Ring of Honor pro wrestler Jay Briscoe has died. He was 38.
Tony Khan, All Elite Wrestling (AEW) founder and Ring of Honor owner, announced the news via Twitter on Tuesday.
"Sadly, Jamin Pugh has passed away. Known to fans as Jay Briscoe, he was a star in ROH for over 20 years, from the first show until today," Khan wrote.
He saluted Jay and his pro-wrestler brother Mark Briscoe, adding that they "dominated ROH, reigning as champions to this day. We'll do whatever we can to support his family."
He concluded with a simple, "Rest in Peace Jamin."
Wrestling journalist Dave Meltzer reported that Jay was involved in a fatal car accident.
"Tony Khan tweeted the death of Jay Briscoe in an auto accident. Two people in car died in an accident at 5:30 p.m. in Laurel, Maryland. Just horribly tragic news," Meltzer wrote in a tweet before correcting the location of the crash.
Sadly, Jamin Pugh has passed away. Known to fans as Jay Briscoe, he was a star in ROH for over 20 years, from the first show until today.
— Tony Khan (@TonyKhan) January 18, 2023
Jay and his brother Mark dominated ROH, reigning as champions to this day. We'll do whatever we can to support his family.
Rest In Peace Jamin
"Correction on the location of the Jay Briscoe accident, it was Laurel, Delaware, not Maryland," Meltzer later said.
A public information officer for the Delaware State Police told PEOPLE that a fatal crash happened outside of Laurel on Tuesday, but he said the agency would be releasing the identity of those involved on Wednesday morning.
Jay joined the ROH wrestling in 2002 alongside his brother Mark, according to USA Today. The two became known as the Briscoe Brothers and were one of the most successful tag-team duos in ROH history, according to the news outlet.
The duo were inducted into the inaugural class of the ROH Hall of Fame in 2022, USA Today reported.
Many in the wrestling world paid tribute to Jay following his death.
Fourteen-time world champion Paul "Triple H" Levesque remembered Jay as an "incredible performer who created a deep connection with wrestling fans across the globe" and sent condolences to his family, according to his Twitter post.
ROH Hall of Famer Cary Silkin tweeted a photo of him and Jay smiling together and wrote, "I lost one of my kids and the world lost a great man! RIP!"
AEW wrestler Kyle O'Reilly called Jay "the real deal" on Twitter.
"I was always amazed how someone could be so intimidating one moment then so warm & affable the next," he continued. "He gave so much to the business & to his family and I'm forever grateful for having known him. Strength and love to Mark and his family. Love u bro."
WWE star Mustafa Ali simply tweeted, "Rest in power jay briscoe."
Sami Zayn of WWE also shared a message, writing: "I don't have the words right now to properly convey my sorrow. I love Jay & Mark Briscoe. Always have. I wouldn't be here without them. I'm very lucky to have shared the ring & shared so many laughs with Jay Briscoe and I'm so sad to know neither will happen again. RIP my friend."
