Why WarnerMedia Had Issues With Mark Briscoe Appearing On AEW Television
Jay Briscoe was a decorated pro wrestler throughout his career. The Briscoes were named Tag Team of the Decade by Ring of Honor for the 2010s, and also won the 2021 Tag Team of the Year award. In March 2022, Jay and Mark Briscoe were nominated to the Ring of Honor Hall of Fame. Sadly, Jay Briscoe is no longer with us following last week’s tragedy. Jay Briscoe passed away on January 17th after a fatal car accident near his home in Laurel, Delaware. One other person was killed in the collision, and two others, Briscoe’s daughters, were injured. Even after Jay Briscoe’s passing, WarnerMedia had an issue with Mark Briscoe appearing on AEW television, but they had a different reason to ban each Briscoe brother.
The Briscoe Brothers were previously banned from AEW TV by Warner Bros. Discovery due to Jay’s 2013 homophobic tweets. The broadcast company showed no change of heart, despite Jay repeatedly apologizing for the tweets over the years.
The other reason why Warner Bros. Discovery banned Jay and Mark Briscoe from appearing on their network was that The Briscoes’ outfits had a Confederate flag on them. Due to this, Warner Bros. Discovery originally refused to let Mark appear on AEW television until this past week. The broadcast giant also blocked any type of noteworthy tribute to Jay the previous week.
On Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer explained that there was an issue with Mark Briscoe appearing due to how he once rocked the Rebel Flag as part of his ring gear.
Yes. That [Confederate flag] was the issue with Mark because I thought oh, Jay, Mark didn’t do these tweets you know, so he’s free and clear. I just figured that right. It only made sense to me. But that wasn’t the case. And that was the holdup.
It was also noted that Mark Briscoe is now, “Free and clear. He can be on TV. Everything’s fine.” It is to be noted that Warner Bros. Discovery has the authority to ban anyone from television due to the terms of its agreement with AEW.
Mark Briscoe made his AEW Dynamite debut this past Wednesday night and paid tribute to his late brother Jay Briscoe. Mark is henceforth allowed to appear on the Warner Bros. Discovery network.
Transcription by Ringside News
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Saptarshi Sinha is a pro-wrestling enthusiast and journalist. He has been covering the industry for over five years, providing in-depth analysis and coverage of the latest events and storylines. In addition to his passion for wrestling, Saptarshi also enjoys perfumery, photography, optometry, and gaming in his free time. He is dedicated to bringing his readers the most accurate and engaging content in the world of professional wrestling.
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