Mark Briscoe Representing The Briscoe Brothers in Most Authentic Way Possible
Plus–the key to WWE’s interest in TNA
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The Week in Wrestling is published every week and provides beneath the surface coverage of the business of pro wrestling.
Contents for The Week in Wrestling:
Mark Briscoe exploring new possibilities in singles career
The past week in wrestling
A closer look at WWE’s interest in TNA
Tweet of the Week
Mark Briscoe: “I’m always representing The Briscoe Brothers, even if it’s just me”
Mark Briscoe never intended to be a singles wrestler.
For more than two decades, he teamed with older brother Jay Briscoe to form The Briscoe Brothers. With the majority of their success taking place in Ring of Honor, TNA, and New Japan Pro-Wrestling, they were a known commodity all across professional wrestling. The fact that they had seemingly wrestled everywhere but WWE afforded them a different type of street cred–plus, so many others in WWE, like Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn, proudly merged some of that intense Briscoe-style brawling into their work.
Tragedy struck in January of 2023 when Jay Briscoe lost his life in a car crash. As difficult as it has been to wrestle without him, Mark Briscoe takes immense pride in embodying his brother’s spirit every time he steps in the ring.
“I’m always representing The Briscoe Brothers,” said Briscoe. “Even if it’s just me.”
Carried by the spirit and memory of his brother, Briscoe is coming off an incredibly successful year in 2024. He had a run as Ring of Honor world champ, defeating Eddie Kingston for the belt in the spring–then defended it against former champs like Roderick Strong and Matt Taven. Over the summer, he unexpectedly seized the starring role in AEW’s signature Blood & Guts match. Another seminal moment came this past fall when he defeated Chris Jericho on pay-per-view at WrestleDream, which immediately became one of the most prominent singles victories of his career.
And he credits his brother for his surge as a singles star.
“For so many years, Jay and me, we’d argue,” said Briscoe. “Jay would sell me on his ideas and his style being the way to go. I would be selling him on how my ideas and my style were the way to go. All along, it was iron sharpening iron. Well, now I have no desire to argue his points. In the past, it was automatically incorporated because we were two partners in a tag team. Now it’s just me, and I’m incorporating what Jay was saying all along.
“When we tagged together, the contrast was obvious. You knew who Jay was and who Mark was, and the whole was greater than the sum of both parts. That’s what made The Briscoes so special. We went together like peanut and jelly, or peanut butter and chocolate if you’re a fan of Reese’s like myself.
“Mark Briscoe, at his core, is a tag team specialist with Jay Briscoe. That’s what we did for 22 years. So I made the decision to incorporate more of Jay Briscoe into what I do in the ring. Jay is one of the finest wrestlers, in my opinion, there ever has been, so I’m damn sure going to take everything my brother taught me and learn from it.”
Briscoe showcases a rare presence in the ring, and his promos are unlike anyone else’s in the entire industry. He captures the crowd with his genuinely peculiar charisma, which is perfectly suited for pro wrestling, and he has the size to match up with the toughest on the roster–including current opponent Bobby Lashley.
“I remember, years and years ago, seeing Bobby on the TV, and he’s even more impressive up close,” said Briscoe, who was in Private Party’s corner last night on Dynamite when they dropped the tag titles to Lashley and Shelton Benjamin. “I really enjoy working with him. He is incredibly strong, and it’s humbling to know he can break you in half if he so desires.
“Wrestling some big guys is like pulling teeth. Not him. He’s the complete opposite. But he’s been whooping my ass for a few weeks in a row, so he’s got one coming.”
In addition to the feud with Lashley and The Hurt Syndicate–just a thought, but Briscoe would be a very compelling member of the faction if he were ever to join–he also had success in the round-robin Continental Classic tournament. Given his long-standing roots in New Japan, he expressed a strong desire to wrestle in the G1 Climax–but admitted, as a father of eight, that probability is unlikely.
“The G1, I’d be all in on that, it’s just the requirements don’t really fit right now,” said Briscoe. “I’d have to be in Japan for about a month’s time. With eight kids at home, that’s not in the cards right now. Believe me, it would be a pleasure and an honor. But being away that long would be tough, especially because they’re changing so much every day."
AEW is currently in a unique spot, in search of the right babyface to carry the company. Even if the company anoints someone–perhaps Darby Allin–to dethrone heel champ Jon Moxley, there is no guarantee as to how the crowd will respond.
Briscoe, admittedly, is not on the top of the list of babyfaces likely to become champ in 2025. But he is coming off a year where he exceeded all expectations as a singles wrestler.
Even though he never planned on a career as a singles wrestler, that is precisely where Briscoe now stands. Representing The Briscoe Brothers, he is going to make the most of every opportunity in front of him.
“It’s like that old song,” said Briscoe, before breaking into his best John Fogerty impression. “Put me in, Coach, I’m ready to play. You need me in a world title match? Let’s do it. You want to wrap the ring in barbed wire? OK, let’s do it. It doesn’t matter. I’m down.
“Me and Jay always prided ourselves on being the most versatile, from technical to blood and hardcore. I’m ready, willing, and able for everything in 2025.”
This past week…
Jey Uso is a considerable underdog entering Saturday Night’s Main Event, but it will be worth watching to see if the odds change as we approach the event. And if that match closes the show on Saturday, in a nationally televised event for WWE on NBC, I still think the chances are high (odds be damned!) that we see a new World Heavyweight Champion crowned.
Add this to the list of compelling storylines in WWE: Kevin Owens believes that Sami Zayn will have his back against Cody Rhodes, and Owens laid out a convincing argument as to why the two friends should stick together.
Dynamite opened in the best way possible last night, with Kenny Omega sharing the ring with Will Ospreay. While Ospreay still struggles on the microphone, Omega does not. He carried the 15-minute segment, which included a brawl around the arena–and Ospreay gaining his trust. Omega and Ospreay will now team together against Konosuke Takeshita and Kyle Fletcher at AEW’s Grand Slam event in Australia, which takes place on February 15.
Another highlight from last night’s Dynamite was Bobby Lashley and Shelton Benjamin defeating Private Party to win the tag team titles. It wasn’t the longest title run for Private Party, who defeated The Young Bucks for the belts at the end of October, but it’s the right move–and that was clear from the crowd reaction after the finish.
In a move that was long overdue, Joe Hendry is finally TNA champion, defeating Nic Nemeth at the TNA Genesis pay-per-view this past Sunday.
If this past Saturday marked the end of Christopher Daniels’ career, then it was a spectacular way to go out. I wished more was made of it, or that there was a stipulation that forced Daniels to retire, to add even more to the moment. That was somewhat covered after-the-fact last night on Dynamite, but it would have been even more significant in the moment.
A closer look at WWE’s interest in TNA
Let’s be honest.
No one predicted John Cena would be tweeting about TNA in 2025.
Yet here we are.
One week ago today, WWE announced a multi-year partnership with TNA.
The move makes sense. WWE’s goal is to completely monopolize the industry, and this helps. It runs deeper than a tape library; this move means there is one less option on the market not controlled by WWE.
Tony Khan and AEW haven’t worked with TNA for years, but that option is now completely removed. And we’re likely to see that manifest in other ways with promotions in Japan and Mexico if WWE President Nick Khan has his way.
TNA’s flagship show, Impact!, airs on AXS TV in the United States. But it also airs on Sportsnet 360 across Canada, which is a net positive for WWE. TNA talent now have a far better chance to make it to WWE. Look at this past Sunday’s Genesis pay-per-view: NXT’s Cora Jade is starting a feud with TNA’s Masha Slamovich. While the focus for Shawn Michaels and his team in NXT is to get more reps for Jade, they’ll be paying close attention to Slamovich, too.
Whatever TNA loses in autonomy, the company gains in exposure. For a group that was in constant pursuit of financial backers, money is no longer an issue with WWE prominently involved. Also, with the Royal Rumble right around the corner, the timing works out particularly well.
Why not have Nic Nemeth return for one night as Dolph Ziggler? Or use the platform to reintroduce Jordynne Grace, but this time as a full-time WWE talent? New TNA world champ Joe Hendry should be in the Rumble. Could we see Jeff Hardy or Eddie Edwards, too?
And if anyone is in the mood for another prediction, allow me to toss this one your way: what are the odds that TNA is eventually airing Impact! on Wednesday nights directly against AEW’s Dynamite?
The WWE/TNA partnership, especially in its early stages, should add plenty of excitement to the industry.
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