Jay is able to hit a spinebuster, but Edwards illegally enters the ring to knock Mark off the apron and prevent the tag. Mark gets tired of the abuse and makes his way into the ring. He throws Richards to the floor and then gets spit on by Edwards. Richards grabs Mark and drags him to the floor, and I think puts on the Ankle Lock but the camera is focused on Edwards holding Jay in the half crab. Jay reaches the ropes and tries to fight off both Wolves but he’s on one leg. Referee Todd Sinclair does a great job of keeping track of the legal man, which I appreciate.

Richards drills Jay with a Saito Suplex for two. The Wolves have been pretty dominant here. Finally Mark intervenes with a cross body block and Jay hits a rana. Jay then drills Edwards with an enziguiri and makes the tag! Mark is a house afire, unleashing his redneck kung fu. He hits the Iconoclasm for two, and then a Million Dollar Fist Drop. He goes to the top rope and Richards grabs his foot, allowing Edwards to jump up for a superplex. The Wolves are right back in control. Richards hits the stupid handspring enziguiri for two. Mark responds with a hard knee to the face and then makes the tag. Jay hits Richards with the Death Valley Driver for two. Mark and Edwards get involved and the referee has lost control. With all four men down Sinclair starts the count. Jay and Edwards get up and trade forearms. Edwards throws him into the Alarm Clock by Richards, and then the Wolves hit the Wolf Pack Combo for two. Richards takes out Mark with a baseball slide. It doesn’t do too much damage though, as Mark comes back with a Super Ace Crusher. Jay traps Edwards in a Victory Roll for two. Edwards hits Jay with a superkick, which gets no sold and Jay hits a clothesline for two. The Briscoes finish Edwards with the Spiked Jay Driller at 25:13. That was pretty good but way too long. I would have preferred this match switched places with the semi-main, but I do appreciate that ROH runs tag matches in the main event slot.
Rating: ***¼

MATCH #15: The Briscoes (Jay, Mark, and Papa Mike) vs. The Kings of Wrestling & Shane Hagadorn, Final Battle 2010, 12.18.10

Jay and Hero start the match. Hero immediately knocks Papa Mike off the apron, earning Jay’s ire. The Briscoe family isolate Hero in their half of the ring and make him pay for his transgressions. Hagadorn tries to get involved but he blows it and the Briscoes stay in control. Castagnoli is able to tag in and after a brief period on defense he’s able to catch Jay with a gutwrench suplex. The Kings take control but foolishly tag Hagadorn. Papa Mike tags in and puts the boots to him but Hagadorn quickly crawls to the corner and tags Castagnoli. Impressively, Papa Mike shows no fear and takes Castagnoli down with a headscissors! Del Rey pulls Mike to the floor and receives a kiss for her troubles. The referee then pours salt in the wound by ejecting Del Rey from ringside! The crowd chants “Papa Briscoe” but the Kings take advantage on Mark. Some miscommunication allows Jay to get the hot tag and he unleashes the fury. Hero slips out of a Death Valley Driver and hits a knee to the face and a huge rolling boot. Castagnoli comes in and hits a pop-up European Uppercut for two. Jay comes back with a Death Valley Driver and makes the tag. Mark hits the Froggy Bow for a two-count. He and Castagnoli then clothesline each other and both men are down. Hagadorn and Papa Mike get the tags but the real wrestlers intercede before anything can happen. In all the confusion Hagadorn kicks Jay right in the balls. Papa Mike comes in with a spear. Jay and Mark take out the Kings with simultaneous dives. Papa Mike teases one but Hagadorn pulls him to the floor. Back in the ring Hero hits Papa Mike with the Rolling Elbow! The Kings set Papa Mike up for the KRS-One but Jay breaks it up and Papa Mike hits Castagnoli with a Stunner! The Briscoes then hit Hagadorn with the Doomsday Device, but Papa Mike hits the clothesline! That was awesome, and enough to get the pin at 15:49. That was tons of fun and the finish was great.
Rating: ***½

Closing few minutes and post match of Jay & Mark Briscoe vs. The All Night Express (Rhett Titus & Kenny King), Manhattan Mayhem IV, 3.19.11

We’re joined in progress here. King is all over both Briscoes, hitting Jay with a big spinebuster for two. The match breaks down and all four men are in the ring. The referee has lost control here. Jay hits Titus with a Falcon Arrow for two. Out on the floor King hits Mark with the shotgun double knees into the barricade. Back in the ring Jay hits King with a wicked spinebuster. Jay goes for the Jay Driller on Titus but it’s blocked and Titus goes for the Muff Driver but Jay slips out. The Briscoes go for the Doomsday Device but Titus ducks the clothesline and traps Jay in a victory roll to get the huge upset win at 14:03! That was a terrific tag team match that really felt heated. This feud is absolutely making Rhett Titus and Kenny King.

The angry Briscoes attack the ANX after the bell. The job squad comes out to try and break it up but they get dispatched. The Briscoes pull up the mats on the floor and set up for a Jay Driller on Titus but thankfully King saves the day with a dive off the top rope! The ANX tear into the Briscoes now and this is a big time brawl. Jay throws a chair at King and Mark does the same to Titus.

MATCH #16: Jay & Mark Briscoe vs. Adam Cole & Kyle O’Reilly, Honor Takes Center Stage Chapter 1, 4.1.11

Cole and Mark start the match with some mat wrestling. They wrestle to a standoff like it’s 2002. Tags are made and O’Reilly and Jay continue the chain wrestling. Jay wins the first battle with a big boot to the face. The momentum shifts back and forth several times as Cole and O’Reilly desperately want to show that they can hang with a top team. The Briscoes use their size and strength advantage to isolate O’Reilly in their half of the ring. O’Reilly uses kicks to fight back and make the tag. Cole is a house afire and sends Jay to the floor. He follows him out with a nice suicide dive. Back in the ring Jay cuts him off with a hard spinebuster. The Briscoes double-team Cole now and he’s in trouble. Cole fights back with the leg lariat off the second rope. O’Reilly makes the tag and he takes it to Mark with vicious strikes. Cole and O’Reilly show some impressive double-team maneuvers and get the crowd chanting “This Is Awesome.” Jay and Cole fight on the floor and O’Reilly finds Jay in perfect position to hit the missile dropkick off the apron. Back in the ring Cole hits Mark with a high cross body block for two. Cole and O’Reilly hit more double-team moves but still can’t put Mark away. Cole gets caught in the ring alone and Jay hits him with the Falcon Arrow for two. O’Reilly comes to the rescue and he trades strikes with the younger Briscoe. Jay blasts O’Reilly with a superkick and Mark drops him on his head with a release German Suplex. The Briscoes then hit Cole with the Springboard Doomsday Device to get the win at 13:24. This match was HUGE in establishing Cole and O’Reilly’s credibility. They went toe-to-toe with the best and baddest tag team in ROH history and looked totally at home. The pace was fast and furious and the Briscoes really made their opponents look good. Cole and O’Reilly were just on fire at this time.
Rating: ***½

After the match Rhett Titus and Kenny King, The All Night Express, make their way in through the crowd after getting kicked out of the building earlier because of an altercation. King and Titus charge the ring with taped fists and a brawl erupts. Security and jobbers try to break them up but to no avail; many of them get abused in the process. This sets up for a match the following night.

MATCH #17: Jay & Mark Briscoe vs. The All Night Express (Rhett Titus & Kenny King), Honor Takes Center Stage – Chapter 2, 4.2.11

The Briscoes charge the ring and it’s a big brawl right out of the gate. They go to the floor and the Briscoes are dominating. Mark and King go in the ring and referee Paul Turner calls for the bell but I swear I already heard one. Either way I’ll call that bell the start of the match, for match time purposes. Anyway, the Briscoes are isolating King and wearing him down. Titus is able to make a blind tag and hits Jay with a slingshot shoulderblock. All four men get in the ring and brawl and referee Todd Sinclair comes out to help try and restore order. They are successful and the ANX is in control on Jay. The resilient Briscoes come back and take Titus to the floor and whip him into the steel ring post. Back in the ring the Briscoes decimate the bloody Titus, wearing him down and keeping him away from his partner. After several minutes of abuse Titus shoves Mark off the top rope and comes down with hard double knees. King then gets the hot tag and he’s a house afire. He hits the shotgun knees but Mark breaks up the cover. Mark and Titus fight to the floor while King and Jay continue the fight in the ring. King sends Jay to the apron and Titus comes and pulls him off with the Sex Factor through the table! Meanwhile Mark and King are slugging it out in the ring. Titus comes in to help his partner. Jay returns to the match awfully quickly, and he’s busted open. The referee has no control right now. Mark and Titus fight up on the top rope and Titus drops Mark’s face on the ring post! Jay and Titus come face to bloody face now and trade punches. Kevin Kelly compares this match to a Quentin Tarantino movie, which is asinine. Jay spits blood at Titus but Titus clobbers him with a clothesline! The ANX hit Jay with the One Night Stand but Mark breaks up the pin! They try another double-team move but Jay avoids it and hits King with the Jay Driller to get the pin at 14:51. That was great, as these two teams really seemed to hate each other and the more they beat on each other the more the crowd fired up for them. This was a great way to really kick the feud into a higher gear and set the stage for the Chicago Street Fight and later the Ladder War.
Rating: ****

MATCH #18: Chicago Street Fight – Jay & Mark Briscoe vs. The All Night Express, Supercard of Honor VI, 5.21.11

This should be brutal. Everyone is wearing street clothes, which you know means war. It takes less than a minute for Mark to go crashing through the timekeeper’s table. Jay is the first one to bleed, and that takes just over five minutes. Most of the fight so far has happened outside the ring, but as they make their way in it looks like Mark is bleeding as well. Titus is next to go through a table, as he tries a Super Sex Factor on Mark but Jay pushes him off the top rope. That gives the Briscoes the chance to isolate King and hang him over the top rope with a chain. A bloody Titus tries to fight back but two Briscoes is a lot for any man to overcome. In the meantime King finds a fire extinguisher and blinds the Briscoes with it, and then bashes them in the face with it. The crowd LOVES the All Night Express. A ladder gets brought into the fray and everyone is looking a bit worn down. The Briscoes hit Titus with the Doomsday Device. King throws a chair at Jay, and then he and mark tumble to the floor. Jay stumbles around and falls on Titus to get the pin at 19:29. Not that I’m an advocate for guys going out and killing each other and doing something stupid, but in a Chicago Street Fight I’d like a bigger finish. Overall though I really liked it; it was brutal and intense and the crowd was super hot for it.
Rating: ***¾

MATCH #19: Ladder War III – Jay & Mark Briscoe vs. The All Night Express, Death Before Dishonor IX, 9.17.11

The Briscoes were in the first Ladder War, successfully defending the ROH World Tag Team Titles against Kevin Steen & El Generico at the Man Up! pay-per-view in Chicago on September 15, 2007. At stake in this match is a shot at the ROH World Tag Team Championship on November 19 in Chicago. This feud has been really awesome. The Briscoes weigh a combined 462 pounds and hail from Sandy Fork, Delaware. The ANX check in at 463 pounds. Mark and Titus battle on one side of the ring while Jay and King battle on the other. Titus gets dumped to the floor and grabs a ladder as the fans chant “we want blood.” The war quickly spills to the floor, where King is the first one to go through a table, via a back body drop. Titus is the first one busted open, and it’s a gusher. He responds by suplexing Mark from the apron onto a ladder, and then wiping out everyone at ringside with a dive. The ANX takes control now, using ladders to their advantage. Jay is the next one busted open, and that’s a gusher too. These guys are going all out that’s for sure. Somewhere in the melee Mark has been busted open too. There’s a lot of blood out there as the violence continues. Blood is literally squirting out of Jay’s head. Oy I hope whatever they got paid for this match was worth it. The Briscoes try a spiked Jay Driller on a chair on King, but Titus pushes Mark off the top rope and through a table at ringside. Jay goes through a table next, courtesy of the powerbomb/blockbuster combination. Finally about 20 minutes into the match Titus makes the first attempt at climbing the ladder to retrieve the contract. Mark recovers and knocks Titus off the ladder with a dropkick. The Briscoes go under the ring and find an even bigger ladder than the ones they’ve already used. They set it up in the aisle next to a table and drag Titus over to set him on it. Mark goes up top and delivers a splash through the table! That was insane. The action continues and King busts out a shooting star press! I didn’t know he could do that. King climbs up the tall ladder and Jay climbs the other side. They slug it out and King punches Jay right off the ladder and grabs the contract to win the Ladder War at 27:51. The pool of blood under Jay’s head is truly sickening. This lived up to the standards of previous ladder wars, which is no small feat. I believe the All Night Express are now truly main event players in ROH.
Rating: ****¼

MATCH #20: Jay & Mark Briscoe vs. The Young Bucks, Glory By Honor X, 11.19.11

The Bucks weigh a combined 402 pounds and hail from Los Angeles, California. Jay and Mark Briscoe weigh in at 470 pounds and are wrestling out of Sandy Fork, Delaware. Nick and Matt Jackson act like jerks before the bell, so Dem Boys attack and take the fight right to the floor. Mark takes Matt into the ring and then throws him right back out. Meanwhile Jay is using the barricades to abuse Nick. The Briscoes are beating the Bucks like they owe them money. It takes almost four minutes for the Bucks to get any offense in whatsoever, as they knock Jay to the floor and focus on Mark. For some reason Matt is wrestling this match with a t-shirt on. Not that I don’t see enough shirtless men on a wrestling show, but that’s what makes it curious. Pretty much right as I type that he takes the shirt off. Okay then. Eventually Mark makes the tag and Jay is a house afire. Jay hits Nick with a Falcon Arrow for two. The Bucks cut Jay off and double-team him, despite referee Paul Turner’s objections. Nick hits a 450 Splash for a two-count. Mark pulls Matt to the floor and levels him with a clothesline. He then illegally gets in the ring to hit Nick with an exploder suplex. Mark legally tags in and hits the Iconoclasm for two. He goes up top but Matt pushes him off right into a Superkick from Nick. Now Matt takes in and they go for More Bang for Your Buck, but Mark was able to make a blind tag. The Briscoes try the Doomsday Device but the Bucks break that up. Mark settles for a Death Valley Driver and Jay follows with a Froggy ‘Bow for a near-fall. All four men are in the ring and the referee has lost all control. The Briscoes send Nick to the floor and hit Matt with the Doomsday Device to get the pin at 12:16. Jay and Mark are arguably the best thing going in ROH today, and the Bucks more than held up their end too. This seemed a bit short but I assume there will be more matches between the teams so it’s wise not to give it all away.
Rating: ***½

THE PULSE

With Jay Briscoe’s new status as “The Man” in Ring of Honor, this DVD release is well timed. It’s the third Briscoes’ compilation in less than two years, but thankfully they have been around for so long and have so many good matches that this doesn’t feel like overkill. This is another good set, as four of the 20 matches reach four stars or higher, and many more are above three. Jay and Mark are unique talents and ROH institutions, and have contributed a great deal to ROH over the years. This DVD set accurately portrays that. You can purchase the set at the ROH Shop.

I grew up and now I write for Inside Pulse. Oh, and one time I saw a blimp!