AEW Selling Jay Briscoe Shirts After Death ... Proceeds Going To Wrestler's Family
Amazing gesture from AEW ... the wrestling org. is now selling Jay Briscoe shirts following the wrestler's tragic death, noting that all of the tee's sales will go toward his family.
The shirts officially launched this week -- just days after Briscoe, real name Jamin Pugh, was killed in a car crash in Delaware.
The black-and-red threads feature an image of Briscoe with a championship belt, as well as the words "Reach for the sky." They also have his name and the years of his birth and death on them.
Each tee costs $24.99 -- money the AEW, which purchased the Ring of Honor promotion that Briscoe wrestled for last March, says will go entirely "to benefit the Pugh family."
"The Pugh family lost a husband, a father, a brother, a son," the wrestling org. said in a statement Monday, "and in an effort to both honor Jay's memory as well as support those left behind, we are offering this 'Reach For The Sky' t-shirt with 100% of the proceeds going to benefit the Pugh family as they cope with this tragic loss."
As we reported, Briscoe was killed on Jan. 17 after a car suddenly veered into his lane and collided with his 2016 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 head-on. He was just 38 years old.
Briscoe's two daughters were in the car at the time of the wreck, but, thankfully, survived. The wrester's wife asked for prayers for the two girls in a social media post following the crash.
A GiveSendGo page was set up for the family in the days after the accident -- and it's already raised $290,000. Several pro wrestling stars, including Chris Jericho, were listed as donors to the fund.
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Big Show Mercedes Mone Great Fit For AEW ... 'Definitely A Star'
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Big Show recognizes Mercedes Mone -- formerly known as Sasha Banks -- is a unique talent ... and tells TMZ Sports any wrestling promotion that signs her is getting a superstar.
We asked Show about the rumors that Mercedes could sign with AEW ... on the heels of her debut with New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), and he seemed receptive to the idea.
IT’S MERCEDES MONÉ!@mercedesvarnado is in the Tokyo Dome!!!#wk17 #njpw pic.twitter.com/PD54lqLr1L
— njpwworld (@njpwworld) January 4, 2023 @njpwworld
"I think she'd be a tremendous asset to any company," said Show at LAX on Thursday. "She's a star and has an incredible fan following. Any company would be glad to have her."
Ex-WWE Superstar Sasha Banks Joins NJPW, Debuts As 'Mercedes Mone'
"For a long time, everyone got spoiled because there was one company to work for. Now there are multiple viable companies again to work for."
Show -- real name Paul Wight -- spent 22 years with the WWE before joining AEW as a wrestler and a commentator ... which is why he sees the value in wrestlers having options these days.
"It gives talents an opportunity to express themselves and create the deals they want to make," Show said. "It gives a chance for someone stagnant in one company to reinvent themselves."
Ultimately, Show believes the advent of multiple wrestling companies -- and those companies flourishing -- is a good thing ... and wrestlers like Mercedes should take advantage of it.
"The nature of the game is to keep yourself viable."
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AEW Star Chris Jericho Lands Lead Role In Horror Movie ... Wrestling-Themed, Of Course!!!
From the squared circle ... to the silver screen?!?
AEW star Chris Jericho is proving once again to be a man of many talents -- landing a starring role in an upcoming wrestling-themed horror flick called "Dark Match."
The pro wrestler, who actually recently had a supporting role as "Burke" in the film "Terrifier 2," will be acting in the movie alongside a star-studded cast that includes Ayisha Issa, Steven Ogg, Sara Canning, Jonathan Cherry and Michael Eklund.
The Dept.9 Studios flick seems scary as hell ... it's said to be about a small-time wrestling company that finds itself in a whole lot of trouble with a cult leader after accepting a gig in a remote area.
Jericho tweeted about it on Friday, saying he was "Stoked about this!"
According to Deadline, the movie recently concluded filming in Edmonton, Canada, a place Chris is familiar with, given his Canadian roots.
The wrestling vet has always excelled whenever he's been in front of a camera ... especially with a mic in his hand, so it's not surprising to see him landing a big role.
No word on when "Dark Match" will be released ... but with Jericho leading the cast, getcha popcorn ready now for it!