Gimme Back My Bullets
Posted by Ben Acheampong
on 04/29/2007
Gimme Back My Bullets
The grammatical ineptitude of the phrase ‘Gimme Back My Bullets’, while making my proverbial English language teeth grind, also brings a smile to my over-sized pro-wrestling heart. Gimme Back My Bullets is the title of a Lynard Skynard song, which is used as entrance music by the very best tag team in the world right now, Mark and Jay, The Briscoe Brothers. Oh yeah. Ben’s on another best in the world tangent.
Mark and Jay Briscoe, Ring of Honor tag team champions, are in my opinion the best tag team in the world right now. For those who have seen them, it’s not much of a stretch to say at all with full confidence, but for the doubters, the infantiles, the non-believers, and the people who just want to scroll down and read the rest of my column I say, listen up.
History time.
Mark and Jay Briscoe were born on January 18, 1985 and January 25, 1984 in Salisbury Maryland, and raised in Laurel Delaware, just a smidge below the Mason Dixon Line. Growing up on a chicken farm in Delaware, the Briscoe’s are very much ‘country’. Chances are, if you live anywhere in the middle of the country, the chicken you’ve eaten has come from their farm, or a surrounding area farm... remember that next time you bite into that tasty chicken teriyaki from Subway.
The brothers Briscoe grew up very much wrestling fans, in the Matt and Jeff Hardy mold of brothers emulating their squared circle heroes. Always athletic Jay received a full scholarship to play football from his days on the high school gridiron, but football was neither of the Briscoe’s real passion. Wrestling was first and foremost.
At the tender ages of 15 and 16 they made their wrestling debuts for the ECWA promotion, host of the Super 8, based out of Delaware. While obviously not the masters of all things Greco-Roman in their first match, Mark and Jay displayed all the potential in the world, if for nothing else, being 15 and 16, and while being that young, and still ‘getting it’.
Mark and Jay would continue to wrestle while still attending high school throughout much of 2000 and 2001. They also began wrestling for Combat Zone Wrestling (CZW). With CZW getting it’s name out there more and more as one of the premiere US indy’s (for sometimes nefarious reasons mind you) people began to take notice of the Briscoe’s, and the novelty of them being that good, that old, or rather, that young.
Their breakout match came against each other (it’s kind of a pattern you’ll notice) in CZW’s Best of the Best tournament when they were pitted against each other. Trusting each other in only the way brothers can, they wrestled their hearts out, Jay picking up the victory via a top rope J-Driller (double underhook piledriver). The match received massive amounts of praise. Jay was 17 and Mark was 16 at the time. Scary
So good. So young.
While praise came, criticism also arose, not from fans or promoters, but more so from the Pennsylvania athletic commission. While by the time it became a problem, 2002 or so, Jay had already turned 18, but Mark was 17, and a large part of the Briscoe’s bookings took place in Philadelphia. They wrestled under masks as the Midnight Outlaws to avoid legal trouble, but that was a mere temporary fix.
The Briscoe’s moved on to an upstart promotion, Ring of Honor. Mark still wasn’t allowed to wrestle but accompanied Jay to the ring. Jay wrestled in ROH’s first official match against the Amazing Red. He lost. But it was an excellent precursor and pace setter for a promotion built on putting on the type of matches Jay laid the blueprint for.
Jay began to develop a number of losses, which Mark criticized him for in an angle that saw, the Briscoe’s parents get involved in to help calm things down, which culminated in a match at ROH’s Honor Invades Boston, which saw Mark win (being in Boston, while still 17, outside of Pennsylvania, that didn’t matter and Mark was allowed to wrestle) in another exciting match. Jay, embarrassed in losing to his younger brother, vowed to not lose anymore matches and went on to defeat Red in a rematch and pin then ROH Champion Xavier in non title match. Jay and Mark wrestled one last time at ROH’s One Year Anniversary Show (how fitting) in a match which Jay won. With that feud over, the Briscoe’s began teaming again.
They immediately began challenging the ROH Tag Team Champions, The Phenomenal Red (AJ Styles and The Amazing Red). They weren’t the victors, but wrestled a style that many at the time could only describe as a hybrid. It was a small glimpse into the style of match the Briscoe’s would go on to perfect known as the sprint. Matches that build over time gradually from slow and plodding to an athletic sequence of hot nearfalls and reach a crescendo of a near death finish. Not the style for every tag team naturally, but with the athleticism of both brothers and their particular opponents, being the naturals in AJ Styles and The Amazing Red, they provided some of the best wrestling of that time, in independent wrestling.
While in hunt for the tag titles, they also began a feud with Samoa Joe, resident ROH Champion and badass extraordinaire. Rather simple feud, with Joe basically disrespecting the young brothers, and then being shocked that they had the audacity to actually stick up for themselves. The feud included a match between Joe and Jay, which is still one of my favorite Cage matches ever, with Jay hitting somewhere between a 9.6 and 10 on the Muta scale of blading. With the blood visibly clotting infront of Jay’s forehead.
While the Joe beating would make the average fan think it does nothing for the Briscoe’s, it helped them immensely. For one, while neither Briscoe could beat Joe in singles competition, they could push Joe, the world champion, to the limit which showed their single wrestling acumen, but also defeated Joe three times in tag team competition, with Joe using three different partners, two of them being, AJ Styles and the American Dragon Bryan Danielson, dream teams for sure, establishing that the TEAM of the Briscoe Brothers was much too much a force for Joe.
Much too much a force for any tag team really, defeating the Special K for the straps. They went on to lose the straps to The Second City Saints (CM Punk and Colt Cabana) but then regained them in a gauntlet from the Prophecy (BJ Whitmer and Dan Maff) only to lose them back to the Second City Saints in the same gauntlet. Then going on to oppose Generation Next at the dubiously titled, Generation Next show.
A feud with The Rottweilers (The Havana Pit-bulls, (Rocky Romero and Ricky Reyes) Homicide, and Low Ki) which saw the Briscoes defeat both Pit-bulls, lose to Ki and Cide in singles competition yet defeat them in a tag, in all incredibly stiff and hate filled matches would be the Briscoes last for a year and half span in ROH, as the Briscoes took a break from ROH and wrestling in general.
In the off-time the Brisces were widely regarded even then as one of the worlds premiere tag-teams, albeit wrestling a very particular style and being barely old enough to drink alcohol (legally, but that never stopped them anyway). But they were missing vital pieces. While good wrestlers possessing movelists that would make your Create-A-Wrestler from Smackdown vs. Raw wimper in shame, they were still just two guys, in black and red singlets with killer knack for ass kick.
With Jay suffering from a concussion by the hands or feet rather of a Low Ki kick, and Mark injuring himself in a motor cycle accident, it was wise for the Briscoes to take the break at the time they did. While ROH was ever expanding, the Briscoes made it a point not to over extend themselves, a trend which many a wrestler could benefit from.
In the time off the Briscoes took time, watching tape from all over, fine tuning their movesets, match style and getting in better shape.
The Briscoes circa 2004, with ’ol James E. Cornette
While the Briscoes rested, ROH grew bigger and bigger, making their return in the first match of the 4th anniversary show, 4 years to Jay competing in the first ever ROH match the Briscoes were slated for big things. Now back, bigger and better than ever they demolished 3 other tag teams in a 4-way. Not playing around they made a message to the then tag team champions Generation Next at the end of the show that they were coming for gold.
A number of matches with up and coming ROH tags, like the Irish Airborne, Sterling James Keenan/Jason Blade and others did much to help elevate the teams, while keeping the Briscoes strong and producing good matches, along as a budding war with Pro Wrestling NOAH star KENTA.
Challenges throughout 2006 led to a number of meetings between the Briscoes and Aries/Strong. The Briscoes coming up short each time, but also having better and better matches each time. The best of which occurred in Liverpool, England (a place where the Briscoes always seem to take it to another level) at ROH’s Unified show. Perhaps the most underrated match of 2006, perhaps due to the match that followed it between Bryan Danielson and Nigel McGuiness, The Briscoes battled Gen Next for 30+ minutes over the newly WORLD tag team titles. Perhaps the epitome of what both teams can and did bring to the table, the Briscoes lost the titles but earned a lot more in the eyes of fans producing one of the best matches to ever take place on British soil.
For the rest of the year, The Briscoes would nail down their heeldom by feuding with Homicide on his road to the title. Facing off against Homicide and old foe Samoa Joe in number of matches. Mark proving his do anything to win attitude by performing shooting star presses of a number of objects including but not limited to a lighting scaffold in order to decisively put away Homicide.
Going through a wealth of the ROH roster in tag settings in 2006, ending with a defeat of the Kings of Wrestling, the Briscoe’s went on to challenge and defeat the team of Matt Sydal and Christopher Daniels to finally regain the ROH tag titles for their 3rd reign. In perhaps a weird lapse or sense of complacency , the Briscoe’s lost their titles in their first defense to the team of Dragon Gate mainstays, Naruki Doi and Shingo Takagi. Thinking they hadn’t been tough enough on themselves it was back to basics for The Briscoe’s and they competed against each other the next day in a time limit draw.
The Briscoe’s went on to defeat Doi and Shingo and recapture the titles, and with a recent defeat of The Motor City Machineguns this past weekend, the road looks clear for takeoff for the Briscoe’s.
History lessons suck, don’t they?
Well I’ve given the thorough run down of the Briscoe’s wrestling careers from teenage years to this past Sunday, but I still haven’t told you why they’re the best tag team in the world. There are plenty of wrestlers who’ve wrestled since 2000, that doesn’t make them apart of the best tag team in the world. But … plenty of wrestlers aren’t the Briscoe’s.
The Briscoe’s are great for being able to wrestle a particular style that while extremely trying on the wrestlers is incredible to watch for the fans. They pack enough MOVES~! for the casual fan and the smark fan alike to oooh and ahhh over, while providing enough substance in their matches for even the most die hard of fans to give a begrudgingly nod and sign of approval.
They wrestle a style that is very reminiscent of the indy stylings of old, which really aren’t something you’d want to go back to, but they manage to take all the positives of that style, breath taking moves and pace, and leave behind many of the negatives, iffy-selling and lack of psychology. A Briscoes match is really a roller coaster ride and lesson in tag team wrestling moves. Splash mountain neckbreakers, Cuthroat Driver Leg Drop combos, Hart Attack Spinning Heel Kicks, Simultaneous Shooting Star Press and ¾ ring frog splashes… and those are two counts. Normally wrestlers using moves like this in the course of one match would just scream overkill, but the Briscoe’s manage to make it work, efficiently.
One thing that makes the Briscoe’s so good, is the fact, that they are an actual tag team. I know “huh?” But I’m serious. All too often in the modern wrestling landscape, ‘tag-teams’ often consist of two solo stars, and that’s not a WWE trend. That happens everywhere, ROH, TNA, shoot, Pro-Wrestling NOAH, All Japan, you name it. A lack of tag-teams is something that almost, makes the Briscoes’ one of the better teams by default.
The Briscoe’s tag team skills can’t be denied however. They’re brothers for one, and have been teaming for 7 plus years, while still being only 24 at most, they’ve just got a lot of things other teams don’t have going for them. I’ve seen a pretty rudimentary Briscoes tag, that contained ten, count ten, quick tags! That’s unheard of. It’s what tag team wrestling really is. It’s as if they were just born to one day be the real World Greatest Tag Team.
Jay, the accomplished singles wrestler. Jay is very much the pace-setter in all of the matches, albeit very subtly. Being a year older he’s a bit wiser in and out of the ring. Takes risks, but the kind that aren’t risks when you’ve done them enough, especially in juxtaposition to his Evel Knievel like brother Mark. Possessing a large slew of power moves like the Gorilla-Press-Death Valley Driver that he uses to punish his often times much smaller opponents.
-Another day at the office
I’m more likely inclined to watch a Jay singles match, because he’s very in tune with what exactly a match is supposed to be and the story it’s supposed to portray. He also has all of his teeth.
Mark Briscoe in the flesh. Quite the smile on the chap. The toothless grin was acquired in a match where Jay accidentally swung his chair overhead and hit Mark square in the mouth. Mark being the kind of person he is, told the dentist, to simply, leave them out. All the better for the gimmick I guess. For all of Jay’s sensibility and psychological prowess, Mark possessing the wild card factor for the Briscoe’s. There’s nothing Mark won’t do throughout the course of a match. While being perhaps even more physically gifted than Jay, his inability to comprehend the word fear makes him quite the high spot dynamo. Springboard Double Stomps and the like, Mark can definitely make any match he’s in, a memorable one. Sometimes Mark can be too dangerous for his own good, in particular for example, a tag match recently where Mark went for a shooting star and under rotated, hitting his head on exposed concrete.
A scary moment for all. In response to his near death accident Mark wrote this.
"so i fell on the ol bean pretty hard the other night. i just wanted to let everyone know im alright and thanks for all the get well wishes and stuff..sorry if i didn't hit u back personally, i got like a hundred messages in the last couple days. so if u wanna get a lot of messages on your space then my advice would be to jump off of something and land on your head, it worked for me. and for all you guys who said don't do shooting stars no more, come on now...lets not get carried away people"
That’s Mark for you.
The Briscoe’s, in my eyes are very much like a 21st century Steiner Brothers or CanAm express. Well a 21st century late 80’s early 90’s version of the Steiner brothers. In the sense that their real brothers, who’s gimmick is totally believable because it’s real, the Steiner’s being standout amateur wrestlers who use their suplex skills to dominate opponents, and the Briscoe’s, back country hicks, who raise chickens and pit-bulls, who love tattoos and wear Confederate shorts while hee hawing their way through promos with their barely intelligible vernacular that includes a southern drawl famous for producing the phrase ‘Man Up!’.
The Briscoe’s also remind me of the Steiner’s in that they have the ability to wrestle their style of match, anywhere in the world, right now, and be over, and not only be over, but be among the best tag teams on the roster. The Steiner’s for example wrestling in WCW, New Japan, and the WWF a span of four years and winning titles in each. Dragon suplexes in the WWF? You betcha. And producing one of the best WWE pure wrestling matches ever against Owen and Bret at WrestleFest ’94.
I have no doubt that the Briscoes could do the same, and in fact have proven they can. Going to Pro Wrestling NOAH and winning the GHC Junior Tag titles in their very first match, via Swan Dive Double Impact (Springboard Doomsday Device). More astounding, in a promotion where gaijin (foreign) champions are far from the norm. Then proving the match style question, by wrestling against Ricky Marvin and Kotaro Suzuki, for the first time ever, in a match that stole the show, wowed a Japanese audience who’s “seen it all” as they say. Producing no doubt, a match of the year candidate. Not bad for one tour. Win titles in very first match, and then go on to produce one of the best matches the promotions had all year, not bad, not bad at all.
-New Day, New Championship
And there’s no reason in my mind why the Briscoe’s couldn’t produce that same kind of magic anywhere. They’re wrestling style is what damn near every epic TNA match emulates, and in a promotion where fitting the most you can into 3 minutes is a skill, the Briscoe’s would probably write the blueprint for that too.
The newly invigorated WWE tag team scene, seems ripe for the Briscoe’s taking. The Paul London and Brian Kendrik formula of take risks for big rewards, can in my opinion be done better by the Briscoe’s. It would be nice to see the Briscoe’s vs. The Hardy’s as a sort of old meets new thing.
I like Deuce and Domino and all, but the Briscoe’s provide a realism most other tag teams don’t. While it’s plausible for D&D to ride around supping up there muscle cars, cruising around for hot babes and calling Teddy Long a moulie behind his back when not looking for people to ‘crack in the mouth.’ It’s probable for The Briscoe’s to ride around in a tractor, drink Budweiser all day, rock Confederate flags, and I’m sure Mark has had indecent thoughts about one of his chickens.
To wrap this up. In a climate where tag team wrestling, while a dying art, is going through a revival world wide, no one leads the reconnaissance more so than The Briscoe’s. As far as character, workrate, and matches are concerned, The Brisoce’s are the total package.
The Briscoe Brothers
The Best Tag Team in the world. Not bad, for two country boys from Delaware
Things to leave you with
Assorted Downloads and such
Music Video Made by Rob Naylor -
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=A03YBOV9
Chronicles their 2006. Full of Splash Moutain Neckbreaker goodness
Music Video Made by Jack Jeckel -
http://www.themvzone.com/videos/jack...e-Briscoes.wmv
Makes 2004 Briscoes look the larger than life entities they were
The Briscoe’s vs. The Phenomenal Red -
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=EGV05ZY4
The match where I saw the light. Unbelievable stuff for the time
The Briscoe’s vs. Marvin/Suzuki -
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=A03YBOV9
“Hello Japan, We’re from Delaware”
The Briscoe’s vs. Sterling James Keenan and Jason Blade - http://www.rohwrestling.net/Video/Br..._6_22_2006.wmv
10 quick tags in a row. 10!
The Briscoe’s vs. Homicide and Samoa Joe-http://www.megaupload.com/?d=AEU4GAVS
..Yeah so, Mark jumps off stuff, they do a little bit of brawling in this one too, just a tad.
Songs to listen to
Lynard Skynard – Gimme Back My Bullets
Duh
Websites to visit
http://www.myspace.com/itznoturscreen_imthatblak
mine of course.
…and I’m out
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