Mark Briscoe

Mark Pugh (born January 18, 1985) is an American professional wrestler best known as Mark Briscoe.

He is currently signed to Ring of Honor and its sister promotion All Elite Wrestling (AEW).

He held the ROH World Tag Team Championship with his brother Jay Briscoe (as the Briscoe Brothers) a record 13 times, was one third of the ROH World Six-Man Tag Team Champions with Jay and Bully Ray, and alongside Jay was an inaugural inductee into the ROH Hall of Fame.

He and Jay are also former Impact World Tag Team Champions, and have wrestled in Japan, working for New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) - where they held the IWGP Tag Team Championship once, and the NEVER Openweight 6-Man Tag Team Championship twice (along with Toru Yano) - and Pro Wrestling Noah, where they were GHC Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champions.

All totaled between ROH, Impact, NJPW and Noah, the Briscoe Brothers held 19 total titles together - 15 World Tag Team Championships, a Jr. Heavyweight Tag Team Championship and three Six-Man Tag Team Championships.

Jay and Mark Briscoe made their debuts for Combat Zone Wrestling (CZW) at Delaware Invasion on January 20, 2001, being brought in to job as part of a three-on-one handicap match against Trent Acid.

At the inaugural Best of the Best event, a show somewhat atypical of CZW in that it is a tournament spotlighting athletic junior heavyweight wrestling as opposed to violent hardcore matches, the two advanced past the first round in a three-way match with Nick Mondo where the stipulation was whoever took the fall would be eliminated.

They were then matched against each other in the second round, with Jay winning and advancing further.

This match was seen by fans as the best of the tournament, and seen in retrospect as having been responsible in large part for helping launch the brothers' careers, as they were new to the independent circuit and very young at the time.

After losing in title opportunities at Breakaway Brawl and A New Beginning, the brothers won the CZW Tag Team Championship on July 14, 2001, as they defeated the original H8 Club at H8 Club: Dead? They lost it in their first defense, to Johnny Kashmere and Justice Pain on July 28, 2001, at What About Lobo? Mark wasn't used for several months after that, but Jay continued on as a singles wrestler in that time, even facing Justice Pain for the CZW Heavyweight Championship at September Slam on September 8, which he did not win.

At the end of 2001 and into 2002, CZW's territory (that is, the area at which they held the majority of their events) was shifting from Sewell, New Jersey, to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in order to hold events regularly at the old ECW arena, beginning with December 15's Cage of Death 3.

At this event, they faced Nick Gage and Nate Hatred, but wore masks and were identified as The Midnight Outlaws.

This was likely to get around the fact that Jay was only 17 and Mark only 16 at the time; this meant, as they were under 18 years of age, that they could not legally work in a sport wrestling exhibition in the state of Pennsylvania.

As CZW regularly began holding shows in the Philadelphia area, the Midnight Outlaws made appearances at the next four CZW events.

Mark Briscoe made his Jersey All Pro Wrestling (JAPW) debut on March 24, 2001, at March Madness Night 2, losing to Insane Dragon and Dixie teaming with his brother Jay Briscoe.

It is unclear how, if at all, JAPW's ownership and management worked around Pennsylvania's child labor law, as both brothers were underage at the time of this and two subsequent appearances in the old ECW arena.

They made three other appearances in JAPW in 2001, and unsuccessful challenge for Dragon and Dixie's JAPW Tag Team Championship on June 15 at Here to Stay.

At A Higher Level of Pain on April 13, 2002, Jay appeared across the ring from the Midnight Outlaws, tagging with Ruckus against Mark and someone else.

By this time, he had turned 18.

The six men went on to meet in a rematch of sorts at the next event, Royal Consequences 2 on August 10, 2002, Jay Briscoe and Insane Dragon defended the titles against Da Hit Squad and the team of Mark Briscoe and Deranged in a tables, ladders, and chairs match, which Da Hit Squad won.

Two shows later, on September 20 at Family Crisis 2, Da Hit Squad successfully retained the title over the Briscoes in a regular match.

Jay and Ruckus were won the match, and this was the last time either Jay or Mark appeared for CZW until April 12, 2003, where Jay and Mark both returned for Best of the Best 3.

Jay was a surprise entrant after being taunted by A.J. Styles, and Mark filling in for the injured Ruckus.

Jay advanced to the semi-finals, where he lost to B-Boy, and Mark lost his fill-in match to Sonjay Dutt.

The two faced off with the Backseat Boyz for the CZW World Tag Team Championship at Truth or Consequences on June 14, but failed to win the belts.

The Briscoes did not appear for JAPW again until late 2005, again in a tables, ladders, and chairs match for the tag team title, this time against the teams of Teddy Hart and Homicide, the Backseat Boyz, and The S.A.T. The match, which took place at JAPW's 8th Year Anniversary Show, was won Hart and Homicide.

At the next show, Fall Out, the S.A.T. defeated them and thus became number one contenders to the tag team championship.

More recent JAPW appearances came in early 2006, losing along with the Outcast Killers to the S.A.T. once again at Wild Card II in a tag team title match, and then at Brotherly Love to the team of Sabu and Sonjay Dutt, a match they also lost.

In October 2008, the Briscoes competed at JAPW's 11th Anniversary Show against LAX (Homicide and Hernandez).

During a brawl outside the ring, Mark suffered a large gash on the side of his head.

Mark Briscoe was unable to wrestle on ROH's first show The Era of Honor Begins in Philadelphia because of Pennsylvania's child labor laws.

He accompanied his brother Jay to the ring at the event for a loss to Amazing Red.

Mark was subsequently able to perform at Honor Invades Boston, where he defeated his brother in the second-to-last match of the night.

The Brothers went on briefly to feud against each other, during which time Jay scored a non-title win over ROH Champion Xavier at Glory By Honor.

On December 11, 2010, at Cage of Death XII The Briscoes returned to CZW challenging newly crowned CZW World Tag Team Champions Philly's Most Wanted of BLK Jeez and Joker to a title match in January.

On January 7, 2011, at "From Small Beginnings Come Great Things" Philly's Most Wanted retained the CZW World Tag Team Championships against the Briscoe Brothers in a no contest.

The Briscoes then challenged Philly's Most Wanted to a no disqualification rematch.

On February 12, 2011, at "Twelve: The Twelfth Anniversary Event" The Briscoe Brothers defeated Philly's Most Wanted to become the new CZW World Tag Team Champions.

They lost the title back to Philly's Most Wanted on May 14, 2011.

The Briscoes returned to CZW again on November 10, 2012, facing Dave and Jake Crist in a losing effort.