Kevin Owens Pays Tribute To Jay Briscoe Following WrestleMania 39
Kevin Owens, Sami Zayn, and The Usos brought tag team wrestling to a WrestleMania main event for the first time in 38 years and after all was said and done, Owens had to pay tribute to tag team specialists, The Briscoes.
Darkness descended over the SoFi Stadium for Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens as they sought to end the record-setting reign of WWE Tag Team Champions The Usos and begin the first of what could be a two-night dismantling of The Bloodline at WrestleMania 39.
For the first time ever, the WWE Tag Team Championship was defended in a WrestleMania main event as Zayn’s story with The Bloodline could not be denied its place in the headline slot.
When the bell rang, it was The Usos who put their familiarity with each other – Owens and Zayn might have known each other for years but they hadn’t teamed since June 2019 – to good use as they dominated the bout. Superkicks reigned down on the Canadian duo as it looked like the worst could actually happen and The Usos retain their titles.
However, it was a fired-up Sami Zayn who managed to take out Jey Uso with three Helluva Kicks in succession to pick up the win and give him and Kevin Owens the night of their careers in Los Angeles.
At the post-show press conference, Kevin Owens acknowledged The Usos as well as paid tribute to Mark and Jay Briscoe, 13-time ROH Tag Team Champions, and says he hopes they made Jay proud:
“Before I go, two things. The Usos, even though everybody loves them, everybody appreciates them, they’re under-appreciated. They’re the best. Unbelievable. I don’t have enough good words for them. And also, I said PWG helped us get here, Super Dragon helped us get here. There’s two other guys that really helped us get here. Their names are Mark and Jay Briscoe. We lost Jay recently. I really hope we made him proud tonight.”
Jay Briscoe tragically lost his life in a car accident back in January 2023, his brother Mark is now a singles competitor in AEW and Ring of Honor and has vowed to carry on the legacy of Dem Boys.