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AEW’s JD Drake Claims NXT’s Josh Briggs Stole A Move

By John Canton • Published 13th October 2022
jd drake aew josh briggs nxt

Professional wrestlers don’t like it when somebody else uses a patented move especially when it’s somebody that you used to work with, which is why JD Drake mentioned Josh Briggs doing a move that JD Drake used to do.

Josh Briggs is a former NXT UK Tag Team Champion with his partner Brooks Jensen. The team was part of a triple threat number one contender’s tag team match on the October 11th edition of NXT along with The Dyad and Edris Enofe & Malik Blade. The match was won by Enofe & Blade getting the biggest win of their NXT careers so far. However, that’s not what got somebody from AEW’s attention.

There was a spot in the match where Blade ran at Briggs while they were on the floor, so Briggs tossed Blade up onto the apron so that Blade’s back was against the ropes. Blade bounced off the ropes and the 6’8″ Briggs nailed him with a huge clothesline. The spot drew a big reaction from the NXT crowd while Vic Joseph asked WWE Hall of Fame commentator Booker T if he had ever seen a move like that and Booker said “I have not…not in my 32 years in this business.”

The move drew the attention of AEW wrestler JD Drake, who tweeted that Briggs got it from him and that the imitation was flattering.

“At least let them know where you got it from Josh Briggs. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.”

Drake tweeted again about it while quote tweeting the video of the move while noting that Drake worked with Briggs in Evolve, which is no longer a promotion.

“I did this in 2015-16. Worked with Josh in Evolve for a few years. Guess I made an impression.”

“September 4. 2015 as a matter of fact.”

Another wrestler, Anthony Henry, backed up JD’s claim while noting that he had never seen Briggs do the move before.

“He has done this since I have known him. Never seen Josh do it until now.”

Briggs does not have a public Twitter account, so he did not reply to the claims.